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Who doesn’t love a good queso dip? This homemade Velveeta cheese dip is made with real ingredients and tastes good with EVERYTHING. It’s the best Velveeta substitute around!
Homemade Velveeta
I have finally perfected a cheese dip that has the same velvety, delicious quality of the fake cheese, but made with better ingredients.
Of course, there is nothing wrong with munching on fruits and veggies with store-bought dips, but why not add a new, healthier alternative to the party?
Test after test, 21 tries later, I am glad to introduce you to MOMveeta! Made with real cheese, milk, and spices this recipe can be made in your microwave or slow cooker.
This cheese sauce is the perfect recipe to keep on hand for lunches and dinners, so your picky eaters have a dip they love and try with new foods and veggies.
I often pack a container of this cheese dip for lunch for my middle son (my pickiest eater), because it helps him get the rest of his lunch finished.
Healthier Velveeta Cheese Sauce Ingredients
The goal idea behind making my own Velveeta dip was using simple ingredients to recreate the same creamy texture made with the fake block cheese. My recipe uses only four staple ingredients to give this appetizer the flavor of the original recipe:
- All Natural American Cheese
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- Milk
- Cumin
And that’s it! Those simple ingredients come together for the perfect, dip-able, spreadable cheese sauce.
How to Pack Sauce for Lunch
You can pack this cheese dip or any of your favorite dips into a lidded sauce container. These small storage containers have leak-resistant lids, making them great for dressings, yogurts, BBQ sauce, hummus, or your favorite trail mix. They're also dishwasher-safe and perfect for the lunchbox.
Looking for more family-favorite recipes you can pack into the lunchbox? Check out these 101 Packed Lunch Ideas. Everything from power bowls, pasta, soup, and of course, epic sandwiches.
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Best Cheese for Homemade Velveeta
This recipe has been on MOMables for a long time, and I’ve gotten a lot of questions about the best types of cheese to use for it over the years.
We know that not all white American cheeses are made equal. A simple test to be sure you’re getting the good stuff is to check the ingredients.
You don’t have to read everything on the list, but some American cheeses don’t really expire. YIKES. In that case, take a pass and move on to the next option.
Another hint that you should find a new cheese is if it says “cheese product” on the packaging. If you see that phrase, it’s probably not real.
For both recipes, I purchased cheese from the deli counter in a big chunk; don't use sliced cheese.
What is American Cheese Called Outside of the USA
If you live outside of the USA, American cheese, might not exist. You can still make cheese dip using a a semi-soft cheese, often called “melting cheese” that is bland like gruyere, emmentaler, or edam.
How to Make Velveeta Sauce in the Microwave
While both methods of making your own Velveeta are easy, the microwave method is by far the quickest.
- Combine
Place all the ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 5 minutes, stopping periodically to stir the cheese. - Stir
Once the cheese is melted, stir to fully combine, and serve immediately with chips and veggies
It might seem a bit runny at first with all the milk, but don’t worry. As more of the cheese melts it will blend together into a gorgeous dip. YUM.
You can also watch how this cheese dip is made in the video below:
This microwaveable cheese sauce is what I pull out when guests are on the way over and I realize I’m serving veggies with no dip or I need a quick crowd-pleasing appetizer.
Homemade Make Velveeta in the Slow Cooker
The crockpot method for homemade cheese sauce is just as easy as the microwave method but will allow you to be in and out of the kitchen a little bit more. Here’s what to do:
- Combine
Place all the ingredients in the pot and turn it on high for 2 and a half hours. - Stir
Every hour, give the ingredients a good stir to prevent the cheese from sticking to the sides. - Serve
Once the cheese is melted and has the right consistency, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and serve.
This is a great method to keep the cheese warm for a party or event, so you don’t have to keep running back of the microwave to heat it up.
How Long Does Homemade Velveeta Last
This homemade Velveeta dip will last up to a week in the refrigerator. If you like to make extra dip so you can send it in a lunchbox or have it as a companion for veggies throughout the week, cool it in a glass loaf pan and refrigerate it for a week.
You can also cool and refrigerate or freeze in 1-cup microwave-safe containers if you want smaller servings of the sauce. Reheat, both the loaf pan or 1-cup portions, stirring every 30 seconds until creamy and hot.
Velveeta Queso Recipe
So now that we’ve perfected the ultimate Velveeta cheese substitute, let’s move on to the queso. Yep, you can make amazing velveeta queso using this homemade recipe! This is one I pull out for taco night at my house a lot!
Simply add a 10-ounce can of diced tomatoes and green chilies (drained) to the mix before cooking. You’ll also want to drop the milk amount down by about half a cup to make sure that the consistency stays just right.
And that’s it! You’ll have the perfect kid-friendly Velveeta Queso Dip for your next family taco night!
Whether it’s for queso or using the pure, traditional dip, this homemade Velveeta Cheese Sauce is the perfect partner for chips, pretzels, veggies or anything else you love to dip in cheese.
