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So apparently all of you out there seem to love alfredo sauce just as much as I do.
My Chicken Alfredo Baked Ziti and Skinny Fettuccine Alfredo recipes are sitting near the top of the leaderboard in blog statistics lately. And one of the most-asked questions in the comments and emails is when-oh-when I’m going to post a gluten-free recipe for the alfredo sauce. Actually, make that the skinny alfredo sauce, since I figured out long ago that delicious creamy alfredo sauces do not actually need to involve heavy cream.
Well for all of you gluten-free friends out there, today’s the day. This sauce is super easy to make, ready to go in less than 15 minutes, made with all-natural everyday ingredients (no special gluten-free flours). And the best part? I’m pretty positive none of your friends and family will even notice that it’s gluten-free.
Let’s do this.
First off, I have received a bunch of questions from readers over the past year about gluten-free pasta recommendations. I have tried quite a few, and at this point, my favorite is DeLallo’s Gluten-Free Corn & Rice Spaghetti. This isn’t a sponsored post — I just prefer some of the rice-based GF pastas, and DeLallo’s happens to be one of my favorites. So I used it in this recipe, and then happily enjoyed every bite.
Heads up, though, it’s very yellow thanks to that corn. It was practically glowing in these photos!
The sauce itself can be made in less than the time it takes your pasta water to boil. Simply saute some pressed (ideally) or minced garlic in olive oil. Then add a cornstarch and chicken (or veggie) broth slurry to the saute pan, along with some milk, and bring that mixture to a simmer. Add in some freshly-grated Parmesan, salt and pepper…
…and voila! It’s literally ready to go in no time!
Well, less than 15 minutes, which is basically no time since you need at least that long to bring your pasta water to a boil and cook the pasta.
Then just ladle it on top of your pasta…
…and mix it in as you eat it…
…or just toss your cooked pasta in the pan with the sauce and toss it before serving.
However you dish it up, this gluten-free alfredo sauce is guaranteed to be a winner. And since it is made healthier without heavy cream and unnecessary extra calories, it’s definitely a winner in my book.
Hope you enjoy it! And to all of you GF friends, thanks for waiting for this one. I’m happy to finally share it with you!
This gluten-free alfredo sauce recipe is made with simple and delicious everyday ingredients, and it’s actually made “lighter” without heavy cream!
Ingredients
Scale
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock (* see note below)
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. olive oil
4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 cup low-fat milk (I used 1%)
3/4 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
(optional topping: chopped fresh parsley)
Instructions
In a small bowl, whisk together stock and cornstarch until the cornstarch is dissolved. Set aside.
Heat olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and saute one minute, stirring occasionally, until fragrant. Pour in the stock-and-cornstarch slurry, and whisk until smooth. Whisk in milk, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Let cook for an additional minute or two until thickened. Then stir in Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper until the cheese is melted. Season with additional salt and pepper if necessary.
Remove from heat and use immediately.
(*If you’re planning to toss this gluten-free alfredo sauce with pasta, I recommend using 12 ounces of gluten-free pasta cooked until al dente.)
*If you are using store-bought stock, please check the label or research in advance, to make sure it is gluten-free. Quite a few of the store-bought brands contain gluten in them.
Alfredo sauce is the best, no question there, but you are right, the heavy cream & butter restaurants add to it sock you with unnecessary calories. When you look at the calories in the Olive Garden version (ok, it’s delicious but still) Overall though, I lost 50 pounds using recipes like this, not going all crazy and saying…I will never eat a carb again” ….but instead saying, I can make small sacrifices that don’t even sacrifice flavor that much that help me keep that weight off. Can’t wait to try this. Looks so easy to do to.
Elise —
Does any one know what the nutritional info for this is?
My Gluten Free loving heart skipped a beat when I saw the title of the post….and continued skipping away when I got to the recipe! This sounds so good Ali.
And I am totally digging the color of those noodles! SO bright! Pinned!
The ingredients list 3 Tbs of flour (how is this gluten free?) but the directions talk about corn starch which isn’t in the ingredients list. I think maybe a correction is called for.
Looks yummy! I’ll make it with the cream because I need the calories, though.
As a note for those who are allergic to rice (like me): Ancient Harvest has quinoa pasta, made from corn and quinoa, which is delicious.
If you’re allergic to corn, you can try Banza or even quinoa itself as a pasta. (Or spaghetti squash, or julienned zucchini.) My mother also makes her own pasta from amaranth, chickpea, and teff flour.
