Basic Cream Sauce Recipe

Cream sauce being added to a gravy boat.

This easy cream sauce recipe makes a rich, velvety white sauce that’s perfect for casseroles, veggies, pasta, or soups. Just 3 ingredients and 12 minutes!

Course Sauce

Cuisine American - Vintage

Prep Time 2

Cook Time 10

Total Time 12

Servings

Calories 50kcal

Author Marye Audet-White

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk whole milk or evaporated milk is best
pinch salt

Instructions

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium low heat.
Add 2 tablespoons of flour to melted butter and stir with a whisk to prevent any lumps.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Cook, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pan to keep it from sticking for 2 minutes.
Pour 1 cup of milk slowly into the butter-flour mixture while whisking constantly, making sure there are no lumps.
It will start thickening.
Continue to simmer and stir until thickened.
Remove from heat and use as desired.

Notes

Storage:

Refrigerate up to 7 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Let frozen sauce thaw in the fridge overnight. It won't look normal at this point—but don't worry. Dump it in a pan over low heat and whisk it until it becomes smooth and creamy.

Tips:

Avoid non-stick-coated whisks. They are generally flimsier and not tough enough to break up stubborn clumps of flour.
One of the easiest ways to check if your sauce is thick enough is to give it a stir with a wooden spoon. If it coats the spoon instead of immediately running off, you're getting there!

Nutrition