Super creamy and rich, this protein-packed Greek Yogurt Alfredo Sauce is so amazing you’ll ditch store-bought versions for good!
Looking for more ways to use Greek yogurt in your favorite foods? Look no further! Try these recipes ASAP: Greek Yogurt Waffles, Greek Yogurt Banana Bread, and Greek Yogurt Banana Bread.
When I first posted this recipe, I was in school. As in, college. Can you believe that? It seems like 20 years ago. I can’t believe I was finishing up school AND keeping up with this blog. I’ve always been like that though, go, go, go!
I used to do upwards of 12 recipes a week and still go to school. I wish I had that energy now! Omg. Just thinking about it makes me want to take a nap.
But, looking back on that time is a good thing for me to do once in a while, as it makes me realize how much I loved putting together a simple recipe, even waaaaay back then. Like many of us back then (and, okay, now too), I lived on carbs. I always had a bowl full of cooked pasta in the fridge and some homemade sauce ready to add to it at a moment’s notice, like this Greek Yogurt Alfredo Sauce.
I just love cooking and baking with Greek yogurt — I think it tastes way better than sour cream and is healthier for you too! It’s a great substitute for heavy cream and milk in many recipes as well. It’s loaded with protein and it adds yummy flavor to your dishes — way better than sour cream if you ask me.
When I worked it into this alfredo sauce recipe, I was instantly hooked. So creamy, so much flavor, so much goodness on top of any pasta you desire. Stop buying the jarred stuff and make some of this gorgeous sauce at home. You. Will. Love. It.
WHAT INGREDIENTS DO YOU NEED TO MAKE ALFREDO SAUCE WITH GREEK YOGURT?
You only need 5 ingredients to make this sauce! 5! Amazing, right?
- Butter
- Garlic powder
- Milk or water (I used fat free half & half)
- Plain greek yogurt (I used 0% fat)
- Shredded parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper
- Dried or fresh parsley
- Cooked pasta noodles
HOW DO YOU MAKE ALFREDO SAUCE WITH GREEK YOGURT?
Making sauces with Greek yogurt is easier than you might think.
In a medium saucepan, first melt the butter over medium heat. Then stir in the garlic powder, then add milk or water and stir again. Take it off the heat and allow it to cool for about 2-3 minutes, then whisk in the Greek yogurt a little bit at a time until it’s fully incorporated.
Next, add the parmesan cheese into the sauce and stir until that’s all melted and the sauce if smooth and creamy. (If it needs to be heated up a bit for all the cheese to melt, it’s okay to put the pan back on the stove on low until it’s all melted.)
Add salt and pepper to taste and add on top of your favorite cooked pasta noodles. That’s really all there is to it!
HOW DO YOU STORE GREEK YOGURT ALFREDO SAUCE?
As I mentioned, I like to keep a jar of this sauce in the fridge just in case an alfredo craving hits. I store mine in an airtight jar, but any airtight container will do. The sauce will thicken as it sits in the fridge, but you can add a tablespoon of water or milk and microwave it to heat/thin it back out before pouring over pasta.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN REGULAR AND GREEK YOGURT?
While both kinds of yogurt start out the same (using milk and bacteria cultures), there are a couple key differences between Greek yogurt and regular yogurt.
When making Greek yogurt, after the milk and bacteria ferment, the liquid whey is drained off the solid yogurt three times, which is why it’s so much thicker than regular yogurt.
The straining process for regular yogurt is much less frequent — only one or two strainings there which is why it’s more creamy and less thick. The more concentrated the yogurt is, the more protein it contains, which is why Greek yogurt is such a great source of protein.
IDEAS FOR USING ALFREDO SAUCE
Alfredo sauce goes great over pasta, and so many other things, too, like:
- Stuffed pasta like tortellini or ravioli.
- Cooked veggies like broccoli or cauliflower.
- As a base for pizza instead of pizza sauce.
- As a sauce in casseroles.
- Use it warm as a dip for chips.
- Add it to Italian soups to make it more creamy and rich.
- Top off baked potatoes with some of the garlicky sauce. (Head to my Instant Pot Baked Potatoes for a great recipe)
- Add it as a sauce in lasagne instead of (or in addition to) marinara.
Greek Yogurt Alfredo Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- ½ cup milk or water - (I used fat free half & half)
- ¾ cup plain greek yogurt - (I used 0% fat)
- ½ – ⅔ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- optional: ½ teaspoon dried parsley - (or 1 teaspoon fresh)
- 8 ounces pasta noodles - cooked
Instructions
- In a medium sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in garlic powder. Stir in milk (or water). Remove from heat and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes. Gradually whisk in greek yogurt.
- Add parmesan cheese to sauce and stir until melted. (If the cheese doesn’t melt completely because the sauce is too cool, return to stove on low for a couple of minutes) Add salt and pepper to taste and toss with your favorite cooked pasta noodles.
For the nutrition part that equals to how many cups per servings?
Serving size is 1/4 of the recipe.
good base- can get very creative with this recipe. I like to add spinach in it and definitely more garlic powder and fresh garlic. Next time will add some shallots and a drop of dry white wine.
Cons: sauce curdled. I used mozzarella instead had to put in blender
I couldn’t get this to thicken and the texture was all wrong. I tried using extra cheese and cornstarch but I had to give up. I did use regular yogurt, not Greek, but I don’t think that would have made a huge difference. I gave it 2 stars because it tasted good, just the wrong texture.
Hi Alison, Sorry to hear you didn’t love the texture of your alfredo sauce. The Greek yogurt is thicker than regular yogurt and that can affect the texture. It can also be helpful to incorporate it slowly and use yogurt that is nearly room temperature and not straight from the fridge. Hope these tips help!
I’ve noticed if you do not let it cool enough then the sauce thins. You just have to let it cool and stir again and it thickened for me.
Not a good recipe. Does not thicken up.
Very very thin
I made this recipe it is amazing. I love Alfredo over pasta. I added chicken broccoli and mushrooms. So so good.
how long does it stay fresh in freezer?
I am not sure, I have not tried that yet! Sorry.
So quick and delicious!
Very good, simple recipe. I tried it as a means to use up some aging Greek yogurt. A couple of notes. Best to freshly grate Parmesan. I first used pre-shredded and it wouldn’t melt down. Also I found that when adding my non-fat yogurt to the warm milk, it wanted to curdle. Both of the above resulted in a sauce which was a bit grainy. My second try was much more successful. I tempered the yogurt and used fresh parm. Smooth as silk!
So good and so easy!! I only had cheddar on hand so used it instead of parmesan and it was great. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
It split!! What did I do wrong. It seemed to be perfect until I added the pasta.
I made this recipe it is amazing. I love Alfredo over pasta. I added chicken broccoli and mushrooms. So so good.
THE BEST RECIPE TO EVERY BE MADE!!!!!
Great
Great recipe if done right! I highly recommend mixing the parm cheese in before you let it cook and add the yogurt so it melts well. You don’t want to reheat it once the yogurt is mixed in or it will curdle and separate.
my one daughter and I liked this a lot..however I had to put back on heat to melt the cheese and I think something curdled. Maybe the yogurt. There were like tiny chucks all over. still ate it and enjoyed it. Just seeing if it was too much heat or something else? thanks
It could have been too much heat for too long!
I liked this a lot but it tasted more like stroganoff sauce than Alfredo. What did I do wrong?
I make an Alfredo sauce from scratch every time. I am usually trying to use up all the dairy/ non-dairy products before it goes bad.. since I always buy to much.
I mistakenly bought organic plain greek yogurt instead of vanilla and decided to look up recepies for plain greek yogurt. I personally don’t care for cream sauces but love cheese… go figure. My family LOVES Alfredos.
They loved it! I chopped fresh garlic and added 1 link of sweet Italian sausage.
After plating I topped it with a diced large portobello cap sautéed in olive oil.
I will definitely make this again! And will be looking at your other plain greek yogurt recipes.
Thank you!