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How To Make Cheese Dip Thinner? – 3 Different Methods!

July 13, 2021 //  by Leah Greenstein//  Leave a Comment

You have a small gathering at your place and you’ve made your famous dip. However, the texture seems a little thick. Want to know if there is a way to fix it? Well, there is, so let’s find out!

So, how to make cheese dip thinner?

.Dairy products such as milk and melted butter can be a great option. You can also use mascarpone, cream cheese sauce, whipped cream, or half and half instead. Also, you can use various types of alcohol such as beer, wine, or bourbon. But if you don’t have any of these ingredients on hand, you can use water or jalapeno pickle juice!

Well, these were just the ingredients list. We have an entire segment on the proportions and mixing. So come check it out and let’s perfect your cheese dip!

Can You Thin Out Cheese Dip?

Cheese Dip
Source: RecipeTin Eats

Yes, you can definitely thin out your cheese dip.  You can tweak in a few ingredients to thin the dip out. With the right measurement, it’ll be done in no time.  


Don’t worry, the process is quite simple. Plus we have a variety of methods for you to choose from. So, you’ll have different options for ingredients!

So, without further ado, let’s check out these techniques!

Why Does My Cheese Dip Turn Out Thick?

Your cheese dip might turn out thick if you’ve used the wrong proportion of ingredients. To help you out,  we have the perfect recipe for you down below. So stay tuned for that.

Besides this, the temperature you cook the dip in might also be a reason. If you cook it at a temperature higher than 400°F  it might turn out thick. Therefore, it’s important to cook it on medium or low heat. You also have to constantly keep stirring.  Yet it does happen that your cheese dip thickens.

However, this is totally fixable. We have a couple of different solutions down below! So let’s check these out!

What Can You Use To Thin Out Cheese Dip?

Now after you’ve made your dip, you see it is very thick in texture. You can use three different methods to thin out your dip. And after using our technique if you see it isn’t the texture you want, you can start afresh. And we have the perfect recipe down below, so check it out as well!

We have a table listing out the ingredients to give you an overview. 

Type of MethodList of The Products
Using Dairy ProductMilk 
Cream
Butter
Whipped Cream
Half & Half 
Mascarpone
Cream Cheese Sauce
Sour Cream
Greek Yogurt
Without Using Dairy ProductsWater
Sodium Citrate
Jalapeno Pickle Juice
Piquante Sauce
Using AlcoholBeer 
Wine (Red or White)
Whiskey
Bourbon

Well, let’s now see how do you thin out cheese dip using these items!

Using Dairy 

We have tons of dairy options for you to try out. And you might have these at home. So you can easily use it!

Tip: For every 225g of cheese you can use 1 tablespoon or more of the following ingredients.

Milk

how to thin out cheese dip
Source: BBC Good Food

The first one you can try out is milk. You can use regular or non-fat milk. Moreover, if you’re a  vegan you can go for soy or oat milk. Nut milk can also be an option for this. Now, let’s see how to use this to make the dip a little runny. 

First, put your dip into a pan. Set the temperature to medium heat. Then start by adding a tablespoon and mix it. After that according to the consistency you need, add more and stir it. 

Whole Cream

how to thin queso dip
Source: The Simple Veganista

Take about 1 tablespoon of cream and add it to your dip. For this, you can add it directly to the dip. You don’t have to have it on heat to do this. If you need, you can add more until you get the right texture. 

This technique won’t lessen the flavor or overpower it. Therefore,  it might be the best way to make your dip thinner. 

Moreover, you can also use coconut or cashew cream if you’re a vegan. 

Butter

how to thin out cheese sauce
Source: Spend With Pennies

Now, to use this in your cheese dip, you need unsalted butter. If you use the salted one, it might affect the taste of your dip. 

Now, melt your butter in the microwave for 30 to 60 seconds. Then slowly one spoon at a time, start adding the melted butter. Stir the butter and the dip in well. 

There are also vegan options for butter, so you can use that as well.  But do make sure that it’s unsalted as well. 

