Best Ever Vegan Queso Recipe - Veggies Don't Bite (2024)

FAQs

How do you make queso less thick? ›

If the queso is too thin, return to medium-low heat and simmer until thicker. If too thick, thin out out a few splashes of almond milk.

If you're going thick and cheesy, use about 2 cups of cheese with ¼ cup milk alternative or water. For a thinner creamy sauce, use the same amount of cheese but add an extra ¼ cup of liquid (½ cup total).

For dips, you'll want to use a tablespoon of cornstarch per pound of cheese, then add at least five ounces of evaporated milk. After that, you can use more evaporated milk to thin out your dip as much as you need.

But, regardless of cheese choice, adding a brick of cream cheese will help stabilize your cheesy mix, binding ingredients and preventing them from separating. Most importantly, cream cheese will also keep your queso smooth.

1. All-purpose flour: You can thicken sauces with all-purpose wheat flour. For every tablespoon of cornstarch, use three tablespoons of flour. Combine raw flour with cold water in a small bowl to form a paste, then add it into the sauce as it's simmering.

Making a slurry with cornstarch and cold milk is how you will thicken your queso. A traditional slurry is a 1:1 liquid to cornstarch ratio, but for our queso purposes I used 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of milk.

Evaporated milk works best in queso because it doesn't have that excess of water and it can help your dip reach a delicate balance between super thick and too thin. (As in you're not constantly having to alternate between adding more milk and then more cheese.)

After making queso blanco on the stovetop, pour it into a slow cooker, and set it to WARM. This will keep it hot, smooth, and creamy through the whole party. Otherwise, just warm it up in the microwave for 30 seconds and stir generously once it starts to get cold. If need be, add some milk to thin as you heat.

Place cheese, milk, and butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir until cheese is melted. Add green chilies, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper; stir until smooth. Thin with more milk if sauce is too thick.

That said, for the meltiest, creamiest queso, use some American cheese. Why? American cheese has emulsifiers added that makes sure that as it melts (or is reheated), it stays creamy and melty. You can use the slices or go to the deli counter and ask for a slab off of the big block of American cheese.

How do you keep cheese sauce creamy? ›

Remove the saucepan from heat and slowly incorporate the cheese, whisking constantly. According to AlSawwaf, adding the cheese over heat can cause the fats and milk solids to separate, resulting in a lumpy sauce with a curdled texture — so always take the pan off the burner first.

Cheddar cheese: Sharp cheddar or mild cheddar cheese can be a great substitute for Velveeta. It melts well and has a rich flavor. You can shred or cube the cheddar and use it in your macaroni and cheese recipe. Colby cheese: Colby cheese is another good substitute with a mild flavor and smooth melting properties.

Usually, when cheese melts, the fat and proteins begin to separate, but sodium citrate “binds them together so that when they melt, they do it evenly and hom*ogeneously,” Vaculin explains. Keeping the mixture hom*ogenized ensures that this queso fundido can stand the test of time.

Add a half teaspoon (to a teaspoon) of baking soda and stir until the foaming stops. Add your milk or half-and-half, or whatever and stir. Turn up the heat, stir in your cheese, and a miracle happens.

Thin as needed: The queso will thicken as it sits. If you find it's getting too thick, whisk in a couple of tablespoons of whole milk to thin it. Serve it straight from the pan kept over low heat on your stove or transfer the queso to a slow cooker set on warm.

Once a cheese container is opened, the product is exposed to its surroundings where various enzymes can break down the thickness or viscosity of the cheese-based sauce. Use of utensils that have come into contact with saliva (double dipping) or any other food may accelerate the loss of viscosity of the cheese sauce.

Thing is, once cheese is heated too far beyond its melting point, the proteins firm up and squeeze out moisture—the same way protein does in meat. When this occurs you're left with rubbery, clumpy bits of cheese protein that separate from the fat and moisture.