A quick and easy low carb cheese sauce that is ready in 10 minutes and is so cheesy! The perfect keto-friendly sauce to serve for any occasion.

Low carb cheese sauce over broccoli

Cheese really does make everything taste better! Just take this low carb cheese sauce recipe, it can be used as a sauce for steamed vegetables, grilled meats or drizzled over your favorite casseroles.

This recipe will help you make the perfect low carb cheese sauce. Smooth, creamy, and super tasty!

Aren’t all cheese sauces low carb? Not always. Cheese sauce is usually made using a white sauce that uses a high-carb thickener like flour or cornstarch. This recipe skips the white sauce entirely and goes straight to the good stuff. The cheese!

You won’t even miss the thickener in this recipe as the cheese melts and thickens the sauce perfectly.

How to make a low carb cheese sauce

Step 1: Add the cream cheese, butter, and whipping cream to a saucepan over medium heat. Stir often until they are completely melted and well incorporated.

Step 2: Add salt, pepper, and mustard and stir to combine.

Ingredients for the sauce in a saucepan

Step 3: Turn off the heat. Add the grated cheddar in two batches, mixing the cheese in to melt completely before adding more. The sauce should become more yellow and thick as the cheese melts into it. Keep stirring until the cheese is completely melted.

Creamy and smooth cheese sauce in a pot

Step 4: Serve the low carb cheese sauce over steamed vegetables, grilled meats or casseroles.

Rich sauce being poured over steamed broccoli

Choosing your cheese

You can make this sauce with a few different types of cheeses but for the best results, try and stick to cheddar or gouda cheeses. They both have strong flavors that work well for this flavourful sauce.

When you have made the sauce at least once, you can start experimenting with matured cheeses or even smoked cheeses to add different flavors.

How to make the sauce smooth

It’s vital to get your sauce silky and smooth. Lumpy cheese sauce not only looks unappetizing, but lumps of unmelted cheese also make the sauce taste less ‘cheesy’ and rich.

The key to getting a smooth cheese sauce is to melt the butter, cream, and cream cheese together completely. Then turn off the heat and add the cheese in batches and mix well. Keeping the heat on will cause the cheese to separate and your sauce will be lumpy.

How to store cheese sauce

If you have leftover cheese sauce, you can store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in an airtight container. To keep it for longer, you can freeze it for up to 2 weeks.

To avoid lumps after freezing your sauce, reheat it slowly, stirring continuously until the sauce is heated through and completely smooth.

Sauce poured over broccoli

Other healthy low-carb recipes to try

If you liked this recipe, here are some other low-carb recipes you might enjoy:

You can also check out the roundup I created of Healthy Dinner Recipes for Diabetics for even more great recipe ideas.

When you’ve made this easy low carb cheese sauce, please don’t forget to let me know how you liked it and rate the recipe in the comments below!

Low Carb Cheese Sauce

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A quick and easy low carb cheese sauce recipe that is ready in 10 minutes and is so cheesy! The perfect keto-friendly sauce to serve for any occasion.
Prep Time: 0 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients 

  • 1/4 cup whipping cream
  • 2 ounces cream cheese
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon yellow mustard
  • 4 ounces grated cheese, (cheddar works well)

Instructions

  • Add the cream cheese, butter and whipping cream to a saucepan over medium heat. Stir often until they are completely melted and well incorporated.
  • Add salt, pepper, and mustard and stir to combine. 
  • Turn off the heat. Add the grated cheddar in two batches, mixing the cheese in to melt completely before adding more. The sauce should become more yellow and thick as the cheese melts into it. Keep stirring until the cheese is completely melted. 
  • Serve the low carb cheese sauce over low carb steamed vegetables, grilled meats or casseroles. 

Notes

To getting a smooth cheese sauce, melt the butter, cream, and cream cheese together completely. Then turn off the heat and add the cheese in batches and mix well. Keeping the heat on will cause the cheese to separate and your sauce will be lumpy. 
You can store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in an airtight container. To keep it for longer, you can freeze it for up to 2 weeks.
Reheat it slowly, stirring continuously until the sauce is heated through and completely smooth. 

Nutrition Info Per Serving

Nutrition Facts
Low Carb Cheese Sauce
Amount per Serving
Calories
120
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
11.3
g
17
%
Saturated Fat
 
7.1
g
36
%
Trans Fat
 
0
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
0.3
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
1.8
g
Cholesterol
 
33.4
mg
11
%
Sodium
 
263.8
mg
11
%
Potassium
 
19.4
mg
1
%
Carbohydrates
 
1.2
g
0
%
Fiber
 
0.1
g
0
%
Sugar
 
0.3
g
0
%
Protein
 
3.6
g
7
%
Net carbs
 
1.1
g
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.