Why not add this delicious keto cheese sauce to your steamed veggies for an easy keto side dish? This quick recipe for keto cheese sauce can be made in one pan, in about 10 minutes. With just a few ingredients, you can make a delicious low-carb cheese sauce that perfect for dipping veggies, making keto nachos, cauliflower mac and cheese, and more!
Easy Keto Cheese Sauce — Gluten-Free!
This rich and creamy keto cheese sauce is simple to make and so satisfying! I like to serve it over steamed veggies, or use it to make a rich cauliflower mac and cheese casserole!
It’s perfect with broccoli as a keto side dish, or served as a dip for keto tortilla chips. You can even spice it up with your favorite hot sauce to make easy keto queso!
Ingredients in Low Carb Cheese Sauce
Most traditional cheese sauce recipes use flour as a thickener, making them off-limits for those on a low-carb or keto diet.
However, this homemade cheese sauce is thick and delicious without any extra thickening agents. The recipe is so simple and calls for just a few wholesome ingredients: heavy cream, Cheddar cheese, a little Parmesan cheese, and mustard (either Dijon mustard or mustard powder will work!).
I like the flavor of Cheddar in this recipe, but you can substitute any other melting cheese that you prefer.
- Gruyere is a classic choice.
- Jack cheese is mild and creamy.
- Pepperjack will give this sauce a little spice!
How to Make Keto Cheese Sauce
This recipe is so quick, you can make it while the broccoli is steaming. All you need is a small saucepan and a whisk.
Start by heating the heavy cream over medium heat in a small saucepan. You don’t need to boil the cream, but do bring it up to a bare simmer. You want it hot enough to melt the cheese in the next step.
Reduce the heat to low, and stir in the grated cheeses, mustard, garlic powder, and pepper. (Don’t add the salt just yet!)
Keep stirring until the cheese mixture is fully melted, smooth, and creamy! Then, taste for salt, and add more as needed. (A lot of the time, I don’t add much extra salt at all, since the Parmesan cheese makes it salty enough. This, of course, will depend on the cheeses you choose.)
Remember that this sauce will start to thicken as it cools, so be sure to serve it warm.
How to Serve Keto Cheese Sauce
This sauce is amazing over broccoli or cauliflower. If you have some non-vegetable-lovers in your family, try converting them with some of this cheese sauce!
You can even pour over your favorite low carb noodles or roasted cauliflower for a keto mac and cheese alternative.
Reheating Keto Cheese Sauce
You can make this keto cheese sauce recipe ahead of time and store it in a lidded container in the refrigerator. It will keep for 3-5 days in your fridge, if it lasts that long.
To reheat the sauce, add a few more tablespoons of heavy cream, stir, and microwave in 30-second intervals — stirring in between. You can also reheat it in a saucepan if you prefer.
Other Keto Side Dish Recipes
For other delicious keto side dish recipes, check out:
- Keto Loaded Cauliflower Casserole
- Creamy Keto Mashed Cauliflower
- Creamy Garlic Keto Broccoli with Bacon
- Keto Green Bean Casserole
- Keto Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Cheese
Easy Keto Cheese Sauce
Delicious easy keto cheese sauce for steamed veggies to make an easy keto side dish. This quick recipe for low carb cheese sauce can be made in one pan in about 10 minutes. Use it to make keto cauliflower mac and cheese, too!
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp mustard powder
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat heavy whipping cream to a bare simmer.
- Reduce heat to low. Whisk in the cheese, garlic powder, mustard powder, and black pepper.
- Stir until the cheese has melted, and remove from the heat. Taste and add salt, if necessary. Whisk to combine. Serve warm.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 177Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 51mgSodium: 248mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 5g
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. Carb count will vary with different ingredients and brands. It should not be considered as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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You indicated this recipe makes 8 servings but didn’t mention how much per serving?