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My keto cheese sauce is thick, creamy, and completely flour-free—perfect for low carb lifestyles. While cheese itself is keto-friendly, most cheese sauces aren’t. That’s because classic recipes often start with a French béchamel base made from a roux of flour and butter whisked with milk. Butter’s low carb, but flour and milk can quickly drive up the carb count.
In this recipe, I skip the flour and milk altogether and use heavy cream instead. It’s rich, velvety, and thick enough that there’s no need for a roux. Just melt, stir, and get ready to dip, drizzle, and pour! Best of all, each serving has only 2.8 grams of carbs.
Use this luscious sauce on broccoli, cauliflower, grilled chicken, keto mac and cheese, or your favorite low carb nachos. It also makes an irresistible keto cheese dip!
Once you try my buttery, low-carb cheese sauce, you’ll never go back to the old-school version.
🧀 How to Make Keto Cheese Sauce
Here’s what you need to make the creamiest, dreamiest keto cheese sauce:
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ¾ cup heavy cream or whipping cream
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (4 ounces/113g)
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Get a printable recipe card at the end of the post!
Here are the step-by-step instructions for low carb cheese sauce:
Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, whisk in the cream.
Next, lower the heat a little and add the grated cheese. Let the cheese completely melt into the sauce while you whisk for 1-2 minutes. Then stir in the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
After adding the seasonings, let the sauce thicken over the heat for 3-5 minutes. Whisk the sauce constantly to prevent sticking.
Let the sauce cool a bit before serving if you’d like it to thicken a little more. So rich and delicious!
I usually make cheddar cheese sauce, but feel free to think outside the box. Pepper jack cheese or jalapeno cheddar would be my top picks for cheese sauce with some kick. Try other cheeses and seasonings (such as chili powder), and I bet you’ll find some family favorites.
Can you freeze keto cheese sauce?
I don’t recommend freezing this keto cheese sauce because the texture will change a bit when it is reheated. Luckily, unless you live alone or in a dairy free household, you’re not likely to end up with leftovers.
If you do have leftovers, store them in an airtight container the fridge for up to 1-2 days. Cheese sauce can be reheated for 30-60 seconds on high in the microwave.
Why is cheese keto, but not milk?
Cheese is keto because a lot of the natural sugar in milk (i.e., lactose) is broken down in the process of making cheese. This is especially true for hard cheeses, such as Parmesan.
🥦 How to Serve Keto Cheese Sauce
Here are a few of my best low carb ideas for cheese sauce:
- Drizzle the sauce over Air Fryer Radishes or broccoli (it may help you eat more vegetables 😊 )
- Try it on Air Fryer Frozen Tilapia
- Dollop it on some Air Fryer Spaghetti Squash
- Use your cheese dip with Air Fryer Jicama Fries
You could also serve your cheese sauce with your favorite keto pasta alternative for keto mac and cheese.
Watch How to Make It!
Keto Cheese Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ¾ cup heavy cream (or whipping cream)
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese (4 ounces/113 grams)
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat on the stovetop. Whisk in the cream.
- Lower the heat a little and add the grated cheese. Let the cheese completely melt into the sauce while you whisk for 1-2 minutes.
- Whisk in the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Let the sauce thicken over the heat for 3-5 minutes, whisking constantly to prevent sticking.
- Let the sauce cool a bit before serving if you'd like it to thicken a little more. Yum!
Equipment
Notes
💭 Expert Tips from Dietitian Summer Yule
This is a level 3 recipe (weight maintenance and active lifestyles). Keto diets often emphasize high-fat, satisfying foods that help keep you full and naturally reduce calories—but not every keto-friendly food is ideal for weight loss. Some high-fat additions, while technically low in carbs, can still pack in a lot of calories. This cheese sauce is one of those additions. It’s rich, creamy, and undeniably delicious—but also high in calories and saturated fat. If fat loss is your primary goal, it’s something to enjoy in moderation. Think of it as an added fat, not a weight loss food. And if you’re aiming for a more heart-healthy diet, this sauce might not be your best bet. With butter, heavy cream, and cheese, it’s loaded with saturated fat—an ingredient that can raise LDL cholesterol, which is linked to increased cardiovascular risk. A more traditional cheese sauce, while not keto-friendly, can be a better option for those focusing on heart health or cutting back on fat. By starting with a small amount of butter and flour, adding low-fat milk, and finishing with reduced-fat cheese, you can create a creamy sauce that’s lower in both calories and saturated fat. Ultimately, it’s all about your personal goals—whether you’re eating for ketosis, weight loss, heart health, or a mix of all three. Nutrition information is for one serving.
nutrition info disclaimer
All recipes on this website may or may not be appropriate for you, depending on your medical needs and personal preferences. Consult with a registered dietitian or your physician if you need help determining the dietary pattern that may be best for you.
The nutrition information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. It will differ depending on the specific brands and ingredients that you use. Calorie information on food labels may be inaccurate, so please don’t sweat the numbers too much.
“To taste” means to your preferences, which may have to be visual to follow food safety rules. Please don’t eat undercooked food x
Nutrition
👩🍳 More Cheese Recipes
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Hello! I’m Summer, a registered dietitian and home chef who loves to cook, eat, and create recipes for you! Every recipe on this site has been tested by me to help ensure your success in the kitchen. All eaters are welcome here 🙂
How did you serve this?