Lightened-Up Queso

Name: Lightened-Up Queso
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons unsalted butter *see tip below; 2 tablespoons gluten free flour *see tip below; 1 & 1/2 cups nonfat milk *see tip below; 1/2 cup half and half *see tip below; 1 teaspoon smoked paprika; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon onion powder; 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder; 2/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese *or extra sharp *white or yellow; 2 tablespoons light sour cream *see tip below; Diced tomato, red onion, diced jalapeno peppers, chopped fresh cilantro

by Garlic Salt & Lime

8 Servings

15 min

This healthier queso dip recipe is completely mouthwatering and so dang good! The best part of all? It's also low calorie, low carb, keto friendly and even gluten free. Eat it with crunchy tortilla chips or drizzle on nachos, tacos, taco salad, enchiladas, burritos, burrito bowls and more.

It's also fabulous as a cheese dip for vegetables like carrots, bell pepper slices, cauliflower, broccoli and more. I enjoy eating it with both raw and roasted veggies of all kinds.

You can't go wrong by adding homemade queso to my Shredded Chicken Taco Salad Bowls! It's also extremely good on these Shredded Beef Toastadas.

Skinny Queso Dip

Milk, cream and spices whisked together in a mixing bowl.

Melted butter and gluten free flour whisked together in a skillet.

Milk, cream and spice mixture added to roux in skillet.

Shredded cheese and sour cream added to sauce mixture.

Healthier Cheese Dip

Lightened-Up Queso

You can do it! Saved to your recipes

Recipe details

Yield 8 Servings
Time spent: Prep time: 5 Minutes Cook time: 10 Minutes Total time: 15 min

Show Nutrition Info

Per serving

% Daily value

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter *see tip below
2 tablespoons gluten free flour *see tip below
1 & 1/2 cups nonfat milk *see tip below
1/2 cup half and half *see tip below
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese *or extra sharp *white or yellow
2 tablespoons light sour cream *see tip below

Optional toppings for serving:

Diced tomato, red onion, diced jalapeno peppers, chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

Make your sauce mixture: whisk milk, half & half and spices together in a bowl. Set aside.
Melt unsalted butter in a skillet over medium to medium-low heat.
Once butter is fully melted and begins to bubble a little bit, mix in the flour. Whisk continuously until a bubbly, white paste forms. This will only take 30-60 seconds.
Slowly whisk sauce mixture into the roux. Keep the heat at medium to medium-low. High heat can make your sauce grainy! Continue whisking until the sauce thickens.
Remove skillet from heat. Stir in shredded cheese and sour cream and mix until the cheese is fully melted. *Note: do not stir cheese into a simmering sauce mixture as this could cause graininess. Be sure to remove the skillet from heat first.
Do a taste test and add another pinch of salt or paprika, if desired.
Transfer queso to a serving bowl, add toppings if desired and enjoy!

Tips

Unsalted butter: salted will work in a pinch. Consider reducing added salt if you go this route.
Gluten free flour: regular, all-purpose flour will work just fine if you don't need to make this recipe gluten free.
Dairy: you can use higher fat content dairy in place of nonfat milk, half and half or sour cream. I use light options to reduce calories!
General: if you're serving this recipe at a party and you'd like to keep it warm, transfer it to a small crockpot!

Comments

Naomie Moore aka baileyanddaisey, Castaic CA on Jun 02, 2023

Like your style! Will definitely give this a try. Queso is good on anything!

Like Reply

Top stories

Lightened-Up Queso

Lightened-Up Queso

Recipe details

Ingredients

Optional toppings for serving:

Instructions

Tips

Comments

Share your thoughts, or ask a question!

Popular Recipe Book

The Top 10 Dessert Recipes of 2020

More

Top stories

Lightened-Up Queso

Lightened-Up Queso

Recipe details

Ingredients

Optional toppings for serving:

Instructions

Tips

Popular Recipe Book

More Recipes