Why You’ll Love This Recipe
We all love Alfredo sauce around here! To say my boys love it sauce would be a huge understatement. Huge! They certainly wouldn’t complain if I served it at every meal. And this slow cooker version has become my go-to for this creamy, versatile sauce.
- Easy and Hands-Off: Alfredo sauce isn’t all that complicated to make in the first place, but being able to do it in the slow cooker is so convenient if you have a busy day planned.
- Family Friendly: Kids and adults alike love this sauce, making it a reliable hit for dinner any night of the week.
- A Lighter Option: My husband actually prefers this version because it’s a bit lighter–there is actually more chicken broth in the recipe than cream.
- Feeds a Crowd: This recipe makes a lot of sauce! Which means we can have it for dinner and then my boys will happily eat the leftovers for lunch the next few days.
- So Versatile! Serve it over any pasta, add chicken or veggies, or use it as a base for other creamy dishes—this sauce is super flexible.
After you preview the recipe card, be sure to look below for ingredient substitutions, recipe and storage tips, and suggestions for pairings and tasty variations!
Slow Cooker Alfredo Sauce
Creamy, comforting, and surprisingly hands-off, this Slow Cooker Alfredo Sauce is the perfect way to bring a restaurant-quality meal to the table with minimal effort. Toss it with your favorite pasta for a delicious weeknight dinner!
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Servings: 12 -16 servings
Calories: 264kcal
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 4-6 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup butter very soft
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Lightly grease the bowl of a slow cooker. Add broth, cream and garlic. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours.
- About 30 minutes before serving, combine soft butter, flour and parsley in a small bowl. Whisk butter mixture into the slow cooker until smooth. Cover and continue cooking for another 30 minutes, or until mixture is thickened.
- Stir in Parmesan cheese. Serve over cooked pasta. Garnish with additional parsley and Parmesan cheese, if desired.
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For every 8 ounces of cooked pasta, use about 1 1/4 cups of sauce. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 264kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 492mg | Sugar: 2g
Keep scrolling for tips, ingredient substitutions, answers to frequently asked questions and more!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Lighten It Up: This sauce is already fairly light (as far as Alfredo sauces go) but you can lighten it up further using half-and-half—just note the sauce will probaby be less thick and creamy.
- Make it Vegetarian: This sauce is almost vegetarian already. Just use vegetable broth in place of chicken broth to make it 100% vegetarian.
- Gluten-Free: Substitute the all-purpose flour with gluten-free all-purpose flour or cornstarch (start with 1/4 cup cornstarch mixed with cold water to form a slurry).
- No Fresh Garlic? I highly recommend fresh garlic for this recipe, but in a pinch you can substitute with a teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Parmesan Cheese Choices: Again, I recommend the fresh stuff here! Pre-shredded Parmesan can be used, but avoid the powdered kind from the can. It may not melt well and can make the sauce grainy.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t skip softening the butter! You want your butter to be very soft (almost melted) so it blends more easily with the flour and parsley and incorporates smoothly into the sauce.
- Whisk well: Take your time to whisk until the butter-flour mixture is fully blended to prevents lumps and helps the sauce thicken evenly.
- Add the Parmesan last: Stir the cheese in at the end to avoid overheating it. Adding it too early can cause it to separate or become gritty.
Storage & Reheating
- Refrigerator: Let the sauce cool completely then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Cream-based sauces can separate when frozen and reheated, but you can freeze this sauce if you need to. Let it cook completely, place it in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Reheating: The best way to reheat this sauce is in a saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of warm milk, cream, or broth to loosen it. You can also reheat in the microwave in 30–45 second intervals, stirring in between, until warm. Add a splash of liquid if the sauce seems too thick.
Variations & Fun Twists
- Add Some Protien: Stir in cooked chicken, shrimp, or Italian sausage during the last 30 minutes of cooking. Rotisserie chicken is a great time-saver!
- Spicy Alfredo: Stir in a pinch of red pepper flakes, cayenne, or a dash of hot sauce for a little heat.
- Lemon Garlic Alfredo: Add a teaspoon of fresh lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon juice just before serving.
- Extra Cheesy: Add a handful other cheeses like Asiago or Romano. You can even stir in a touch of cream cheese to balance out the richness.
- Leftover Alfredo Mac & Cheese: Combine leftover sauce with cooked elbow macaroni and extra shredded cheese, then bake in an oven-safe dish until hot and bubbly.
Pairings
If you’re serving Alfredo as a main dish, some crusty bread or rolls and a hearty green salad are always a good choices. Or serve this with your favorite pasta as a side dish to grilled chicken.
These are some of our favorite sides to enjoy with this recipe.
32 comments
Kerry
what is the least amount of time this could cook for? If I only have a few hours can it be ready?
Danelle
Maybe…..but there might not be enough time for it to thicken.
Heather
Thanks for the advice, Diana. My daughter is vegetarian and I was looking for creative ideas for this recipe. (she also got an air fryer for Christmas) My son loves the breaded chicken, which was served on the side. Everyone was happy!
Diana
I’m vegetarian, so I used a vegan “chicken” broth base, but still used the heavy cream and butter and all other ingredients the same. We cooked some “chicken” strips from Gardein brand in the air fryer and added them to each plate. Absolutely delicious. I usually tweak all our crockpot recipes, but haven’t needed to do so at all, just substituted the broth and fake chicken.