7 Simple Methods to Thicken Cheese Sauce

The cheese sauce is a popular addition to many dishes. It’s also easy to make and can be used in soups, casseroles, or even pasta dishes.

Keep reading to get the information about several ways that you can thicken cheese sauce.

You’ll gain a greater understanding of these methods and you won’t feel the need to panic the next time your cheese sauce isn’t thickening up properly.

There are several different ways that you can thicken your cheese sauce so it has the perfect consistency for any dish. The following list contains five of these methods:

Simple Methods to Thicken Cheese Sauce

1. Use a Starch Thickener

If you need to thicken your cheese sauce quickly, then a starch thickener is the best option. There are several different types of starches that you can use for this purpose, including cornstarch and flour.

All you have to do is add a bit of the starch to your cheese sauce and it will start to thicken right away.

This is a good method to use if you are in a hurry or if your cheese sauce isn’t thickening up as much as you would like.

The downside of using a starch thickener is that it can sometimes make the sauce taste starchy or floury.

However, this usually isn’t too noticeable and it will be worth it for the thicker consistency that your cheese sauce will have.

If you want to try using a starch thickener, then there are several different ways that you can do so.

You can add the starch directly to the cheese sauce, mix it with some water first, or create a slurry.

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2. Thickening Your Cheese Sauce by Simmering Only

You don’t have to get out your starch thickeners every time you are making a cheese sauce.

This method of thickening cheese sauce just requires a bit of patience. All you have to do is let your cheese sauce simmer for a while on low heat and it will start to thicken up.

This is a good option if you don’t have any starch thickeners on hand or you just want to take a simpler route.

The downside of this method is that it can take a while for the cheese sauce to thicken up. You’ll need to let it simmer for at least fifteen minutes, but it might be best to wait around half an hour.

If you are in a hurry or if your sauce isn’t thickening up as much as you would like, then this probably isn’t the right option for you.

However, if you have some time and want to try something simple, then simmering your cheese sauce on low heat is definitely worth trying out.

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3. Thickening Your Cheese Sauce by Using Cheese

Believe it or not, adding more cheese to your sauce is a way that you can thicken it up. Adding shredded cheese as well as soft cheese can help to do this.

This option does tend to be a bit heavy on calories, but if you’re looking for something that will work then this could be it.

It’s important to understand that when you add cheese, it will become stringy and stretchy in the way that mozzarella does.

Don’t think of this as a bad thing, because your sauce is going to have more texture after using this method for thickening up!

You can use about half cup or so of shredded cheddar cheese if you need something thicker than just adding soft cheese would provide.

This mixture usually needs time to simmer before being tested for thickness since getting the right consistency isn’t always easy with this approach even though it works well enough in most cases.

You should be able to get your desired results by giving everything several minutes at least before testing again.

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4. Using Egg Yolk as a Thickening Agent

Adding an egg yolk to your cheese sauce is another way that you can thicken it up. This option is a good one if you want to avoid using flour or cornstarch as a thickening agent.

This method isn’t too difficult and you can actually use egg yolks in other ways if they aren’t used to thicken your cheese sauce.

The first thing that you need to do is beat the egg very well before adding it into your cheese sauce mixture.

You should still whisk this together with some water after beating, but don’t add everything at once like what happens when making scrambled eggs for breakfast!

You want about half of the beaten egg added because then you will be able to thicken up your entire dish without having an overabundance of raw eggs left within it.

Allow this mixture time to simmer and thicken. When you need to check the thickness, allow it to cool down a bit and see how thick it has become.

If this method doesn’t turn out right for your cheese sauce, then you can try adding another egg yolk or two into the mix rather than going back to flour/cornstarch as an option.

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5. Try to Add a New Bechamel Sauce

In some cases, you might have to make a new bechamel sauce. You’ll need to do this by using three tablespoons of butter, three tablespoons of flour, and a half-teaspoon of salt.

You need to melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.

Once the butter has melted, you’ll need to add the flour and salt so that they can cook together for about five minutes.

The mixture of these three ingredients will form a roux which is going to help thicken your cheese sauce as it cooks further.

Once this step is complete, you want to gradually whisk in some milk instead of water; two cups should be enough at first but feel free to adjust accordingly if more liquid is needed later on down the road.

You do not need any additional seasonings or spices with this method because everything has already been added prior to including the milk since we used a bechamel base originally!

Allow your sauce to simmer after incorporating all of those elements and continue cooking until it has reached the desired thickness.

