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Game changer, guys! This creamy grain-free keto cheese sauce is the real deal. Thick, smooth, and ready in minutes, it’s so versatile — delicious with steak, drizzled over broccoli or cauliflower, or even as a quick dip.
The best part? No thickeners and no flour needed. Just heavy cream, butter, shredded cheese, and cream cheese, plus a little salt and pepper. If it feels too thick, I simply loosen it with a splash of water.
How To Make Keto Cheese Sauce
It only takes about five minutes to make this thick and creamy keto cheese sauce from scratch. Start by gently heating the cream with the butter, then stir in shredded cheese and cream cheese. Bring it to a simmer and cook briefly until smooth and thickened.
That’s it — no flour, no thickeners needed. With just four simple ingredients (plus any seasonings and salt) you’ll have a rich, silky sauce that’s even carnivore-friendly if you skip the optional seasonings.
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Creamy Cheese Sauce Variations
I like to keep my cheese sauce plain, but it’s easy to add extra flavor with herbs and spices. Try any of these options, either alone or in combination:
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder or 1 minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 - 1 tsp mustard powder
- 2-4 tbsp freshly chopped herbs such as basil, parsley, thyme, rosemary, mint, or chives
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Which Cheese is Best to Use for Cheese Sauce?
To get the right texture and flavor, use a mix of one soft cheese and one hard cheese.
For the soft cheese, full-fat cream cheese is the easiest option, but fresh goat’s or sheep’s cheese will give a stronger flavor.
For the hard cheese, you can use cheddar, Gouda, Manchego, Emmental, Edam, Gruyere, Parmesan, or Pecorino Romano. Stronger cheeses like Gorgonzola, Roquefort, Brie, or Camembert work best when balanced with a neutral option such as cream cheese.
Some of my favorite combinations are:
- cream cheese + hard goat's cheese
- cream cheese + Swiss cheese
- soft sheep's cheese + Pecorino Romano (goat’s cream works if you can't have cow's milk)
- soft goat's cheese + Parmesan
- cream cheese + blue cheese such as Roquefort, Stilton, Gorgonzola, or Cabrales
Here are some recipes you may like: Herb Cheese Sauce, Blue Cheese Sauce and Alfredo Sauce.
How To Prevent Cheese Sauce from Splitting
Cheese sauce can sometimes split when reheated, but a few simple tricks will keep it smooth and creamy.
- Stabilize with arrowroot. Mix 1 tsp arrowroot powder with a splash of cold milk or water, then stir it into the sauce while cooking. This helps it stay smooth even
- Reheat gently. Always warm cheese sauce over low heat, stirring constantly. High heat can cause the fats to separate, while gentle reheating keeps the sauce silky.
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Storage Tips
This sauce is best served fresh, but leftovers can be stored once cooled. Transfer to a sealed jar and refrigerate for up to 5 days. If it thickens too much after chilling, reheat gently on the stove and thin with a splash of water or cream.
How to Serve Cheese Sauce
This keto cheese sauce is incredibly versatile. Here are some of my favorite ways to use it:
The options really are endless — this is a sauce you’ll keep coming back to.
Hands-on Overall
Serving size about 1/4 cup/ 60 ml
Nutritional values (per about 1/4 cup/ 60 ml)
Net carbs1.3 grams
Protein4.8 grams
Fat20.7 grams
Calories203 kcal
Calories from carbs 3%, protein 9%, fat 88%
Total carbs1.4 gramsFiber0 gramsSugars0.9 gramsSaturated fat12.7 gramsSodium149 mg(6% RDA)Magnesium6 mg(2% RDA)Potassium41 mg(2% EMR)
Ingredients (makes about 1 cup, 4 servings)
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream (60 ml/ 2 fl oz)
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter (28 g/ 1 oz)
- 1/4 cup cream cheese or soft goat cheese (60 g/ 2.1 oz)
- 1/2 cup grated cheddar or hard cheese of choice (60 g/ 2.1 oz)
- pinch of sea salt, if needed
- 2 tbsp water or more cream if you need to thin it down
- Optional: spices & herbs of choice
Instructions
- Place the cream and butter into a small sauce pan and gently heat up. Add the grated cheddar cheese (or any hard cheese of choice) and cream cheese.
- Stir until melted and bring to a simmer. Once you see bubbles, take off the heat.
- Mix until smooth and creamy. If you prefer a thicker sauce, cook for 3-5 more minutes while stirring. If too thick, add a splash of water or cream.
- Serve immediately with steamed vegetables, fish and meat. The cooled sauce can also be stored in the fridge in a sealed jar for up to 5 days.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream (60 ml/ 2 fl oz)
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter (28 g/ 1 oz)
- 1/4 cup cream cheese or soft goat cheese (60 g/ 2.1 oz)
- 1/2 cup grated cheddar or hard cheese of choice (60 g/ 2.1 oz)
- pinch of sea salt, if needed
- 2 tbsp water or more cream if you need to thin it down
- Optional: spices & herbs of choice
Instructions
- Place the cream and butter into a small sauce pan and gently heat up. Add the grated cheddar cheese (or any hard cheese of choice) and cream cheese.
- Stir until melted and bring to a simmer. Once you see bubbles, take off the heat.
- Mix until smooth and creamy. If you prefer a thicker sauce, cook for 3-5 more minutes while stirring. If too thick, add a splash of water or cream.
- Serve immediately with steamed vegetables, fish and meat. The cooled sauce can also be stored in the fridge in a sealed jar for up to 5 days.
Nutrition (per serving, about 1/4 cup/ 60 ml)
Calories203kcal
Net Carbs1.3g
Carbohydrates1.4g
Protein4.8g
Fat20.7g
Saturated Fat12.7g
Fiber0g
Sugar0.9g
Sodium149mg
Magnesium6mg
Potassium41mg
Detailed nutritional breakdown (per about 1/4 cup/ 60 ml)
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