It’s no secret that I love an easy homemade sauce, and this Parmesan Cheese Sauce is one of my favorites. With rich cream and butter, and loads of parmesan, it’s a decadent sauce that can be made so quickly that there’s no excuse not to use it to upgrade your dinner — or even breakfast!
What is Parmesan Cheese Sauce?
Parmesan cheese sauce is a rich and decadent combination of freshly grated parmesan, cream, milk, butter, and garlic. It’s similar in texture to an Alfredo sauce and can be used to elevate your favorite meals.
This recipe can also serve as a canvas for your own creativity in the kitchen. Jazz it up with regional or seasonal spices and herbs, toss in some meat, or experiment with other ingredients to make it your own!
Why You’ll Love Parmesan Cheese Sauce
If you love a creamy, dreamy sauce, this one may become your new favorite.
- Unbelievably simple. All you need is one pot, a handful of ingredients, and less than 15 minutes to put together this easy, cheesy sauce.
- So many uses. While you can obviously use this as a pasta sauce, it’s also absolutely amazing with nearly any proteins, veggies (hello air fryer broccolini!), and starches. You can even use it as a pizza sauce or a dip for chicken wings or crescent roll vegetable pizza.
- Superior to store-bought. Sure, you can probably buy a jar of parmesan sauce at your local grocery store, or even online, but the fresh flavor of this homemade sauce can’t be beat!
- Naturally gluten-free. Since this recipe doesn’t use flour to make a roux for thickening, it’s completely gluten-free.
Ingredients
It only takes a few simple ingredients to whip up a cheese sauce that will knock everyone’s socks off.
- Unsalted Butter – The butter is perfect for sauteing the garlic and it also gives the sauce richness. The parmesan cheese and the sea salt will add a salty flavor, so use unsalted for the sauteing.
- Garlic – Mince or grate the garlic cloves finely so that it’s easy to incorporate it into the sauce and to avoid having any unevenly sized pieces.
- Heavy Cream – Cream gives the sauce its velvety texture and irresistible richness.
- Whole Milk – Milk thins the sauce just a little so that it’s the perfect consistency.
- Parmesan Cheese – While you will want to get a fresh block of parmesan and grate it yourself, be sure to avoid aged parmesan — it’s amazing for snacking but its granular texture doesn’t work well in the sauce. And be sure to avoid the parm in the shaker container — it won’t melt in your sauce.
- Fine Sea Salt – Sea salt brings out the flavor of all of the other ingredients.
- Ground Black Pepper – Just a bit of pepper rounds out the sauce.
- Flat Parsley (Italian Parsley)– Parsley adds a pop of color and fresh flavor to the rich sauce.
Variations
There are so many ways you can change up this cheese sauce!
- Aromatics – Add shallots, chives, or other aromatics for an amazing fragrance and added flavor.
- Seasoning – Switch it up sprinkling in Cajun seasoning, Thai seasoning, or Italian seasoning. And while fresh garlic is always best, you can use garlic powder in a pinch.
- Smokiness – A few pinches of smoked paprika will give the sauce an incredible smoky flavor.
- Heat – Cayenne, harissa, red pepper flakes, or Sriracha will all give the sauce a spicy kick.
- Herbs – Add fresh flavor with herbs like basil, mint, oregano, or cilantro.
- Meat – Toss in some cooked pancetta or bacon for a meaty spin on this sauce.
What To Serve With Garlic Parmesan Cream Sauce
This creamy garlic sauce is perfect for pairing with your favorite shape of noodles, but it can dress up nearly any savory meal! Drizzle it over chicken, pork, or seafood, or toss it with steamed broccoli or roasted vegetables.
This sauce is also amazing for upgrading any style of potato — mix it into mashed potatoes, dip french fries in it, or spoon it over baked potatoes. You can also mix it into rice or quinoa or use it as a dipping sauce for breadsticks or warm, crusty bread — we love it with focaccia!
And don’t sleep on using this cheesy sauce for morning meals, too! Substitute it for hollandaise sauce for a fun twist on eggs Benedict, spread it on a breakfast sandwich, or simply add a dollop or two on top of your scrambled eggs.
How to Make Parmesan Cheese Sauce
It only takes a few easy steps to make this luscious, creamy sauce.
- Sauté garlic. Add the butter to a saucepan or skillet and heat. Once the butter melts, briefly sauté the minced garlic in it.
- Add heavy cream and milk. Pour the heavy cream and milk into the pan and whisk it together with the butter and garlic.
- Add cheese, salt and pepper. Once bubbles begin to form, stir in the parmesan cheese. When the cheese has completely melted into the sauce, sprinkle in the salt and pepper.
- Stir briefly and continue to cook briefly. Once the sauce has thickened, take it off of the heat.
Storage and Freezing
This sauce stores well so you can easily keep it in the fridge or freezer for when you need it.
Make the sauce ahead of time and store it separately from any noodles or other ingredients that may absorb it and become soggy. You can reheat it in the microwave in intervals or on the stovetop. If it has become too thick, you can add milk or cream to thin it out.
How to Store This Sauce
Store parmesan cheese sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days.
Can I Freeze Parmesan Cheese Sauce?
Transfer parmesan cheese sauce to a freezer-safe container or freezer bag and keep it in the freezer for up to two months.
Common Questions About Parmesan Cheese Sauce
For this recipe, it easily melts right into the simmering cream and milk mixture. For most recipes, you’ll want to use a similar technique, melting the parmesan into a liquid.
This simple sauce consists of parmesan, milk, cream, butter, and garlic. Adding a little parsley gives it some fresh herbal flavor.
To prevent parmesan from clumping, be sure to grate it finely. Then, add it to the sauce slowly while whisking continuously until it melts.
More Creamy Sauces
I adore homemade sauces, and some of my favorites are the ones with a silky, creamy texture.
Bearnaise Sauce Recipe
Avocado Crema
Diane Sauce for Steak
Parmesan Cheese Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic minced or grated
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 1/4 cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon flat parsley Italian parsley, minced
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic, sauteing until soft and fragrant, approximately 1 minute.
- Whisk in the heavy cream and milk, continuing to heat until simmering with small bubbles. Whisk in the parmesan cheese, stirring continuously until all of the cheese has melted.
- Whisk in the salt and pepper, allowing the sauce to simmer for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until thickened.
- Remove from the heat and add the parsley.
- If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.
Nutrition
This looks luscious, I’d love to try it on baked potatoes!
This sauce is absolutely divine! My family and I love dipping our breadsticks in this!
This looks amazing and such a treat! Thank you!
This sauce turned out perfectly!! It was super cheesy, creamy, and packed with flavor. We used it over roasted veggies and it tasted amazing!
This creamy parmesan sauce is out of this world! Sooo delicious, I practically wanted to eat it by the spoonful.