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Home Dips

Nachos Cheese Dip (and Sauce!)

By:Nagi
Published:23 Oct '14Updated:18 Feb '20
245 Comments
Recipe v Video v

A silky smooth Nachos cheese dip that doesn’t harden or congeal as it cools!! It is just as good served warm, at room temperature or cold. When warm, it can be used as a cheese sauce to pour over nachos, chips or whatever else takes your fancy. It takes just over 5 minutes to make and is great to make ahead as it reheats well.

Use this to make a Ripper Beef Nachos!

Nachos Cheese Dip that stays silky smooth even when it cools! Just 5 min to make, without using processed cheese! recipetineats.com

“This Nachos Cheese Dip was an invention out of necessity. Because I love cheesy dips, and I wanted one that did not harden or congeal as it cooled.”

I am yet to meet a cheese I don’t love. Plus I have a weakness for all things snacky. If there’s something to nibble on within reach, it’s like my arm is on auto pilot.

Therefore, this Nachos Cheese Dip is pretty much all my weaknesses bundled into one bowl. Place this with a pile of corn chips in front of me and I stand no chance.

Nachos Cheese Dip that stays silky smooth even when it cools! Just 5 min to make, without using processed cheese! recipetineats.com

I know there are loads of cheese dip recipes “out there”. And I tried quite a few of them (the ones without processed cheese), but the thing that I found inconvenient was that as the dip cooled, the cheese in the dip would harden. And when the dip was reheated, the dip would split (the oil would separate).

Being a Cheese Loving Snack Monster, I went on a mission to create a warm cheese dip/ sauce that would not harden as it cooled and was not made out of processed cheese. I was actually quite amazed that every recipe I looked at had a fairly similar base to the ones I had already tried, so I knew they would not achieve what I was after. Mind you, this was about 5 or so years ago. So maybe the internet is flooded with non-congealing warm cheese dips now!

Nachos Cheese Dip that stays silky smooth even when it cools! Just 5 min to make, without using processed cheese! recipetineats.com

Nachos Cheese Dip & Sauce that does not harden when cooled, and doesn't split when reheated. Just 5 min to make, without using processed cheese! recipetineats.com

“The secret ingredient in this is evaporated milk. That’s how this stays creamy – warm or cold.”

This dip is made with evaporated milk which makes all the difference. I was making an Alfredo Sauce using evaporated milk when the thought occurred to me that it might work for a dip too. Bit of corn starch / corn flour to thicken it, plenty of cheese (it is a Cheese dip!) and some additional flavourings to make it a nachos cheese dip.

So cutting to the chase, here are 7 reasons why I am obsessed with this Nachos Cheese Dip / Sauce:

1. It is ridiculously easy (5 ingredients, < 10 minutes);
2. Perfectly smooth;
3. Easily adjustable to your own taste. Increase, decrease or remove the spice factor, add your own flavourings;
4. Doesn’t use processed “plastic” cheese;
5. Can be made ahead. It keeps perfectly in the fridge for at least a week (it has never lasted longer in my house);
6. Reheats without splitting; and
7. Is a 2 in 1 recipe – a dip and a sauce. When warm, it is quite loose, like a thick sauce. It is pourable over nachos, chips or whatever else takes your fancy. (UPDATE: I just got a great tip from a reader to use this over tots! Never thought of that – that’s a step up from fries!!) When it is cool, it thickens up to a thick dip consistency. And when it is refrigerated, it is a spreadable consistency, like peanut butter. It can also be thinned out simply by adding a bit of milk (ordinary or evaporated).