Whipped Cream or Half and Half

cheese sauce too thick
Source: Cooking Classy

Now, this is another way you can make the texture a bit thinner. The texture for both whipped cream and half and half is velvety and rich. Besides making your dip thinner, it’ll also make it creamier.

what is half and half
Source: Spend With Pennies

Now, add 1 tablespoon or 15 ml of any of the cream to your dip. Mix it well, and add more if the texture is still thick. Make sure to stir constantly before adding more!

Moreover, the whipped cream will give it a mild sweet taste. And it’ll go great with spicy chips or dishes. 

Mascarpone or Cream Cheese Sauce

mascarpone or cream cheese sauce
Source: The Spruce Eats

Mascarpone is very similar to cream cheese. Both of these have a lighter and softer texture. So you can mix it with your cheese dip. Plus it’ll also make the texture very rich!

Mascarpone
Source: Group Recipes

Now to make your dip thinner, you have to gradually add either of these in it. Take one tablespoon at a time and mix it well. 

Sour Cream Or Greek Yogurt

sour cream
Source: Bigger Bolder Baking

If you like a little tangy taste in your dip, these two are the best ones for you.  You can use this as well to thin out your cheese dip.

Sour cream is too on the lighter side. So if you want to add this you mix one tablespoon at once. Then you have to combine it in well. Combine more until you get the right consistency.

greek yogurt
Source: Live Eat Learn

Now for the yogurt follow the same process of adding it to the dip. 

But don’t add more than 5 tablespoons of this. Because this might overpower the cheese dip. Therefore, measure carefully before using it. 

Without Using Dairy 

Now, if you’re lactose intolerant or want to avoid dairy, this is a great option. So, how to thin out cheese dip without milk?

To get started you can simply use water. Or you can use a teaspoon of sodium citrate to thin it out. Moreover, there are options of using jalapeno juice and tomato sauce. So you can incorporate these into your dip to make it thinner. 

Now let’s see how much we have to put in to thin out our dip!

 Plain Water

plain water
Source: Chicago Health Magazine

Now, this is the simplest method to thin out the cheese dip. You basically add a tablespoon at a time until it’s thin. 

But the water might fade a bit of the flavor. So you need to add a dash of salt and cayenne pepper to bring the taste back. 

Sodium Citrate

You can use a teaspoon of sodium citrate to thin out your dip. But don’t put this in the dip directly. 

Wondering where to find sodium citrate? Well, look no further. We’ve got some options just for you:

Judee’s Sodium Citrate

judees sodium citrate
Check Latest Price

It’s Just – Sodium Citrate

its just-sodium citrate
Check Latest Price

Once you’ve got the sodium citrate at hand, dissolve it in about 5 ml of water first. Mix it well to make a proper solution.

After that, slowly add the solution and keep stirring as you go. Add more water and combine until you get a perfect consistency.

Jalapeno Pickle Juice

jalapeno pickle juice
Source: MyRecipes

Now if you have jalapeno pickles, you can use that. Take some of the juice into a small bowl. After that, in a mixing bowl add your dip. Then gradually add the liquid one tablespoon at once and stir it in well! Add more if you didn’t get the right consistency. 

This will give a garlic and cumin flavor with a hint of vinegary taste!

Piquante Sauce

piquante sauce
Source: 750g.com

You can also add piquante sauce to your dip. This is full of tomatoes, onions, and other spices. This will also add a very tangy flavor to your dip. This too will thin out your cheese dip!

Moreover, you can also make salsa and add it to the dip. Or you can use plain tomato sauce instead. It’ll almost taste the same. So if you don’t have the piquante sauce at home, you can use these. 

Again, use one tablespoon at a time. The proportion of cheese to sauce should be 3:1. So if you add 3 cups of cheese, add one cup of the sauce! Otherwise, it might not taste good. 

Using  Any Type Of Alcohol

Besides using dairy and non-dairy products, you can also add alcohol. This will add a pop of uniqueness to the taste besides thinning out your dip. But at times the alcohol evaporates at high heat. Therefore, you have to cook the alcohol in medium heat for it to not go bad! 

