With six ingredients and 20 minutes to make, this garlic cream sauce pairs well with so many things. Toss it with freshly cooked pasta, or drizzle it over your next steak dinner. You can serve it with chicken, pork chops, or even seafood. Enjoy this sauce with two different garlic flavors. You can use fresh garlic, or there’s also an option to use roasted garlic. This flavorful sauce can be made year-round too.
I first discovered the wonders of garlic cream sauce when I was working in a local fine-dining restaurant. It was the end of a very long shift, and I decided to treat myself by ordering a meal from the kitchen.
One of the main chefs made some of the best food I ever had, and he would try his creations on us after hours. He made me a garlic cream sauce to go with my steak that has been haunting my memories for over a decade now.
I decided it was time to do my best at re-creating his luxurious sauce so that I could enjoy it at home anytime. I started by sautéing garlic in butter, then reducing with white wine and finally some heavy cream.
This is the way most cream sauces are made in fine dining restaurants, and you really can’t go wrong. I kept this sauce simple with just a bright fresh touch of parsley. But you can also use different herbs or even add cheese if desired.
But if you’re looking for pure garlic flavor, I would avoid heavy herbs, (like rosemary, sage, or thyme) or cheese. All these combinations are very tasty, just different for the simple creamy garlic sauce.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Cream – You want heavy whipping cream with 36%-40% milk fat. I don’t recommend half-and-half or milk in this recipe because they won’t thicken up and can curdle when added to the white wine in the pan. To use anything lower in fat you need to use all-purpose flour (or gluten-free) to make a roux to thicken and stabilize.
- Butter – both salted and unsalted butter work here, just adjust the salt to taste. I prefer salted butter overall but use whatever you have.
- Garlic – mincing fresh garlic cloves is worth the extra effort. I don’t recommend jarred minced garlic for this sauce because it has a harsh flavor. For easier prep work, try using a garlic press. There are also instructions in the recipe notes for how to roast garlic, which has a wonderful subtle flavor.
- White wine – adds a depth of flavor with acidity that gives you that restaurant-quality cream sauce. You want a dry white wine here like sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio, pinot gris, etc. Avoid any sweet white wines or full-bodied (oaked) ones like chardonnay. If you don’t want to use white wine, try adding 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, or to taste.
- Sea salt & pepper – to taste brings out all the best flavor in this sauce.
- Optional: add 1-2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary or thyme to the sauce when you sauté the garlic for a different flavor. If you serve this sauce tossed with pasta, top the pasta with grated parmesan cheese. But I don’t recommend putting it in the sauce because it changes the flavor and the texture.
How to make this recipe step by step
Step 1: Start by melting the butter and a large skillet. When the butter begins to sizzle, add the garlic to the pan and cook over medium-low heat for one to two minutes.
It’s important to keep the heat low enough not to brown the fresh garlic or overbrown roasted garlic.
Whether you use fresh garlic or roasted garlic, as you can see in the photos, I like to cook it briefly in butter to bring out more flavor.
Step 2: Add the white wine to the sautéed garlic and simmer until the wine is mostly gone just a thin layer on the bottom of the pan.
Step 3: Add the heavy cream and stir to combine. Bring the sauce to a simmer and stir occasionally until just thickened.
Be careful not to bring the sauce to a rolling boil, heavy cream will boil over the sides of your pan quickly. Not to make a joke but it always happens when your back is turned!
Step 4: When the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, season it to taste with sea salt and pepper before serving it as desired.
I like to add a sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley for the fresh flavor it adds to the sauce but also a nice bright pop of color.
Ways to serve this
- Serve this Garlic Cream Sauce with your favorite roasted meat: Roast Chicken, Pork Tenderloin, Beef Tenderloin, Pork Sirloin Roast, or Smoked Chicken Breasts.
- This sauce is also great for seafood like cod, halibut, shrimp, and salmon. Or with just about any cooked vegetables like carrots, broccoli, asparagus, sautéed spinach, Brussels sprouts, or roasted squash.