Now please excuse me, I need to go and blow my my calorie budget for the entire week. Happy snacking! – Nagi x

Nachos Cheese Dip & Sauce that does not harden when cooled, and doesn't split when reheated. Just 5 min to make, without using processed cheese! recipetineats.com

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This dip does not harden when cooled, and doesn't split when reheated. Just 5 min to make, without using processed cheese. #dip #cheese #nachos #sauce

Nachos Cheese Dip & Sauce

Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats
Prep: 2 mins
Cook: 5 mins
Total: 7 mins
Appetizer, Dip
Tex-Mex
4.82 from 59 votes
Servings6 -8
Tap or hover to scale
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This dip is great not only because it's a two-in-one recipe, but because unlike most other cheese dips and sauces, it does not separate and congeal as it cools and it is just as good (if not better) served cool or at room temperature as it is warm. It's also a super simple recipe which takes minutes to prepare and only 5 or so minutes to cook.

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups / 225g / 8oz shredded cheese (Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Colby, etc), shred your own (Important - read Note 1)
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch (corn flour)
  • 1 can evaporated milk (375g / 12oz)
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped jalapeño peppers (fresh or canned)
  • 1 tbsp hot sauce (or adjust to your taste)
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder (optional - adds extra flavour)
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder (optional - adds extra flavour)
  • 1 tsp salt

Instructions

  • Toss the cheese and cornstarch together in a saucepan.
  • Add all other ingredients, cook over medium heat, whisking often until the cheese is melted and smooth.
  • Adjust to your taste if required - with extra hot sauce and salt.
  • While hot, it will have a sauce like consistency - perfect for pouring over nachos.
  • As it cools, it will thicken and become a dip-like consistency. Whisk occasionally to mix in the skin that forms on the top.
  • Stir in additional evaporated (or even normal) milk to achieve the desired consistency if you want to use it as a pourable sauce. Note that when you reheat it, it loosens up.

Recipe Notes:

1. Pre shredded cheese contains additives to avoid clumping. As a result, sometimes they do not melt as well as you'd hope into liquid form, like this dip (melting on toast, on casseroles etc is ok). The end result can be a bit grainy which is not very nice.
Consequently, it's safest to use freshly grated cheese.
Use any melting cheese you want. My favourite combination used to be half cheddar, half Monterey Jack because I thought that made the flavour similar to what you get at Mexican restaurants in the States but for some reason Monterey Jack is no longer sold at my local grocery store. Now I use cheddar and/or Colby.
2. This will keep in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days and reheats well. It's a perfect make-ahead cheese sauce / dip!
3. This needs to be made with evaporated milk. You can't use long life, powder milk or ordinary milk.
**Update: Further to a reader question, I tested freezing it and discovered that this freezes very well. I wasn't sure it would because plain evaporated milk should not be frozen but the addition of cheese must change the physical properties because this freezes perfectly. You would never know this was frozen once thawed.**
3. Pre shredded cheese contains additives to avoid clumping. As a result, sometimes they do not melt as well as you'd hope into liquid form, like this dip (melting on toast, on casseroles etc is ok). The end result can be a bit grainy which is not very nice.
Consequently, it's safest to use freshly grated cheese.
Use any melting cheese you want. My favourite combination for the Nachos Cheese Dip on which this recipe is based used to be half cheddar, half Monterey Jack because I thought that made the flavour similar to what you get at Mexican restaurants in the states but for some reason Monterey Jack is no longer sold at my local grocery store. Now I use cheddar and/or Colby. 
4. Nachos Cheese Dip nutrition per serving.
Nachos Cheese Sauce and Dip Nutrition

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 85gCalories: 209cal (10%)Carbohydrates: 6.3g (2%)Protein: 12g (24%)Fat: 15.2g (23%)Saturated Fat: 9.6g (60%)Cholesterol: 50mg (17%)Sodium: 607mg (26%)Potassium: 180mg (5%)Sugar: 4.9g (5%)Vitamin A: 450IU (9%)Vitamin C: 3.3mg (4%)Calcium: 380mg (38%)Iron: 0.4mg (2%)
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @recipe_tin.

WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT

PS Watch how easy to this to make in my Nachos Cheese Dip / Sauce VIDEO!

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Hi, I'm Nagi!

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245 Comments

  1. viorica says

    October 28, 2015 at 11:57 pm

    evaporated milk is the same with condensed milk ?