Beer

beer
Source: Marketing To China

Adding beer to your dip will definitely thin out your dip. Plus it’ll add a very sweet and sour taste to your dish. 

So, add the beer one tablespoon at once and stir it in. Add more if you didn’t get the right consistency with one spoon of liquid. 

Now if you’re using cheddar cheese, American lager will go great with it. But the German pilsner will give an extra sharp taste to your dish. 

Red Wine Or Dry White Wine

red wine
Source: VinePair

Now for this, you’ll use the one tablespoon at a time method as well. However, there is a limit to how much wine per pound of cheese you can add. Because wine usually has a sweet, sour, and at times salty taste. And this can overpower the cheese flavor. You can use 5 tablespoons per 6 ounces of cheese. 

For this, add the wine when the dip is still on the stove. Reduce the temperature down to low heat. Then, slowly add your choice of wine. 

Make sure to incorporate the wine, depending on your portion size. Otherwise, your cheese dip might end up tasting more like wine. 

Whiskey 

Whiskey
Source: Britannica

Now depending on the thickness, you can add about 3 tablespoons per pound of cheese. Use the same technique of using one tablespoon at a time to add this. 

You can also add whole milk to it. That is if you find that the texture is not smooth yet. 

Bourbon

Bourbon
Source: Luxe Digital

Now for bourbon, you can use 2 ounces per cup of cheese to thin the dip out. But don’t use more than the amount mentioned. This is because the vanilla and caramel flavor might be too much. This will change the dip’s taste.

Use one tablespoon at a time and add more as you go! And voila your cheese dip is ready to be served!

Pro Tip: Thinning out the texture, might lessen the flavor as well. In that case, you can add onion and green chilies to your dip. You can add ½ onion and ½ teaspoon of chilies, You can add more, according to your taste. You can use this technique on all the methods mentioned above!

How To Make The Perfect Cheese Dip?

Well, you’ve tried out a couple of methods. But your dip is too thick to budge. So you decide to make it again. Now we have the perfect recipe for you! 

To make the perfect cheese dip you’ll need a couple of ingredients. Here’s a list of it with the proportions. 

  • ½ pound white American cheese
  • ¼ cup milk 
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • ¼ ounce can of green chilies
  • ¼ teaspoon cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic salt
  • A pinch of  cayenne pepper 

Now add the cheese, milk, and butter and melt it in low heat. Stir it constantly so that there aren’t any lumps. After that,  add the chilies, cumin, garlic, salt, and cayenne pepper to the mix. 

Then stir it one last time and take it off the heat. Transfer the dip into a serving bowl and serve it with chips or any dish!

Now you can switch up the type of cheese you add to the dip. But it’s better to use regular cheese than high-temp cheese. In this way, you can make your dip creamier!

This is basically how you can cook the perfectly textured cheese dip. In case this might go wrong, you know how to make your cheese dip thinner too. 

FAQs

Question: How long does cheese dip last in fridge?

Answer: The cheese dip in your fridge might last for 3 to 4 days. However, eating it when fresh is better. This is because products like milk and cheese don’t last in the fridge well. And thus it is recommended to eat it when fresh

Question: How do you know if cheese dip is bad?

Answer: Always check the smell of the cheese before eating. If it smells sour and much like spoiled milk then it has definitely gone bad. Moreover, it might even grow mold. In such cases throw the dip away!

Question: Why is my cheese bitter?

Answer: This bitter taste usually comes from protein breakdown. They turn into small peptides which give it a bitter taste. This taste usually forms during the cheese aging process. 

Take Away

This was all we had on cheese dips. We hope you know now how to make cheese dip thinner.

So, let’s go make some amazing chips or wedges to go with these!

Moreover, it’s best to not use sliced cheese for such cheese dips. Because they might make your dip a lot thicker in texture. Moreover, it’ll also taste a little different. Therefore it’s better to stick with the cheddar, American cheeses. 

This is it, until next time, stay well!

Category: How To, Recipes

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