Cheez whiz substitutes
Cheez whiz substitutes — 7 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Also called Kraft Cheez Whiz, jarred cheese sauce, processed cheese dip, Whiz
Use Velveeta + milk
8 oz Velveeta + ¼ cup milk for every 1 cup cheez whiz
Melt 8 oz of Velveeta with ¼ cup of milk for each cup of Cheez Whiz. It is the same kind of processed cheese, so it melts just as smoothly and tastes close, a little milder and less salty. With no processed cheese in the house, make a quick sauce from cheddar, cornstarch and evaporated milk; plain cheddar melted on its own turns greasy.
- Verdict —
- Works
- The tweak —
- Cube the Velveeta and melt it with the milk over low heat or in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring until smooth.
- Best for —
- broccoli and rice casseroles
- Pantry —
- Likely in your cupboard
Updated 8 Oct 2026 · no sponsored swaps
But first: what’s the cheez whiz doing?
Pick your caseIs the Cheez Whiz heated into the dish, poured on top, or used cold?
Melted Velveeta thinned with milk behaves the same way in the oven. Undiluted condensed cheddar soup also holds, with less cheese flavor.
Notes on Velveeta + milk or condensed Cheddar cheese soup
8 oz Velveeta + ¼ cup milk per 1 cup
Any smooth cheese sauce works. Melt American cheese or Velveeta with milk, open a jar of queso, or make the cheddar and evaporated milk sauce. On a cheesesteak, slices of American or provolone melted over the meat are the other standard.
Notes on American cheese + milk, jarred queso or nacho cheese sauce, Cheddar + cornstarch + evaporated milk or Provolone or American slices
8 oz American cheese + 1/3 cup milk per 1 cup
Use a spread that is already soft at room temperature. Melted cheese sauces set firm when they cool and will not mix in.
Notes on jarred Cheddar cheese spread
Same amount
Cheddar tossed with cornstarch and melted into evaporated milk gives a smooth sauce from real cheese. Serve it warm.
4 oz shredded cheddar + 1 ½ tsp cornstarch + ¾ cup evaporated milk per 1 cup
Cheez Whiz is a ready-made cheese sauce that never breaks. Its emulsifying salts keep the fat and protein bound, so it melts smooth, stays smooth when it is baked or held warm, and stays soft even from the refrigerator. Recipes use it for that behavior as much as for its salty, tangy processed-cheese flavor: it is the pourable cheese on a cheesesteak, the binder in a broccoli and rice casserole, and the base of a party dip.
Every option, one card
Ranked · per 1 cup cheez whiz| # | Substitute | Instead of 1 cup cheez whiz | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Velveeta + milkbroccoli and rice casseroles | 8 oz Velveeta + ¼ cup milkWorks | Works |
| 2 | American cheese + milkcheesesteaks | 8 oz American cheese + 1/3 cup milkTweak it | Tweak it |
| 3 | Jarred queso or nacho cheese saucenachos and dips | Same amountTweak it | Tweak it |
| 4 | Cheddar + cornstarch + evaporated milkcheese sauce for vegetables, fries or nachos | 4 oz shredded cheddar + 1 ½ tsp cornstarch + ¾ cup evaporated milkTweak it | Tweak it |
| 5 | Condensed Cheddar cheese soupcasseroles | Same amountYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 6 | Jarred Cheddar cheese spreadcheese balls and party spreads | Same amountTweak it | Tweak it |
| 7 | Provolone or American slicesPhilly cheesesteaks | 2 slices per sandwichYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| Not a swap | Shredded Cheddar, melted alone | not a swapNot for this | Not for this |
Velveeta + milk
very close, milder
The nearest relative: a processed cheese loaf that melts into the same glossy, stable sauce once it is thinned.
- Best for
- broccoli and rice casseroles, cheesesteaks, dips, sauce for vegetables
- Texture
- same when warm, firmer when cold
- Prep
- Cube the Velveeta and melt it with the milk over low heat or in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring until smooth.
- Pantry
- Likely in your cupboard
- Suits
- vegetarian
- Contains
- dairy
This makes a little more than a cup. Start with 3 tablespoons of milk and add the rest only if it is too thick; it firms up as it cools, where Cheez Whiz stays soft. Slightly milder and less tangy.
American cheese + milk
milder, milkier
Deli or sliced American cheese contains the same emulsifying salts, so it melts into a smooth sauce with a little liquid.
- Best for
- cheesesteaks, burgers and fries, macaroni and cheese
- Texture
- similar, sets when cold
- Prep
- Tear the slices into warm milk over low heat and stir until melted. Evaporated milk in place of regular milk gives a thicker, more stable sauce.
- Pantry
- Likely in your cupboard
- Suits
- vegetarian
- Contains
- dairy
A starting amount: add milk a tablespoon at a time until it pours. Paler and milder than Cheez Whiz; a pinch of mustard powder and a few drops of Worcestershire sauce bring it closer.
Jarred queso or nacho cheese sauce
similar, often spicier
Other shelf-stable cheese sauces from the chip aisle or in cans. Same texture straight from the jar.
- Best for
- nachos and dips, cheese fries, hot dogs
- Texture
- same
- Pantry
- Likely in your cupboard
- Suits
- vegetarian
- Contains
- dairy
Salsa con queso has peppers and tomato in it and is spicier, which is fine on nachos and wrong in a broccoli casserole. Plain canned nacho cheese sauce is the neutral one.