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      October 29, 2015 at 12:55 am

      Hi Viorica! Unfortunately not 🙂 Evaporated milk is concentrated milk whereas condensed milk has LOTS of sugar added to it so is not suitable to this recipe!

      Reply
      • Anindya Ray says

        January 9, 2016 at 6:00 am

        Hi,
        Loved your cheesy dip recipe. Just one question. What is evaporated milk. If I buy normal pasteurized milk, boil and cool it and then use it, will that be ok?

        Reply
        • Nagi | RecipeTin says

          January 11, 2016 at 1:14 pm

          Hi Anindya! It’s a long-life milk that is not required to be kept in the fridge. It’s thicker than normal milk. Sorry to say this doesn’t work with normal milk!

          Reply
  2. Van says

    August 13, 2015 at 4:16 pm

    4 stars
    I was hunting for a queso recipe. Tried 3 and they all failed as a dip when cooled down and that was disappointing (not to mention all the wasted ingredients!) I don’t have a crockpot to keep the dip warm. They ended up either too stringy, hard, gritty, or gloppy.

    Then I found your recipe! Your opening sentence was what I needed: a dip that stayed being a dip when cooled!

    I tried your recipe and it was a winner for me. Who know all I needed was evaporated milk?

    Thank you so much. You’ve saved me from a huge headache.

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      August 14, 2015 at 6:07 am

      I’m so glad you enjoyed this!!! It’s legendary, isn’t it? It’s how creamy cheesy dips are made in Australia. There are plenty of variations of this around!

      Reply
      • Les says

        October 11, 2015 at 3:44 am

        5 stars
        Can you use heavy cream in place of the evaporated milk?

        Reply
        • Nagi | RecipeTin says

          October 11, 2015 at 6:52 am

          Hi Les! No, it doesn’t work, it will either seize up when cools and/or you still struggle to get the cheese incorporated. 🙂 It needs to be evaporated milk!

          Reply
  3. Rosie says

    July 14, 2015 at 10:55 am

    5 stars
    I made this for the extended family – we all love spicy stuff so I added a fair bit of hot sauce. I also added bacon at the last minute (how could you go wrong). The family hasn’t stopped raving about it and I have had many requests for a copy of the recipe!!

    I also thought I was going to have to freeze the leftovers (I love that it can be frozen), but the leftovers were eaten the next day before I could even get the chance =D

    I will definitely be making this again 🙂

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      July 14, 2015 at 12:16 pm

      Oh yay!! I am indecently obsessed with this dip 🙂 I swear, it’s even better the next day, it becomes silkier!

      Thanks for coming back to let me know you loved it!!! And yes, I highly approve of spicy spicy spicy…. 🙂

      Reply
  4. Shane says

    June 16, 2015 at 11:09 pm

    Looks awesome! Making this for a party this weekend. Do you know if I can use half/half instead of evaporated milk? I’ve seen other recipes use it interchangeably (and Costco has a great deal on a ginormous container of organic half/half, lol). But I don’t want to ruin it! Thanks!

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      June 17, 2015 at 7:17 am

      Hi Shane! Evaporated milk is they key to making this dip which stays creamy instead of hardening up like other cheese dips / sauces. 🙂 So sorry! Must be evaporated milk. If you use half/half, as soon as this cools down, it congeals and is un-dippable!!

      Reply
      • Katie says

        December 21, 2015 at 7:11 am

        Can I make this in a crock pot?!

        Reply
        • dani says

          January 22, 2016 at 9:36 pm

          did You end up making the cheese sauce in a crock pot? I have an electric fondue pot I wanted to try it in

          Reply
        • Nagi | RecipeTin says

          December 22, 2015 at 2:59 pm

          Hi Katie! I’m sure you can but I don’t know the cook time, sorry!

