This is my favorite recipe for cheese dipping sauce. This spicy nacho cheese sauce is absolutely awesome with veggies, soft pretzels, and nachos! None of that processed stuff, either.
One reader, Gemma, commented: “Love this sauce with homemade soft pretzels… each dip got bigger and bigger until the sauce got on my hands and the pretzels were so loaded with it ๐ Thanks for another great recipe, Sally! โ โ โ โ โ “
Seriously! What is better than a bowl of silky, creamy, spicy nacho cheese sauce? Nothing. A far cry from processed, this spicy nacho cheese sauce is to die for. I love serving it with soft pretzel bites or pouring on top of a big bowl of broccoli. It’s how I get everyone to their vegetables. Just kidding… but not really.
Making nacho cheese sauce at home is not difficult. It’s actually one of the easiest and quickest little recipes around. There is no excuse to buy anything from a can or from a jar. Homemade cheese sauce, made from real sharp cheddar cheese, is the only way to go. Plus, it tastes worlds better.
I love serving this spicy nacho cheese sauce right from the stove when it’s warm. But this cheese sauce keeps well covered tightly in the refrigerator for about 1 week. Just heat it up before servingโit’s a great item to make ahead before the guests arrive.
How Spicy Is This Nacho Cheese Sauce?
That completely depends how spicy you want it. I can tolerate a little spice and I LOVE this homemade cheese sauce. In fact, sometimes I add even more hot sauce and cayenne than the recipe lists below. If you don’t like spice, leave both out.
Feel free to adjust the amount of spice based on your heat tolerance.
What to Serve with Spicy Nacho Cheese Sauce
- Soft Pretzel Bites
- Homemade Soft Pretzels or Jalapeรฑo Cheddar Soft Pretzels
- Jalapeรฑo Cheddar No Knead Bread
- Soft Pretzel Rolls
- Ciabatta Bread
- Breadsticks
- Biscuits
- Pretzel Chicken Bites
- Baked Onion Rings
- Baked Sweet Potato Fries
- Artisan Bread
- Tortilla chips and pretzels
- Or drizzled over baked potatoes, steamed broccoli, baked chicken, and homemade nachos
Everyone is going to go bonkers over this stuff.
Print
Kicked-Up Cheddar Cheese Sauce
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: about 2 cups
- Category: Appetizers
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Description
This is my favorite recipe for cheese dipping sauce. This spicy nacho cheese sauce is absolutely awesome with veggies, soft pretzels, and nachos! None of that processed stuff, either.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp; 56g) unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup (31g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 2 cups (480ml) whole milk
- 2 cups (250g; 8 ounces) freshly shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 Tablespoons hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- salt + pepper to taste
Instructions
- Melt the butter in aย saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle the flour over the top, stirring constantly until a thick paste forms, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Slowly add the milk to the flour/butter paste in a steady stream, whisking constantly. Continue cooking, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. It should be thick but still pourable. Add the cheese, whisking constantly until it isย melted. Add the hot sauce andย cayenne. Taste, then add salt and pepper to taste. Add more cayenne and/or hot sauce if preferred.
- The sauce will thicken upon cooling. Store leftovers covered tightly in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Heat over stovetop or in the microwave before serving again.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Cover cooled cheese sauce tightly and freeze for up to 3-6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature. Reheat over medium heat on the stove, whisking constantly, until warmed through.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Large Saucepan (like a Dutch oven) | Silicone Spatula or Wooden Spoon | Box Grater
- Half Batch: You can easily halve this recipe!
- Cheese:ย For best taste and texture, shred cheese off the block yourself with aย cheese grater. Pre-shredded cheese is drier than freshly shredded, and contains anti-caking agents.
- Spiciness: You can leave out the hot sauce and/or cayenne.
Reader Comments and Reviews
i would like to make your soft pretzel recipe and spicy cheese dip, but using bread flour instead of all-purpose flour. What parts of your recipe for the pretzels would I need to change if i use bread flour? Thank you!
Hi Allison, you can definitely use bread flour instead of all-purpose flour in the pretzel recipe. Same amount with no other changes to the recipe. Bread flour yields even chewier pretzels. Enjoy!
love it! I had no issue with a flour flavor. I find that happens if you don’t cook the flour and butter long enough, I always cook until its foamy and light in color. this works and tastes great, super versatile and can be used on so many foods.
Really easy to make. Follow instructions exactly. Smooth and creamy. Yummy!! I used medium cheddar and will try sharp cheddar next time. So, I am not a fan of too spicy. Proceeded cautiously. At first, I put in the 2T of Frankโs hot sauce. Tasted. Added 1/4t cayenne. Tasted. Basically repeated until I ended up with exactly the amounts listed on the recipe. Too funny. This is the perfect cheddar cheese sauce. Served with tortilla chips. Cannot wait to make pretzel bites to serve with the sauce. Might be good on broccoli, too.
What is the trick to get it smooth? I tried a different recipe at one point and the texture was grainy.
Hi Taft, to make sure this isn’t grainy, cook the butter and flour until it forms a paste before adding the milk.
This used to be a link to my favorite hummus recipe of yours. It had parmesan cheese and roasted garlic in it. Can I still get that recipe from you? I’m not finding it on your website.
Hi Darlene, we recently removed that older recipe from the website, but feel free to send us an email (sally@sallysbakingaddiction.com) and we’d be happy to share a copy with you. Thank you!