Copycat Recipe: Homemade Velveeta Cheese (2024)

FAQs

What are the original ingredients in Velveeta cheese? ›

The original process for making Velveeta involved blending tiny bits of various cheeses, including cheddar, Colby and Swiss, along with an emulsifier. Today, the process is different in that instead of starting with bits of cheese, it is made from pasteurized milk, along with whey, emulsifiers and salt.

Colby Cheese

It has a very mild flavour, making it easy for people to eat. It's a good Velveeta substitute because it's so mild, soft, and moist. It can be melted into sauces or onto pastas, and can also be used in place of Velveeta slices and shreds.

The reason Velveeta melts so readily into a puddle of uniform-seeming goo is that it includes sodium alginate, an emulsifying salt that's extracted from brown algae.

You may not need to add the milk; Velveeta can melt on the stove without it. The addition of milk is strongly recommended because it makes it much easier to melt the cheese product evenly and thoroughly without trouble.

The name Velveeta was intended to connote a "velvety smooth" product. On February 14, 1923, Frey incorporated a separate Velveeta company independent from the Monroe Cheese Co. In 1926, the Monroe Cheese company closed down and one year later Velveeta was sold to Kraft.

The best substitute for Velveeta is another processed cheese product, such as American cheese or Cheez Whiz. Since Velveeta isn't actually cheese, substituting in real cheese will not guarantee the same results — part of Velveeta's processed charm is its fluid texture and ability to melt easily.

If you want to find a healthy replacement for Velveeta cheese, try using pureed butternut squash or sweet potato. Both of these substitutes are naturally sweet and provide a creamy texture without the added fat and calories.

Since 2002, Velveeta has been labeled as a "pasteurized prepared cheese product." What does that even mean? Because of the ingredients and the way it is prepared, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not consider it real cheese.

The gooey product has a permanent home in many Americans' pantries. But if you're trying to diet, lose weight or eat better, it may be time to dump the Velveeta and replace it with a healthier substitute. Velveeta is high in calories and fat with little in the way of nutritional benefits.

No, there's no plastic. But there are emulsifiers that bind the cheese's components tightly and do not lose their hold with a sudden increase in temperature. They do, however, let go with prolonged heating at a lower temperature. There is nothing devilish here, just some clever chemistry.

Why is Velveeta so expensive? ›

But since those November hikes, Kraft Heinz said in the letter, it has faced “constrained supply, logistic bottlenecks and weather-driven crop losses.” The company's costs have increased, including on raw ingredients and freight, leading it to bump prices yet again.

Monterey Jack. Monterey Jack is a cheese made from cow's milk that has a pale yellow color, slightly paler than Velveeta. It has a mild and creamy flavor, making it a versatile ingredient in many dishes and an excellent alternative to Velveeta when it is melted.

SKIM MILK, MILK, CANOLA OIL, MILK PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, MALTODEXTRIN, WHEY, SALT, CALCIUM PHOSPHATE, LACTIC ACID, SORBIC ACID AS A PRESERVATIVE, MILKFAT, SODIUM ALGINATE, SODIUM CITRATE, ENZYMES, APOCAROTENAL AND ANNATTO (COLOR), ...

Velveeta may look like cheese, smell like cheese, and even taste like cheese, but it is technically classified as a “pasteurized process cheese product.” Though Velveeta was originally made from real cheese (sure it was runoff, but still), it is now mainly whey protein concentrate, milk protein concentrate, milk, fat, ...

Evaporated milk makes for a smoother tasting Velveeta Cheese Dip. It sounds a bit strange, but it's a huge difference-maker, especially when it comes to the pace at which the dip hardens. If you don't have evaporated milk, you can sub in fresh milk or even water.

Because of the ingredients and the way it is prepared, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not consider it real cheese. However, it does contain many of the same ingredients that make cheese, namely milk and cheese culture.

ENRICHED MACARONI PRODUCT (WHEAT FLOUR, GLYCEROL MONOSTEARATE, NIACIN, FERROUS SULFATE [IRON], THIAMIN MONONITRITE [VITAMIN B1], RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], FOLIC ACID), CHEESE SAUCE (WHEY, CANOLA OIL, CHEDDAR CHEESE [MILK, CHEESE CULTURE, SALT, ENZYMES], WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, MILK, MILK PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, SODIUM ...

From the Package

CHEDDAR CHEESE (PASTEURIZED MILK, CHEESE CULTURE, SALT, ENZYMES), WHEY, MILK PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, MILKFAT, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF CALCIUM PHOSPHATE, SALT, SODIUM ALGINATE, LACTIC ACID, SORBIC ACID AS A PRESERVATIVE, APOCAROTENAL (COLOR), ANNATTO (COLOR).