          Reply
  5. Lori says

    May 18, 2015 at 9:34 am

    5 stars
    This cheese dip is fantastic! I will never go back to store bought queso again! Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      May 18, 2015 at 10:54 am

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for coming back to share your thoughts!! 🙂

      Reply
  6. Cynthia says

    May 17, 2015 at 1:58 am

    5 stars
    Tried this today. It is delicious. I have been searching for a good nacho cheese recipes. This is the first one that I really like. Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      May 17, 2015 at 6:02 am

      Hi Cynthia! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! I know what you mean, I was searching for ages myself. The cheese dips that go hard when they cool were driving me up the wall – I can’t eat it fast enough!

      Thank you for coming back to share your feedback. Happy weekend! Nagi x

      Reply
  7. DaddyG says

    May 1, 2015 at 12:03 am

    Can’t wait to try this recipe. Hate it when my queso turns into a blob of rubber so this should be awesome. I’d like to consider adding beer to the recipe so where in the process would you suggest? Thx, Chris

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      May 1, 2015 at 10:17 am

      Hi Daddy G! I’m sorry, I’ve never used beer in this recipe before! If I do, I’ll update the recipe 🙂

      Reply
  8. Tiffanie says

    April 30, 2015 at 8:01 am

    I had high hopes for this but it ended up gritty and not smooth…. I followed the instructions exactly so Im not sure what happened….any ideas?

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      April 30, 2015 at 10:52 am

      Hi Tiffanie, I’m so sorry to hear that. I’ve made it about 20+ times and the only time I had the gritty problem was when I used provolone cheese. It just doesn’t melt well with cornstarch. What cheese did you use? Also, was your cornstarch past the expiry date? That will cause problems too.

      Reply
  9. Renee says

    April 8, 2015 at 12:08 pm

    I can’t eat cornstarch. Do you think ground flax seed would work?

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      June 6, 2015 at 12:08 pm

      I just tried ground flaxseed in this recipe and it turned out very tasty.

      Reply
      • Nagi | RecipeTin says

        June 7, 2015 at 6:34 am

        WOW! Thank you for sharing that tip, fantastic! So glad you enjoyed it Elaine! N x

        Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      April 9, 2015 at 1:33 pm

      I’m sorry Renee, I don’t know! I’ve never tried this with anything other than cornstarch.

      Reply
  10. Sharon Anderson says

    March 27, 2015 at 11:50 am

    5 stars
    Thank you for such an amazing nacho cheese recipe. Me and my husband would say it is *Figer lickin good. Seriously, best we have found.
    We did have to add half a cup of water once we took it off the stove and it sat, while we made the other toppings for nachos. But aside from that, on POINT!

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      March 27, 2015 at 1:07 pm

      OH GOODIE! So glad you enjoyed this! I am obsessed with it – in fact, I think I might some this afternoon as I have friends coming over. 🙂 Yes, water or milk to adjust it to the thickness you want / need. And it does thicken up alot when it cools..

      Thanks for coming back to share that you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  11. Christina Hammervold says

    March 26, 2015 at 11:08 am

    Hi! I’m doing a nacho bar for my daughter’s birthday party this weekend and came across this recipe. I like a lot of spice so the jalapeños sound great to me, i’m just worried my guests won’t like it that spicy. What do you think about substituting with pepper jack cheese? If you think that would work, would add to the already 2 1/2 cups or do something like 2 cups of the cheddar and 1/2 cup pepper jack?

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      March 26, 2015 at 6:32 pm

      Hi Christina! This is PERFECTLY delicious if you just omit the spicy stuff altogether. Honestly, it’s the cheese that does it! It has always worked fab with any melting cheese so feel free to sub with any other cheeses you want!! 🙂 (Not mozzarella though, too stringy!)

      Reply
  12. jackie says

    March 3, 2015 at 4:42 am

    Hi there. I am doing a nacho bar for 35ish ppl this Thursday and I’m going to try this recipe and keep it warm in a chafing pan. Would you triple the recipe? Or quadruple? Thanks … just looking for some guidance on how much one recipe makes

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      March 3, 2015 at 7:24 am

      Hi Jackie! One batch makes around 2 cups of dip which I think serves around 6 to 8 people. So for 35 people, I would quadruple it. You can make it in the same pot – I have made a triple batch in one pot before. 🙂 Hope you enjoy it!

