Garlic Parmesan Pizza Sauce is the ultimate, garlicky white pizza sauce. The creamy, cheesy topping is an excellent alternative to red sauce on pizza. It’s super easy to make from scratch and is ready in about 10 minutes. It is especially delicious on a veggie pizza, chicken or even turkey pizza. Once you’ve enjoyed this creamy garlic parmesan sauce, you may never go back to your regular pizza routine.

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🥘 Ingredients to Have on Hand
- unsalted butter
- flour
- milk
- garlic
- parmesan cheese
- dried oregano
It just takes a few kitchen staples to create this garlicky, creamy white pizza sauce. You'll also need a little salt and pepper. If you enjoy this recipe, I think you'll also enjoy Cheesy Baked Ziti and Spicy Chicken Alfredo Sauce.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
💭The Benefits of Garlic Parmesan Sauce
Garlic Parmesan Pizza Sauce is fast to fix and is a delicious white sauce topping for your next pizza.
This recipe makes enough creamy garlic parmesan sauce to cover a family-sized large pizza, so you can make the white sauce fresh any time and right before you assemble the pizza. Even on a busy work night.
📋 How to Make a Roux
Garlic Parmesan Pizza Sauce starts in a medium-sized saucepan on the stove, you’ll being by making a roux.
Never feel intimidated by a recipe that calls for a roux. (It's pronounced, "ROO.") You can do this.
A roux is simply flour and fat cooked together - usually whisked, and then used to thicken a cream sauce. In this case, our creamy, cheesy, white pizza sauce.
A roux is the starting point for so many great made-from-scratch recipes. It is the base of most white sauces, many gravies and chowders, to name a few and it’s step one in making this wonderful creamy garlic parmesan sauce.
👩🏻🍳Step-by-Step Instructions
This creamy garlic parmesan white sauce starts on the stove. But it doesn’t spend much time there. In about 10 minutes your white sauce will be ready to spread on the pizza crust.
- Over medium heat, melt the butter in a medium-sized pan on the stove.
- Add garlic and cook in the hot butter for about 30 seconds.
- Add the flour and whisk until the flour is combined with the butter and garlic.
- Continue whisking for about a minute, be careful not to brown the butter.
- Add milk and continue whisking until the sauce starts to thicken.
- Add oregano, salt, pepper and cheese.
- Stir until all the ingredients are combined.
- Spoon the sauce over the pizza crust, and bake according to the directions for your pizza.
🍕Top Toppings for White Pizza
If you and your family enjoy the flavors of buttery garlic and parmesan then this white pizza sauce is for you.
We often think of a creamy, garlic parmesan sauce as a topping for pasta, and it’s delicious served that way. But many pizza toppings are outstanding complements to this garlic cream sauce.
Experiment to find a combination that’s perfect for your family, here are some combos I recommend, just mix and match.
Once you’ve selected three or four toppings (or more) you’ll be good to go:
- sliced olives
- thin slices of green pepper
- thin slices of red pepper
- thin slices of red onion
- diced green onion
- chopped broccoli florets
- diced, cooked chicken
- diced, cooked turkey (leftover from a holiday meal)
- chopped, cooked bacon
- sliced, fresh mushrooms
- chopped, fresh spinach
- chopped, fresh tomatoes
- sun-dried tomatoes
- thin slices of fresh zucchini
- mozzarella cheese
- ricotta cheese
- parmesan cheese
If you love a homemade pizza crust, make this Homemade Pizza Crust as the base for your favorite white pizza sauce recipes.
💭Recipe FAQs
I highly recommend using either 2% or whole milk. You will still get good results using skim or 1% milk, but there's a creaminess that really can't be beaten by using milk with a slightly higher fat content.
In this case, it’s very close, yes. Garlic Parmesan Pizza Sauce is super close to being an Alfredo sauce. The only difference is, I’ve adjusted the ratio of milk to the flour and butter so the sauce will be thicker and more creamy than what we usually use to top our pasta.