Just some thoughts for folks with further allergies. :)
Absolutely fantastic! I added veggies and fresh clams to mine and it turned out great! Thank you very much! I’m very new to this gluten free lifestyle and was a little worried I was gpu g to have a hard time with Alfredo. Haha guess not, it was easier than I thought! Thanks again
Be careful if you are cooking this for someone with Gluten intolerance.. many people Love to used canned chicken stock as opposed to making their own… MANY canned chicken stock brands contain gluten in them and are not certified gluten free. Be sure to read the label and research the chicken stock you use.. (or the best way.. Make your own homemade stock).
you might want to mention this in the recipe..
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Thanks for your tip Christopher, this is good to know!
Can this be frozen as a meal (all mixed together)? Wondering how it turns out once it is thawed/reheated?
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Yes, you should be able to freeze this. If you’re using it in the alfredo baked ziti, we would bake it without the cheese on top. Make sure it’s completely cooled before freezing. Then when you’re ready to bake, sprinkle the cheese on top, cover with foil and bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and then bake for another 10-15 min or until the cheese is completely melted, golden brown, and bubbling. We hope you enjoy! :)
Ok so I thought there were basically 2 schools of thought on alfredo…one being hat it’s traditionally just hot osta mixed until creamy with butter, Parmesan, and pasta water. Then there is what most people (at least in America) think of as alfredo, which is a cream-based sauce which includes butter, heavy cream, Parmesan, and sometimes garlic. But either way, it seems to me that the majority of alfredo sauce recipes should be gluten free anyway. Now if you want to reduce fat, and call it a reduced fat alfredo sauce, it makes more sense to call it gluten free, since without the fat in the butter or heavy cream, the cheese won’t melt into creaminess , and will instead be clumpy. So to make a reduced-far alfredo sauce, you’d need to start with a roux. Which is where gluten would come in. So perhaps “reduced-fat, gluten-free alfredo sauce” would better highlight/title the gist of this recipe . Ok I’m a food nerd. Ugh. LOL
This was easy and delicious! I added spinach and shrimp to it. It was the perfect amount and very creamy. Gluten free cheese sauces can tend to get “gritty”. This was perfect!
This recipe is my go to for Alfredo suave. I am GF but our family isn’t, and they don’t know the difference. I love that there’s no cream in here either. Do you think you can freeze the sauce to use later?
I cook meals up for my son and his wife (my daughter in love) one month in advance, my daughter In love doesn’t do tomato sauce well and my son has celiac disease so I make a variety of gluten free small meals to mix and match, and freeze them ahead. Will this sauce freeze well?
Yes LOVE this sauce made it while in Florida used spaghetti squash and everyone said let’s keep this recipe for our Florida Favorite for when we return! I totally agreed. Gluten free & carb low!
I’ve tried many gluten-free white sauce recipes and this one is by far the best. I didn’t have Parmesan on hand and used shredded cheddar instead. It’s delicious! Thank you!
This recipe was excellent! I just started my gluten free journey and my son wanted “Alfredo Penne” for his 20th birthday dinner. So, googled and found your recipe. It was perfect as I had just made fresh home made chicken stock. I substituted a bit of coffee cream for milk (1/4 cream and 3/4 2% milk) to give it a little kick (considering it’s his birthday after all, we need a treat!). We had it with baby shrimp and chicken (birthday boy wanted both). Mine was with gluten free spaghetti and the others regular penne. It was delicious, all 4 family members loved it. Thank you!
Cant wait to try this. I was recently diagnosed with celiacs and have been on a mad dash to find gf recipes of my former loves Lol. My family has even jumped in on the gf diet with me to show their support. I cant wait to try this it may just be our dinner tonight. Plus just had my gallbladder removed so the low fat is a plus. I’m so excited to have found this
Thank you so much
The recipe was decent but i highly recommend halving the chicken stock (not the water) as the chicken flavoring was so strong it made my sauce taste like Mr. Noodles soup.
Personal preference: drizzle a lemon wedge over the pasta & sauce for a bit of zip.
Me and my boyfriend were looking online for gluten-free Alfredo recipes because the store was out of the jars of GF sauce that I usually buy. He found this recipe and sent it to me and I thought it looked pretty easy so I thought I’d give it a try since I planned to make chicken Alfredo for his kids (his daughter has celiac disease) and I was so impressed about the outcome. It was so creamy and tasty… I don’t think I will ever buy a jar sauce again. So glad we found this!
