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My homemade cheese sauce is ultra-creamy, wildly easy, and totally better than anything from a jar. Mild for kids, bold enough for nachos—amazing on everything!

Spoon with homemade cheese sauce dripping off it into a bowl of cheese sauce.

A Reader’s Review

Best cheese sauce EVER! Children and grandchildren think it’s the best ever, including me. Thank you so much!

– Julie

Secrets To Cheese Sauce Success!

  • Only 4 Ingredients! Why complicate perfection? This sauce is simple, fast, and full of flavor.
  • Sharp Cheddar is My Flavor Secret! Rich, flavorful sharp cheddar cheese is the reason my cheese sauce stands out above the crowd!
  • Melt Slow and Low: My secret to not having lumpy, clumpy cheese sauce is adding the cheese right at the end so it doesn’t get too hot and taking it off the heat as soon as it melts!

Homemade Cheese Sauce Ingredients

Overhead shot of labeled ingredients.
  • Mix It Up! Different cheeses = different vibes. Try Swiss or Gruyère for silky bread dips or Monterey Jack when nachos call your name.
  • Spice It Up! Feeling bold? Add hot sauce, chili peppers, cayenne pepper, or Rotel for that extra kick your taste buds desire.
  • Grate it fresh! Bagged cheese might be easy, but it won’t melt like a dream. Ditch the pre-shredded cheese and grab a grater. Trust me, your cheese sauce will thank you.

How to Make Homemade Cheese Sauce

My easy homemade cheese sauce recipe uses simple ingredients and comes together fast—perfect for vegetables, nachos, or dipping! It’s seriously the best cheese sauce!

  1. Melt: In a medium-sized saucepan, add the unsalted butter. Heat over medium heat until it melts.
  2. Whisk: Whisk in the all-purpose flour until it makes a roux.
  3. Stir: Add in the milk and shredded cheddar cheese to the flour mixture and stir to combine.
  4. Melt: Whisk until the cheese is melted and smooth.

Alyssa’s Pro Tips!

  • How to Prevent Clumps! Cheese gets clumpy or stringy if overheated. To keep it silky smooth, stir in the cheese last, then pull it off the heat!
  • Too thick? Add a splash of milk to smooth it out. But if you love that thick, clingy homemade cheese sauce for pretzels or broccoli—leave it be!

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

If you want to make this homemade cheese sauce ahead, or you are in the rare position of having leftovers, this cheese sauce stores well and is easy to heat and use again. 

  • In The Refrigerator: You will need to keep your cheese sauce in an airtight container for up to 2 days. 
  • To Reheat: Microwave for 30 seconds, then stir and repeat until it is heated through. Add a splash of milk if the sauce is too thick.
Overhead shot of homemade cheese sauce.

What to Serve with Cheese Sauce

Pour, dip, or drizzle it over pretzel bites, cauliflower fritters, nachos, french fries, baked potatoes, tortilla chips, pasta, steamed broccoli—or pile it onto a roast beef sandwich. Here are a few more ideas!

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Easy 4-Ingredient Cheese Sauce

4.67 from 33 votes
By: Alyssa Rivers
This easy homemade cheese sauce uses sharp cheddar for next-level flavor. No clumps, no fuss—just creamy, dreamy perfection in under 10 minutes.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 8 People

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • In a medium-sized sauce pan, add 2 tablespoons unsalted butter. Heat over medium-high heat until the butter melts.
  • Whisk 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour until it makes a paste.
  • Add 1 cup milk and 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese and stir to combine.
  • Whisk until the cheese is melted and smooth, and serve!

Video

Notes

Updated April 6, 2025

Nutrition

Calories: 165kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 8gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 197mgPotassium: 70mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 420IUCalcium: 238mgIron: 0.1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Appetizer, Sauce, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: American
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!

About Alyssa Rivers

Alyssa Rivers is the author of 'The Tried and True Cookbook', a professional food photographer and experienced recipe-developer. Having a passion for cooking, her tried and true recipes have been featured on Good Morning America, Today Food, Buzzfeed and more.

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Recipe Rating




83 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Thank you! I’ve been trying to create sauce for the longest but of course did not “read instructions.” No more wasted ingredients or time. This is now my go-to for quick, creamy and flavorful cheese sauce.

  2. Your homemade Cheese sauce looks delicious! I would love to try making it. I would also use this to grate cheese. That pre-shredded packaged cheese just does not do it for me.

  3. 5 stars
    I am a cheese lover myself and simply loved your recipe. It’s quite different from how I make. Will surely try your recipe and will let you know how it turns out. Thank you for sharing.

  4. 5 stars
    Amazing just made this after work. I wanted some quick to go with my tortilla chips. Took me literally 5 minutes to make and it’s delicious. I added a pinch of salt and it’s amazing.

  5. 4 stars
    This was the first time a cheesy sauce recipe has actually turned out amazing.The only different thing is that I add a bit of chilly powder. I faced one problem which was the fact that by the time my fries were ready, the cheese sauce solidified. But i should’ve made the fries before.

  6. 5 stars
    THE BEST!!! Originally we made it for a pasta with veggies…. but we tried it with tortilla chips:)) It was amazing!!! 1000% recommend!

  7. So simple to have a tasty cheese sauce! I’m kinda wondering what variations of flour we should use here.

  8. H Alyssa,
    I have been making this exact recipe for the past 40 years, with 1 addition. Just after adding the milk, add a pinch of cayenne pepper, not enough for it to be spicy, but it pops out the cheese flavour.