      Reply
  13. Tiffany says

    March 2, 2015 at 11:52 pm

    I am hoping to try this, but in a white cheese sauce form. Like a spicy queso! White American cheese melts terrifically along with pepper jack, or habanero jack. Some extra jalapenos and a little cilantro!! Yumm. thanks for the idea of the evaporated milk!!

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      March 3, 2015 at 5:51 am

      Hi Tiffany – this works great with white American Cheese! Just leave out the hot sauce which is what makes it slightly pinky/orange that you see in the photo. Then you have a queso! 🙂

      Reply
  14. Kimmie says

    February 23, 2015 at 3:34 am

    4 stars
    Yum! Thanks so much for this recipe, it was great as a sauce on homemade pretzel hot dog buns! It still needs just a bit tweaking to get it to taste just like the nacho cheese sauce taste, that we get at the ball park.

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      February 23, 2015 at 6:05 am

      Hi Kimmie! I agree it doesn’t taste exactly like the stuff that comes out of a tap, but it’s definitely the closest I have been able to get to – especially texture wise. But I’m glad you enjoyed it! It’s sinfully delicious, isn’t it?? 🙂

      Reply
  15. Sarah says

    February 4, 2015 at 11:34 am

    5 stars
    This cheese is phenomenal! It’s very important that you toss the cheese and cornstarch before you melt it. Another mistake I made was adding much more cornstarch than needed. It wasn’t thickening fast enough for me, but rest assured that your thin sauce WILL thicken as it cools! Otherwise it’s great and tastes exactly like name-brand cheese dip (but minus the chopped peppers you typically see.)

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      February 4, 2015 at 3:45 pm

      Ha ha Sarah, I made that mistake the first time I made it! I was too impatient so I added more corn starch and I ended up with cheese slurry instead of cheese dip! Glad you enjoyed it and that you think it tastes as good as store bought!! 🙂

      Reply
  16. Sylvia says

    February 3, 2015 at 11:08 am

    Would I be able to add a can of Rotel chillies & browned Italian sausage to the cheese dip?

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      February 3, 2015 at 7:10 pm

      ABSOLUTELY! Basically you’ll be kicking my little version into another stratosphere! 🙂

      Reply
  17. Kathy says

    January 23, 2015 at 10:24 am

    can this be served in a crock pot for parties on low?

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      January 23, 2015 at 5:30 pm

      It sure can!

      Reply
  18. Feyrol Luffy says

    January 20, 2015 at 4:21 am

    Okay..this is what i have been searching for – cheese sauce that will not harden when cooled!definitely i will try this & hope it will work!;)

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      January 20, 2015 at 5:38 am

      Hope you do! Honestly, it is crazy fast to make, less than 10 minutes!

      Reply
  19. vicky says

    November 26, 2014 at 5:15 pm

    I have just found your blog and this is so gonna be the first thing I make. I would make an excellent sauce for mac n’ cheese.

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      November 27, 2014 at 5:49 am

      You know what vicky? I have never used this for Mac ‘N Cheese but this would work really well for it! You can thin it out with milk to make it the consistency you want and leave out the Jalapeños and hot sauce, if you want. I think I might have to give that a go! Thanks for the idea Vicky!

      Reply
  20. Zack says

    November 11, 2014 at 11:11 pm

    hello,what hot sauce do you use?any example hot sauce?what can i use for substitute jalepeno?

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      November 12, 2014 at 6:26 am

      Hi Zack! I usually use sriracha because it is a personal preference because I like the slight vinegary flavour that it adds to the sauce. But I also use hot sauces like tabasco. Just be sure to start with a smaller amount and adjust to your taste because different hot sauces differ in hotness! Regarding a jalapeño substitute, if you don’t have it, I suggest leaving it out. I often do!

      Reply
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