This has become a go-to recipe for me! DELISH! In efforts to recreate a dish at a local restaurant, I toss with pasta and salmon, and garnish with fresh lime juice and pink peppercorns. It’s an amazing twist!
Hi I was wondering does this recipe freeze well my mom has several allergies and doesn’t have the time to cook for her self. I do the cooking at home but I’ll be moving out soon and I don’t want to leave her with out food that’s good for her that’s not just caned chicken and microwave rice.
Following this recipe was very simple! I found it to be very tasty!! I made it for myself and my grandmother and what a relief it is to know how many delicious gluten free options there are and how easy it can be to make the modifications! I give this recipe a 10/10! Flavor was on point!
Alfredo sauce is the best, no question there, but you are right, the heavy cream & butter restaurants add to it sock you with unnecessary calories. When you look at the calories in the Olive Garden version (ok, it’s delicious but still) Overall though, I lost 50 pounds using recipes like this, not going all crazy and saying…I will never eat a carb again” ….but instead saying, I can make small sacrifices that don’t even sacrifice flavor that much that help me keep that weight off. Can’t wait to try this. Looks so easy to do to.
Does any one know what the nutritional info for this is?
My Gluten Free loving heart skipped a beat when I saw the title of the post….and continued skipping away when I got to the recipe! This sounds so good Ali.
And I am totally digging the color of those noodles! SO bright! Pinned!
This looks fantastic! Would it work to use fresh feta in lieu of parmesan? I have an abundance of feta right now!
I’m an alfredo sauce loving girl and this looks sooo delicious!! Thanks for sharing!
The ingredients list 3 Tbs of flour (how is this gluten free?) but the directions talk about corn starch which isn’t in the ingredients list. I think maybe a correction is called for.
Eek! Typo. Sorry about that — it should be cornstarch. Fixed now. :)
Yum! I might just do this tonight!
Looks yummy! I’ll make it with the cream because I need the calories, though.
As a note for those who are allergic to rice (like me): Ancient Harvest has quinoa pasta, made from corn and quinoa, which is delicious.
If you’re allergic to corn, you can try Banza or even quinoa itself as a pasta. (Or spaghetti squash, or julienned zucchini.) My mother also makes her own pasta from amaranth, chickpea, and teff flour.
Just some thoughts for folks with further allergies. :)
Absolutely fantastic! I added veggies and fresh clams to mine and it turned out great! Thank you very much! I’m very new to this gluten free lifestyle and was a little worried I was gpu g to have a hard time with Alfredo. Haha guess not, it was easier than I thought! Thanks again
Thanks Adam, so happy you liked this! The veggies and fresh clams sound delightful!
Be careful if you are cooking this for someone with Gluten intolerance.. many people Love to used canned chicken stock as opposed to making their own… MANY canned chicken stock brands contain gluten in them and are not certified gluten free. Be sure to read the label and research the chicken stock you use.. (or the best way.. Make your own homemade stock).
you might want to mention this in the recipe..
Thanks for your tip Christopher, this is good to know!
Used it ontop of my zucchini noodles! Loved it!
We’re so glad to hear that Hannah! :)
Can this be frozen as a meal (all mixed together)? Wondering how it turns out once it is thawed/reheated?
Yes, you should be able to freeze this. If you’re using it in the alfredo baked ziti, we would bake it without the cheese on top. Make sure it’s completely cooled before freezing. Then when you’re ready to bake, sprinkle the cheese on top, cover with foil and bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and then bake for another 10-15 min or until the cheese is completely melted, golden brown, and bubbling. We hope you enjoy! :)
wow this was AMAZING couldn’t even tell it was gluten free when I tried it!
Thank you, Lizzy — we’re so glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Ok so I thought there were basically 2 schools of thought on alfredo…one being hat it’s traditionally just hot osta mixed until creamy with butter, Parmesan, and pasta water. Then there is what most people (at least in America) think of as alfredo, which is a cream-based sauce which includes butter, heavy cream, Parmesan, and sometimes garlic. But either way, it seems to me that the majority of alfredo sauce recipes should be gluten free anyway. Now if you want to reduce fat, and call it a reduced fat alfredo sauce, it makes more sense to call it gluten free, since without the fat in the butter or heavy cream, the cheese won’t melt into creaminess , and will instead be clumpy. So to make a reduced-far alfredo sauce, you’d need to start with a roux. Which is where gluten would come in. So perhaps “reduced-fat, gluten-free alfredo sauce” would better highlight/title the gist of this recipe . Ok I’m a food nerd. Ugh. LOL
This is perfect! My daughter has Celiac’s, and I love Alfredo-just not all the fat & calories! Win, win for us!! Thank you so much for sharing this!