Cheddar + cornstarch + evaporated milk
sharper, more real cheese
The from-scratch cheese sauce that needs no processed cheese. Cornstarch and the concentrated milk proteins keep real cheddar from breaking.
- Best for
- cheese sauce for vegetables, fries or nachos, macaroni and cheese, anyone avoiding processed cheese
- Texture
- similar when warm
- Prep
- Toss the shredded cheese with the cornstarch, add the evaporated milk, and stir over low heat until melted and thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Pantry
- Likely in your cupboard
- Suits
- vegetarian, gluten-free
- Contains
- dairy
Shred the cheese from a block; bagged shreds melt less smoothly. It tastes more of real cheddar and is less salty. It thickens and can turn slightly grainy when cold, so reheat it gently with a splash of milk.
Condensed Cheddar cheese soup
weaker cheese flavor
Canned condensed soup used undiluted. It is already a stable, flour-thickened cheese sauce.
- Best for
- casseroles, baked potatoes, slow-cooker recipes
- Texture
- similar, starchier
- Prep
- Use it straight from the can; do not add the water or milk the label calls for.
- Pantry
- Likely in your cupboard
- Suits
- vegetarian
- Contains
- dairy, gluten
Weaker cheese flavor and a starchy, soupy taste. Fine as a binder in a casserole, thin-tasting as a dip or on a sandwich.
Jarred Cheddar cheese spread
sharper
Small jars of sharp processed cheddar spread, or tub pub cheese, for recipes that use Cheez Whiz cold.
- Best for
- cheese balls and party spreads, stuffed celery, crackers
- Texture
- stiffer
- Suits
- vegetarian
- Contains
- dairy
Stiffer and sharper. It spreads but does not pour, so thin it with 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk per cup if the recipe needs it loose.
Provolone or American slices
different cheese, less salty
For a cheesesteak only: the other two standard cheeses, laid over the meat on the griddle to melt.
- Best for
- Philly cheesesteaks, hot sandwiches
- Texture
- melted slice, not a sauce
- Prep
- Lay the slices over the meat for the last minute of cooking and cover the pan so they melt.
- Pantry
- Likely in your cupboard
- Suits
- vegetarian, gluten-free
- Contains
- dairy
A melted slice, not a sauce. It does not run into the bread the way Whiz does. Provolone is sharper and stringier; American is the closer of the two.
Shredded Cheddar, melted alone
sharper
The obvious idea, and the one that fails in the pan.
- Best for
- nothing here
- Texture
- greasy and clumped
- Pantry
- Likely in your cupboard
Natural cheddar has no emulsifying salts. Melted by itself it separates into a pool of orange fat and a rubbery clump. It needs a starch and a liquid to become a sauce; see the cheddar, cornstarch and evaporated milk row.
Don’t swap it here
2 cases- A cold cheese ball or spread, made with a melted Velveeta or cheddar sauce.Use a jarred cheddar spread or pub cheese, which stay soft cold.
- A slow cooker or long bake, with natural cheese added and nothing to stabilize it.Use Velveeta or American cheese, or toss the natural cheese with cornstarch and add it in the last 30 minutes.
Questions
5 questionsWhat can I substitute for Cheez Whiz in a recipe?
Melt 8 oz of Velveeta with about ¼ cup of milk for each cup of Cheez Whiz. It is the same style of processed cheese and bakes the same way. American cheese melted with milk is the next closest, and undiluted condensed cheddar soup works in casseroles.
Is Cheez Whiz the same as Velveeta?
They are close relatives, not the same product. Both are processed cheese products from Kraft with emulsifying salts. Velveeta is a firm loaf you slice or cube; Cheez Whiz is a soft sauce you spoon from a jar. Melt Velveeta with a little milk and the two are nearly interchangeable.
What can I use instead of Cheez Whiz on a Philly cheesesteak?
American cheese or provolone, the other two standard choices. Lay 2 slices over the meat on the griddle for the last minute and cover so they melt. For a pourable sauce like Whiz, melt 8 oz of American cheese into 1/3 cup of warm milk.
Can I use shredded cheddar instead of Cheez Whiz?
Not by itself. Melted alone it separates into grease and clumps. Toss 4 oz of shredded cheddar with 1 ½ teaspoons of cornstarch and melt it into ¾ cup of evaporated milk for a smooth cup of sauce.
Is Cheez Whiz real cheese?
It is a processed cheese product. Its label leads with whey, milk, oil and milk protein concentrate, with cheese culture and emulsifying salts further down. That formula is why it melts so smoothly and why natural cheese does not behave the same way.
Tips for substituting cheez whiz
5 tips- Melt processed cheese over low heat or in 30-second microwave bursts, stirring each time. High heat scorches it on the bottom of the pan.
- Cheez Whiz comes in a 15 oz jar, a little over 1 ½ cups. If a recipe calls for a whole jar, plan on roughly 12 oz of Velveeta plus 1/3 cup of milk.
- For more of the Whiz tang in a homemade sauce, add ¼ tsp mustard powder and ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce per cup.
- Cheez Whiz is salty. When you swap in a milder cheese sauce, taste before serving and add a pinch of salt if the dish seems flat.
- Keep a homemade cheese sauce warm, not hot. Once it simmers, even a stabilized sauce can turn grainy.