This sauce is a spin on a classic Alfredo sauce, it’s made with just a few ingredients and the herb flavoring isn’t overdone. That way the garlic and cheese flavors come through. There’s no mistaking what’s flavoring this white pizza sauce: garlic and parmesan cheese.
🥗More Recipes
Here are a few additional options for preparing with your Garlic Parmesan Pizza Sauce. From a homemade crust to a few side salads, this combination of flavors goes great together.
Or if you are in the mood for pasta instead of pizza, try Tomato Cream Sauce or Fresh Pesto as the perfect topping to any pasta recipe.
If you tried Garlic Parmesan Pizza Sauce or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below.
Elizabeth says
This pizza sauce is divine! I loved the flavor and it is perfect for those days we don't have marinara in our pantry.
Melinda O'Malley Keckler says
Thanks Elizabeth!
Nicole says
This recipe is easy and delicious! A great way to spice up pizza night!!
Melinda O'Malley Keckler says
Glad you enjoyed it Nicole! Thanks for the five star rating. 🙂
Bernice Hil says
True story: I just won an Ooni pizza oven so I'm foreseeing a lot of pizzas in my future. Absolutely THRILLED to find this white pizza sauce recipe because sometimes, regular tomato pizza sauce just won't do.
Melinda O'Malley Keckler says
Wow, you won a pizza oven! That's wonderful. Yes, I do believe some delicious pizzas are in your future. Enjoy!
Martyne says
Full of flavor! Sauce seems quite thick though. Is it supposed to be that way or did I do something wrong?
Melinda O'Malley Keckler says
It is a thick sauce, thicker than a traditional Alfredo sauce. That helps the sauce stay in place on the pizza crust, but if it turned out super thick then I recommend cutting back on the amount of cheese next time. Try using 3/4 cup instead of 1 cup of Parmesan. I'm glad you liked the flavor, this is my favorite white sauce for pizza!
Crystal says
Does this freeze well? I want to make extra to save myself some time.
Melinda O'Malley Keckler says
Hi Crystal, Yes, garlic parmesan pizza sauce freezes well. After cooking the sauce, let it cool and place it in freezer bags. To ensure the texture is creamy when you are ready to spread it on a pizza crust, defrost the sauce and reheat it on the stovetop for a few minutes.
Jennifer Hollowell says
It was so good!! Didn't change a thing and it was absolutely fantastic!!
Melinda O'Malley Keckler says
Thanks Jennifer! I'm happy to hear it and thanks for the five star rating.
Jackie says
Make this for my vegetable pizza and it was awesome!!! Had some leftover how long will it last in the fridge? I have it stored in a Mason jar
Melinda O'Malley Keckler says
Hi Jackie, I'm glad you enjoyed the garlic parmesan pizza sauce, thank you for the five star rating! This pizza sauce can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, so your Mason jar will be perfect. To heat it up, you may need to add a tablespoon or so of milk just in case it thickened up after cooling.
Mina says
I love this garlic parmesan pizza sauce. It looks so delicious and creamy. Perfect for Friday movie nights!
Rob says
This was so easy and delicious to make! I make a lot of pizza and often, and this sauce has quickly become a regular on my pies!
Melinda O'Malley Keckler says
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Rob! Thank you for the five-star rating. 🙂
Jessica Formicola says
We had a homemade pizza night last night and used this sauce. It was delicious and we will definitely be using it again!
Melinda O'Malley Keckler says
Wonderful to hear, Jessica! I'm glad it was a hit.
Elizabeth says
So creamy and good! Thanks for the recipe!
Gloria says
I would use this on pizza and more. Love the fact you can make it at home.
Nancy C says
WOW! So easy to make and delicious! This would be great with homemade Italian bread and use the sauce to dip your bread in. 🇮🇹
Dennis Littley says
I tried your sauce on some homemade pizzas and everyone loved them. Thanks for a delicoius recipe!
Melinda O'Malley Keckler says
Thank you Chef Dennis! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed the white sauce on pizza. 🙂
nancy says
yummy white sauce