Homemade Cheese Dip

Home » Appetizer Recipes » Homemade Cheese Dip
By:Kimberly Vargo Last updated:
This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission.
Skip to Recipe Rate this Recipe
Add us as a trusted Google source

A silky homemade cheese dip made with real cheese, onion, garlic, jalapeño, half-and-half, and spices that you can serve with chips or use as a smooth cheese sauce.

Side view of melted yellow cheese in a bowl.

This homemade cheese dip is thick, creamy, and made for snacking. It’s perfect as a sauce for nachos, a dip for tortilla chips and soft pretzels, and it makes the best mac and cheese. We even use it to put our own spin on croque monsieurs.

I love to make a batch of french fries in the air fryer and drizzle some of it over the top then add some crumbled bacon and sliced green onions. Yum!

This dip is so easy to make, too. It starts with a simple roux and sautéed onion, fresh jalapeños, and garlic. 

Then I add some half and half and a blend of cheeses like cheddar, pepper jack, Monterey Jack, muenster, or gouda that you can shred in seconds in the food processor, so it’s ready in about 20 minutes.

How to make homemade cheese dip

Onions, jalapenos, garlic, and red pepper flakes cooking in butter.
Melt the butter in a large pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion, jalapeño, garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt, and cook until softened.
Flour sprinkled over cooked onions.
Stir in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes to remove the raw flour taste.
Half and half poured into a pan of onions and jalapenos.
Slowly pour in the half and half, stirring until the mixture is smooth and steaming.
Cheese melted into a pan of half and half.
Whisk in the shredded cheese a little at a time until the sauce is melted and creamy. Taste, adjust the salt if needed.
Chip dipping into a bowl of cheese sauce.

Why does the dip feel gritty?

The dip can feel gritty if you use pre-shredded cheese, since the anti-caking agents keep it from melting smoothly.

It also turns grainy when the heat is too high and the cheese overheats and separates. Adding all the cheese at once instead of in small handfuls can keep it from fully melting and leave the texture a little sandy.

Close up view of a chip dipping into a bowl of cheese dip.

Homemade Cheese Dip

5 from 8 votes
Print Pin It!
Author: Kimberly Vargo
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 20 Servings

How to Video

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup unsalted butter
  • 1 onion, medium in size; diced
  • 1 jalapeño, diced, (seeded and membranes removed for less heat)
  • 4 to 5 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 quart half and half, (See note)
  • 16 ounces shredded cheese, good quality (See note)

💌 Don't forget to save this recipe!

Instructions
 

  • Melt the butter in a large pan over low-medium heat.
    ¼ cup unsalted butter
  • Add the onions, jalapeño, garlic, red pepper flakes and salt. Continue to cook over low-medium heat until tender. About 3 to 5 minutes.
    1 onion
    4 to 5 garlic cloves
    1 jalapeño
    ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
    1 teaspoon salt
  • Add the flour, and stir to combine. Continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes to allow flour taste to cook out.
    1 to 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • Pour in the half and half, and stir to combine. Don't let the half and half boil. After it begins to steam, slowly add some shredded cheese about ½ ounce to an ounce at a time while whisking the mixture with a whisk.
    1 quart half and half
    16 ounces shredded cheese
  • Continue to whisk until all the cheese is melted before adding additional cheese. Add more cheese ½ ounce to an ounce at a time until all the cheese gets added.
  • Taste, and add more salt if desired. Remove from heat and serve immediately.
  • Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Notes

  1. The calories listed are an approximation based on the ingredients in the recipe card and a serving size of .25 cups of cheese sauce. Actual calories will vary.
  2. If you don’t have half and half, use a combination of whole milk and heavy cream instead.
  3. We recommend using 2 to 3 types of cheese (16 ounces total). Choose one strong cheese and let the others be milder, complementary cheeses. We always use sharp cheddar then add either pepper jack, muenster, or gouda. For the best texture, shred them from the block.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25cupCalories: 155kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 7gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 306mgPotassium: 93mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 407IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 168mgIron: 0.2mg
5 from 8 votes

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




10 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Easy enough recipe, tastes great depending on cheese choices of course. Makes a good quantity so several Mac & Cheese meals are available. Used half and half and so was nice and creamy.

    Reply

    1. Good Morning Adam, that’s great to hear! Kim and I are glad you liked the cheese dip. Thanks for coming back to comment on and rate the recipe card. Have a great day!

      Reply

  7. 5 stars
    Hey Kimberly, Ronnie here from Southern Food Junkie. I am so glad I scene this today. I have been wanting to make a dish this week that I will need a cheese sauce for. I have been putting it off all week making it for the family because I keep forgetting to find a simple recipe for the cheese sauce. This was just in time. Thanks so much. I shared on my twitter feed also. TTYL

    Reply

  8. 5 stars
    Hey Kimberly, Ronnie here from Southern Food Junkie. I am so glad I scene this today. I have been wanting to make a dish this week that I will need a cheese sauce for. I have been putting it off all week making it for the family because I keep forgetting to find a simple recipe for the cheese sauce. This was just in time. Thanks so much. I shared on my twitter feed also. TTYL

    Reply