So if it’s game day or you need something to pack in school lunches for easy dipping, here’s your recipe!
Homemade Velveeta Cheese Sauce
Ingredients
For the Traditional Velveeta Sauce
- 16 ounces natural American cheese
- 8 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese
- 1 ½ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
For the Velveeta Queso use this instead
- 16 ounces natural American cheese
- 8 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 10- ounce can diced tomatoes & green chilies, drained
Instructions
Microwave directions:
- Place all the ingredients inside a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 5 minutes, stopping to stir every 1 to 2 minutes. The mixture might seem watery during the first few stirs, but it should thicken after all the cheese is melted.
- Serve immediately as a dip with tortilla chips.
Slow cooker directions:
- Place all the ingredients in a small slow cooker (that will fit at least 4 cups of liquid). Turn it on high for 2 ½ hours.
- Mix the ingredients every hour to prevent the cheese from sticking to the walls and possibly burning. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting, and serve.
Kris C. says
My mom is a stickler for name brand. I quietly exchanged velveeta in our annual casserole for this and got the “this is the best I ever had!”. Thank you for helping me get my family off plastic cheese!
Joseph Chance Watkins says
Mmm, nice recipe and a Good alternative for the processed Velveeta cheese. Thanks for sharing the recipe with us; Jesus Christ Bless you! :)
Danielle says
I’d like to use this recipe. My favorite potato soup calls for velveeta and it’s soooo good.
I have a question: what is Natural American Cheese? Is there another type I can use instead? I live in Canada and I’m not sure I’ve ever seen this this type before, although I’ve never had a reason to look for it.
Thanks!
MOMables says
I believe I’ve answered this in the comments above. You’ll need a melting type of cheese.
Jamie says
What kind of cheeses are melting kinds?I have looked for the American cheese everywhere. I found it at deli counter (I don’t know if it’s natural or not but it was the brand you recommend) would that still work?
MOMables says
well, you can try Great Lakes or Applegate brands of American Cheese. other cheeses like Fontina and colby will work.
Brianna says
So happy I found this, a wonderful substitute! Made nachos tonight amazing!
Melissa says
Coming across this recipe seriously just made my day. I make a menu plan for every 2 weeks and one of the days is our “snack night” BBQ meatballs and rotel dip. I love the taste of Velveeta but despise all the extra junk in it. I will definitely be trying this out! Cant wait!
Tom says
Wow. I can’t believe how good this is, I’m making it right now. Recently I have gone the way of trying to remove any and all artificial foods from the house and replacing them with natural food. The sauce has been sitting in the crock pot for about a half hour right now and a little taste test, I can’t believe how good it is. It’s better than Velveeta if you ask me. Thank you for doing all of the work and getting this out there.
Tom says
I also have a question. I want to use this cheese for mac and cheese. Can you tell me roughly what ratio of ounces of elbow macaroni verses this cheese I should use? Usually when I make mac and cheese I will use 1 box (12 oz) of elbow macaroni. How many cups of this cheese should I make?
MOMables says
Tom, this recipe is a 1:1 substitute for velveeta. If you look up a velveeta mac and cheese online, you follow the directions but use this homemade version.
km754 says
Just made mac and cheese using this recipe … it came out fantastic and tasted exactly like velveeta.
I would suggest using 4 servings of shredded cheddar cheese (112g or 1 cup) and 12 slices of american cheese (225g).
MOMables says
I’m thrilled you like it Tom! don’t’ forget to lower your temperature in the crockpot to low if it’s going to sit out a while and to stir once in a while! Enjoy!
Tom says
Yeah, as soon as it reached consistency I turned it on low, had it sitting for hours waiting for guests. Made nachos topped with chili meat and cheese. Was better than Velveeta in my book. I will never touch that fake stuff again.
Cristy says
I have a recipe for a cheese roll made by rolling out Velveeta (and then covering with cream cheese and chopped jalapeños). Do you think this MOMveeta would roll out well after chilling in a loaf pan? Thanks!
MOMables says
Cristy, i haven’t tried using momveeta in that way but we have over 100k people that have downloaded our recipe and used it in any way you’d traditionally use the regular type. why not line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper, pour momveeta, cool it, and use it to lift it out? just a thought.
Keena says
I DID IT!! I AM SOOOO HAPPY THAT WE HAVE A VELVEETA ALTERNATIVE!! YOU HAVE NO IDEA! So it had to be the crockpot! I used sliced applegate cheddar that I shredded down in the food processor as well as the applegate american from the whole foods deli. I shredded the American in the food processor as welll! I used 1 1/4 cup of milk and melted it all in a makeshift double boiler! I constantly stirred and its PERFECT! I cant wait to make a big pan of macaroni & cheese!! ;) Thank you so much for taking the time to develop this recipe!! :)
MOMables says
Keena, I’m soooo happy it finally worked!! nothing like your awesome persistence and glad you figured out it was the crockpot!