Ingredients
- Butter, unsalted — 2 tablespoons
- Super-fine almond flour — 2 tablespoons
- Heavy cream — ¾ cup
- Extra-sharp cheddar, shredded — 1½ cups
- Dijon mustard — ½ teaspoon
- Garlic powder — ¼ teaspoon
Instructions
- Warm the pan: Place the saucepan over low to medium-low heat and add the butter. Let it melt slowly; you do not want the butter to brown at this stage.
- Build a keto roux: Sprinkle in the almond flour while whisking or stirring with the spoon. The mixture will form a loose paste. Cook this paste for roughly one minute to remove any raw nut taste. The key is gentle heat—no rushing here.
- Stream in the cream: Still stirring, pour in the heavy cream in a thin stream. Keep the sauce moving until the paste dissolves and the liquid thickens slightly. Small bubbles around the edges signal you are ready for cheese.
- Fold in the cheddar: Lower the heat to the minimum setting. Add the shredded cheese in three small handfuls, letting each addition melt before adding the next. Stir patiently; direct high heat can break the sauce.
- Season: Finish with Dijon mustard and garlic powder. Stir until smooth, then taste. Extra salt is rarely needed because sharp cheddar carries a salty edge on its own.
- Serve: Remove the pan from heat. The sauce will thicken more as it cools, which makes it ideal for dipping or pouring.
Notes
- The cheese matters. Extra-sharp cheddar gives deeper flavor and melts smoothly if shredded fresh. Bagged cheese often contains anti-clumping starch that can thicken the sauce too far.
- Low heat preserves texture. High heat can split the sauce into oil and solids. If that happens, whisk in a tablespoon of cold cream off the heat to bring it back together.
- Mustard’s role is small yet important. It brightens the richness without shouting its own name.
- If the sauce feels thick after standing, a splash of warm cream revives it.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Sauce
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 310 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 2 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg