Healthy Alfredo Sauce
Updated Dec 12, 2025
Make Alfredo Sauce Healthier by using cottage cheese instead of cream. Each serving has 18 grams of protein!
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My Healthy Alfredo Sauce is So Good!
Most Alfredo sauces have a lot of cream in them and aren’t the kind of thing I’d want to eat every week. However, my kids love Alfredo sauce, so I set out to make a healthier version. I wanted something lighter but still super creamy and I didn’t want my kids to be able to tell too much of a difference between this Alfredo and the classic fettuccine Alfredo version!
My healthy Alfredo sauce recipe has just 4 ingredients and relies on cottage cheese for creaminess (it also adds protein, a bonus in my book). I kept some butter in the sauce, too, because I found it important for the rich texture and flavor I was looking for. My kids love this alfredo sauce with pasta and extra grated parmesan cheese on top! I’ll often add roasted broccoli, peas, or leftover shredded rotisserie or roasted chicken to it, too.
Healthy Alfredo Sauce Ingredients
- Cottage cheese: I like to use full-fat cottage cheese (usually, I go for at least 4%) but 2% cheese will also work.
- Parmesan cheese: Look for rennet-free Parmesan cheese if you’re vegetarian. Pecorino Romano is a great substitute!
- Butter: I recommend using unsalted butter (since you’ll be adding salt as well). If you do go with salted butter, limit your added salt later on!
- Garlic: I prefer fresh sliced garlic, but you can use ½ teaspoon of garlic powder instead.
- Salt and pepper: I love the taste of fresh-ground black pepper in this alfredo sauce.
How to Make Healthy Alfredo Sauce
Healthy Alfredo Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups cottage cheese 4% fat
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 4 tablespoons melted butter slightly cooled
- 1 garlic clove
- ¼ teaspoon salt plus more for cooking pasta
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Fresh parsley for garnishing
Instructions
- Add the cottage cheese, parmesan cheese, butter, garlic, salt, and pepper to a high speed blender and process until smooth to create an alfredo-like sauce.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Tips
- Let your butter cool slightly. This is so it doesn’t seize up when added to the rest of the sauce ingredients, making it easier to blend!
- Use a high-speed blender. You want a blender powerful enough to blend the ingredients super smoothly. Chunks of whole garlic are no-good in alfredo sauce!
- Warm your sauce over low heat. When you’re ready to serve your alfredo sauce, I recommend heating it over low heat and stirring it constantly to prevent it from separating.
Serving Ideas
- Serve over pasta. Alfredo is one of my absolute pasta sauces. I like to serve it with fettuccini, broccoli shrimp pasta, or chicken pasta. It’s even good with spaghetti squash!
- Eat with protein. This sauce is delicious with cuts of meat as well as pasta, like oven-baked chicken, grilled chicken, or even a simple cast iron skillet steak.
FAQs
I wouldn’t recommend it! A food processor won’t be able to get the sauce as smooth as a high speed blender.
If the sauce has separated, I recommend just putting it back in the blender and blending it again. You can also add a splash of milk or heavy cream to help it smooth out!