Thanks, Nicci — we hope you and your daughter enjoy this! :)
This was AMAZING! I have Gluten Free for three years and this is the best Alfredo sauce I have tried so gar! Thank you!
Thank you, Halle, we’re so glad you enjoy it! :)
This was easy and delicious! I added spinach and shrimp to it. It was the perfect amount and very creamy. Gluten free cheese sauces can tend to get “gritty”. This was perfect!
Thank you, Dani — we’re so happy you enjoyed it!
Can I make your regular alfredo sauce recipe with GF flour?
We think that should probably work okay. We hope you enjoy!
This recipe is my go to for Alfredo suave. I am GF but our family isn’t, and they don’t know the difference. I love that there’s no cream in here either. Do you think you can freeze the sauce to use later?
Absolutely amazing! Restaurant quality!
I cook meals up for my son and his wife (my daughter in love) one month in advance, my daughter In love doesn’t do tomato sauce well and my son has celiac disease so I make a variety of gluten free small meals to mix and match, and freeze them ahead. Will this sauce freeze well?
I love this!!!! It’s always a hit in my house!
Yes LOVE this sauce made it while in Florida used spaghetti squash and everyone said let’s keep this recipe for our Florida Favorite for when we return! I totally agreed. Gluten free & carb low!
I’ve tried many gluten-free white sauce recipes and this one is by far the best. I didn’t have Parmesan on hand and used shredded cheddar instead. It’s delicious! Thank you!
This was easy to prepare and came out nicely. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
This recipe was excellent! I just started my gluten free journey and my son wanted “Alfredo Penne” for his 20th birthday dinner. So, googled and found your recipe. It was perfect as I had just made fresh home made chicken stock. I substituted a bit of coffee cream for milk (1/4 cream and 3/4 2% milk) to give it a little kick (considering it’s his birthday after all, we need a treat!). We had it with baby shrimp and chicken (birthday boy wanted both). Mine was with gluten free spaghetti and the others regular penne. It was delicious, all 4 family members loved it. Thank you!
Cant wait to try this. I was recently diagnosed with celiacs and have been on a mad dash to find gf recipes of my former loves Lol. My family has even jumped in on the gf diet with me to show their support. I cant wait to try this it may just be our dinner tonight. Plus just had my gallbladder removed so the low fat is a plus. I’m so excited to have found this
Thank you so much
This was Excellent! Easy and delicious. I will definitely make Alfredo Sauce using this recipe from now on. Thank you!!
The recipe was decent but i highly recommend halving the chicken stock (not the water) as the chicken flavoring was so strong it made my sauce taste like Mr. Noodles soup.
Personal preference: drizzle a lemon wedge over the pasta & sauce for a bit of zip.
Can you freeze this sauce to use for other recipes.
Unfortunately this one does not freeze well, so I don’t recommend it.
Me and my boyfriend were looking online for gluten-free Alfredo recipes because the store was out of the jars of GF sauce that I usually buy. He found this recipe and sent it to me and I thought it looked pretty easy so I thought I’d give it a try since I planned to make chicken Alfredo for his kids (his daughter has celiac disease) and I was so impressed about the outcome. It was so creamy and tasty… I don’t think I will ever buy a jar sauce again. So glad we found this!
This has become a go-to recipe for me! DELISH! In efforts to recreate a dish at a local restaurant, I toss with pasta and salmon, and garnish with fresh lime juice and pink peppercorns. It’s an amazing twist!
Hi I was wondering does this recipe freeze well my mom has several allergies and doesn’t have the time to cook for her self. I do the cooking at home but I’ll be moving out soon and I don’t want to leave her with out food that’s good for her that’s not just caned chicken and microwave rice.
Can this be refrigerated over night
Can you make ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to use?
Same question.
Following this recipe was very simple! I found it to be very tasty!! I made it for myself and my grandmother and what a relief it is to know how many delicious gluten free options there are and how easy it can be to make the modifications! I give this recipe a 10/10! Flavor was on point!
Great recipe! The sauce thickened quite fast so it’s helpful to have all ingredients ready to go before starting.
Can gluten free flour be substituted for corn starch fir alfredo sauce , if so, which type of flour?