The bechamel sauce is a classic choice for many recipes and it can definitely work well with cheese sauces too!

6. Use a Roux

A roux is another great way to thicken your cheese sauce. You’ll need one tablespoon of butter or oil and two tablespoons of flour to make a roux.

You want to melt the butter or heat up the oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Once melted, you’ll need to add your flour and stir it until all of that has been incorporated into one mixture.

You should continue stirring for about five minutes before adding any milk at all with this method!

It is recommended that you use whole milk when working on this particular step because low fat or skimmed varieties might not work as well due to their lack of richness which can affect everything from thickness levels to flavor profiles too if they’re used here – so stick with full-fat goodness when making your cheese sauce thicker via a roux base instead!

This is another step where you’ll want to add a cup of milk at a time and stir continually until the sauce thickens up.

You should also simmer your roux-thickened cheese sauce for about five minutes so that all of the flavors can meld together properly.

A roux is definitely a tried and true method for thickening sauces so it’s worth knowing about!

7. An Option for Vegan Cheeses

If you’re cooking with vegan cheese or some other variation of dairy-free cheeses, then it’s important to know that they might not always behave the same as regular cheese when it comes to thickening.

In some cases, you might need to add a bit more of the vegan cheese than what is called for in the recipe because it won’t have the same properties as dairy-based cheeses with regards to thickness.

You can also try using some cornstarch, flour or arrowroot powder mixed with water as a slurry if your sauce is still too thin even after adding extra vegan cheese.

This should help thicken up your sauce so that it has a more desirable consistency – but do keep in mind that every type of vegan cheese behaves differently so this method could vary each time you try it!

Make Sure You’re Following Your Recipe Correctly

One of the most important things that you can do when you’re making cheese sauce is to make sure that you’re following your recipe correctly.

This means that you need to measure out all of your ingredients and follow the instructions step-by-step.

If you try to take shortcuts or change up the recipe, there’s a chance that you won’t get the results that you want.

Try Making Cauliflower Cheese Sauce Instead of Traditional Cheese Sauce

Another option to try when your cheese sauce isn’t thickening is to make cauliflower cheese sauce instead.

This tends to be thicker than traditional cheese sauces and it can create more of a creamy texture as well so don’t count this recipe out just because you tried it before with different ingredients!

This article has some great suggestions for making cauliflower cheese sauce if you need some help getting started with this method: Top 20 Best Recipes For Your Nutritional Nightcap | Paleo Grubs.

Make sure that there aren’t any additional steps in the recipe like adding things into the cheese sauce.

Cheese Sauce Tips

Five different methods that you can use to thicken up your cheese sauce. Whichever one you choose, just be sure to stir constantly over low heat until everything is smooth and creamy.

If your cheese sauce is too thin, you can try adding some flour to help thicken it up. Add a tablespoon at a time and mix well until the desired thickness is reached.
Another way to thicken your cheese sauce is by using cornstarch. Mix one tablespoon of cornstarch with two tablespoons of water and add to your cheese sauce. Stir well and continue cooking for a minute or two so the cornstarch can thicken up properly.
If you don’t have any flour or cornstarch available, try adding some cooked rice instead. Add about one tablespoon of uncooked rice at a time until it reaches the desired thickness that you want in your cheese sauce.
A bit of butter will go a long way when trying to thicken up a cheese sauce, just remember not too much since this isn’t an option if you are looking to keep things healthy. Try mixing in around one tablespoon with your cheeses before melting them together over low heat while stirring constantly until everything is smooth and creamy again.
Lastly, you can also try using some evaporated milk as a thickener for your cheese sauce. Add one or two tablespoons at a time until the desired thickness is reached. This tends to be a more subtle flavor than some of the other methods mentioned, but it definitely gets the job done.

Make the Best Cheese Sauce That You Can

Make the best cheese sauce that you can. You need to make sure that your cheese is as fresh as possible and that it has been shredded or grated appropriately.

If your cheese isn’t providing the right texture then consider mixing with a few different types of cheeses at once.

Then, add some milk slowly while stirring constantly so that the cheese doesn’t clump up.

Conclusion

No matter which of these methods you choose, it’s important to be patient and allow your cheese sauce to thicken slowly.

This will help ensure that the flavors are all working together in perfect harmony and that the desired consistency is reached in the end.

These tips should help you out when thickening up your sauce – so good luck and happy cooking!

flour-based slurry, bechamel sauce, roux, vegan cheese, cornstarch, flour or arrowroot powder mixed with water as a slurry.