Broccoli and Cheese Sauce

An easy recipe for healthy keto broccoli and cheese sauce. There’s no flour in the sauce! Just heavy cream, cheddar, and spices.

Broccoli and cheese sauce is one of the best ways I have found to make this vegetable so palatable, that even The Picky Eater would agree to eat it, while enthusiastically asking for seconds. This recipe is healthy and keto. It contains no flour.

Personally, I love the simplest steamed broccoli. I think it’s good all by itself, with just a sprinkle of salt and pepper. It’s even better with olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic.

But some people (ahem, I’m looking at you, dear daughter) need butter and/or cheese on their broccoli to make it palatable, and that’s fine. I often make a very tasty broccoli casserole, a pizza-inspired casserole that we all love.

How do you make cheese sauce for broccoli?

It’s an easy recipe. The detailed instructions are in the recipe card below. The basic steps:

1. Steam the broccoli in the microwave.
2. Heat up the sauce – it takes all of 5 minutes to be ready. Simply heat the heavy cream with the Dijon and spices. Then, over low heat, slowly and patiently mix in the cheese until fully melted.
3. Pour the sauce over the broccoli, then serve.

Do I need to add flour to the sauce to thicken it?

The classic recipe requires flour, which helps improve the sauce’s texture. But I find that this no-flour keto cheese sauce is excellent. It’s rich, creamy, and its thickness is perfect.

I do recommend using store-bought shredded cheese in this recipe. I suspect that the small amount of anti-caking agent typically added to store-bought shredded cheese (powdered cellulose in the Whole Foods brand) helps the sauce thicken. 

If you’re shredding your own cheese and you feel that the keto cheese sauce is too thin, simply stir in a bit more cheese – try 1/4 cup more.

You can also mix 1 teaspoon cornstarch with 1 teaspoon cold water and stir that into the sauce. This will add a tiny amount of carbs – 2 grams for the entire recipe.

I prefer cornstarch to flour because it’s usually gluten-free, and you can use less of it.

Don’t skip the mustard

The Dijon mustard adds great flavor to the sauce. But I suspect it also helps prevent the sauce from becoming stringy by adding an acidic component. So please don’t skip it.

Is broccoli and cheese sauce healthy?

I believe it is. Broccoli is obviously very healthy. As for the cheese, current research tells us that for most healthy people, full-fat dairy is harmless, and might even be beneficial.

More broccoli recipes that you might enjoy

If you’d like to enjoy fresh broccoli while avoiding cooking, try this super fresh and tasty olive oil broccoli salad.

And the absolute easiest way to prepare broccoli is to make microwave broccoli. It’s easy, and delicious. 

Never miss a recipe!

I typically publish a new healthy recipe once or twice per week. Want the new recipes in your inbox? Subscribe!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

4.96 from 135 votes

Broccoli and Cheese Sauce

An easy recipe for healthy, keto broccoli and cheese sauce. There’s no flour in the cheese sauce! Just heavy cream, cheddar and spices.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time20 mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: broccoli, cheese

Servings: 3 servings

Calories: 172kcal

Author: Vered DeLeeuw

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups broccoli florets, bite-size (10 oz)
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated (2 oz)

INSTRUCTIONS

• Steam the broccoli florets until tender-crisp, about 4 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add the cream, Dijon mustard, garlic powder and cayenne to a small saucepan. Whisk to combine.
• Heat the cream mixture over medium heat. When the cream starts to bubble around the edges, lower the heat to low.
• Stir in the shredded cheddar, 1/3 at a time, slowly and patiently stirring it in with a rubber spatula until it is completely melted. Don't stir vigorously or the sauce will become stringy. Turn the heat off as soon as it's all melted.
• Pour the cheese sauce over the steamed broccoli and serve.

WATCH THE VIDEO:

NOTES

1. Using store-bought pre-shredded cheese seems to help with the sauce’s texture. I suspect that the small amount of anti-caking agent typically added to shredded cheese (powdered cellulose in the Whole Foods brand) helps the sauce thicken.
2. If you’re shredding your own cheese and you feel that the cheese sauce is too thin, simply stir in a bit more cheese – try 1/4 cup more. You can also mix 1 teaspoon cornstarch with 1 teaspoon of cold water and stir that into the sauce. This will add a tiny amount of carbs – 2 grams for the entire recipe.
3. Heat the sauce over low heat and stir the cheese in slowly and gently to prevent the cheese from becoming stringy.
4. Please don’t skip the mustard – its acidty helps improve the sauce’s textue. 

NUTRITION INFO Nutrition info is approximate. It is calculated using the SparkPeople.com recipe calculator, and the carb count excludes sugar alcohols. Please read the disclaimers in our Terms of Use carefully before using any of our recipes. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Please verify they are before using.

Nutrition Facts

Broccoli and Cheese Sauce

Amount Per Serving

Calories 172 Calories from Fat 126

% Daily Value*

Fat 14g22%

Saturated Fat 8g50%

Sodium 190mg8%

Carbohydrates 6g2%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 8g16%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

NEVER MISS A RECIPE! I typically publish a new healthy recipe once or twice per week. Want the new recipes in your inbox? Subscribe!