- Toss this sauce with 1 package of freshly cooked pasta of your choice. Noodle shapes like fettuccini, linguine, and pappardelle are all good options, but any shapes like penne, farfalle, or fusilli work equally. This luxurious sauce is extra special with fresh pasta for the ultimate treat.
- For a steak dinner, serve this sauce with my Air Fryer Ribeye, Roasted Broccoli or Roasted Asparagus, and Garlic Butter Mushrooms.
FAQ’s
Garlic cream sauce is similar to Alfredo Sauce, (not classic Alfredo sauce) and Garlic Parmesan Cream Sauce but has fewer ingredients. Garlic cream sauce is all about the pure garlic flavor without extras like herbs or cheese, although you can add them if desired. This garlic cream sauce is made like the cream sauces you would get in a restaurant by reducing heavy cream with no flour. This makes a super smooth, silky texture.
A broken cream sauce happens when there isn’t enough liquid left to keep the fat emulsified, and it separates. The quickest way to bring the sauce back together is to whisk in heavy cream until the sauce emulsifies. If you don’t have cream, try half and half, whole milk, or a touch of white wine or water. Take the sauce off the heat and whisk in just enough liquid to bring the sauce back together.
Storing leftovers
- To store – Place any leftover sauce into an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to five days.
- Make ahead – This sauce is a great head recipe. You can make it up to three days in advance just be aware of the leftovers don’t keep as long. Bring it back to a simmer on the stovetop when you’re ready to serve it.
- Reheating – Place any leftovers into a small fry pan or saucepan and heat over medium-low until the sauce is heated. If the sauce breaks at any point, whisk in a touch of water or chicken broth until it comes back together.
- Freeze – place any leftovers into an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month. Defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat as directed above. Cream sauce often breaks or defrosts looking clumpy and grainy, but reheats well over low heat adding liquid as necessary.
Tips & Tricks
- Both versions of garlic cream sauce are equally as good, just a little bit different, so I highly recommend trying both!
- Sautéed fresh garlic is the faster route. But if you have time to roast garlic, it has a really nice subtle flavor, especially with holiday meals like roast beef.
- You can also make roasted garlic ahead of time to speed up the process of making the sauce. Roasted garlic can also be frozen to have on hand to make the sauce at a moment’s notice.
- If you simmer the sauce too long, it will break. This means you will see a pool of oil emerge. Don’t panic it can be fixed! This only happens when there is not enough water to keep the fat emulsified in the sauce. if you have any heavy cream on hand, add some to the pan, whisking until the sauce comes back together. If you don’t have heavy cream, add a little water and whisk until the sauce comes back together. This also works wonders when reheating leftovers.
Dietary Options & Substitutions
- Dairy-free, Paleo, Vegan or Vegetarian – I don’t have any dairy-free recommendations for substitutes for this particular sauce. But you can make my Vegan Cashew Cream Sauce instead.
More Sauce Recipe Inspiration
I really hope you enjoy this easy Garlic Cream Sauce recipe! If you get a chance to make it, I’d love to hear from you in the comments.
Garlic Cream Sauce
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tbsp salted butter
- 1 clove garlic - minced, or 1 bulb roasted see notes
- 1/2 tsp granulated garlic - see notes
- 1 cup dry white wine - not sweet, Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio work great
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp sea salt - more to taste if needed
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley - chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
- Melt the butter in a large 10" skillet over medium heat. When the butter begins sizzling, turn the heat to low and add the garlic and granulated garlic.
- Cook, stirring constantly for about 1 minute, not letting the garlic brown.
- Add the white wine and bring the mixture to a simmer. Reduce until the wine is just a 1/4" skim in the pan.
- Next, add the heavy cream and bring the mixture back to a simmer. Do not let it come to a hard boil because it will boil over the pan.
- Reduce the sauce over a low simmer until it lightly thickens and coats the back of a spoon if you're using it for pasta. Reduce a little more if you're serving it over protein.
- Season to taste with sea salt and pepper, sprinkle with the freshly chopped parsley, and serve immediately.
This sauce was absolutely delicious and so very easy to make. I used roasted garlic bulbs and added a grated parmesan cheese.
So glad you enjoyed it with some added parmesan it’s a tasty variation for sure!