Beer Cheese Dip Recipe | Beer Cheese Sauce (2024)

Tessa’s Recipe Rundown

Taste: The best part! Two kinds of cheeses and some staple spices balance out the beer taste perfectly.
Texture: Not too liquid-y but not too thick like a chowder either. Just the perfect texture to dip a pretzel into and enjoy! You can also easily play around with the recipe to get your preferred consistency.
Ease: Incredibly easy to make and ready in less than 10 minutes.
Pros: You won’t find an easier appetizer. Perfect for when you have company over and need something quick.
Cons: None.
Would I make this again? Absolutely. You’ll never get tired of this dip because you can always switch up what you serve it with.

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My recipe for Easy Homemade Pretzels wouldn’t be complete without the best pretzel companion: homemade beer cheese dip.

This is the ultimate easy appetizer that comes together in hardly any time at all – and the taste is AMAZING! It’s perfect for game nights with friends, taking to a potluck at work, game day – you name it. I’ve also listed ideas for what to pair your beer cheese with below.

Beer Cheese Dip Recipe | Beer Cheese Sauce (1)

One of the great things about this easy beer cheese dip is you can also experiment with the consistency if you prefer a thinner or thicker dip.

Add a bit less milk for a thicker dip or more milk for a thinner sauce.

No matter the final consistency or what you serve it with, I promise you’re going to love this beer cheese dip recipe.

Beer Cheese Dip Recipe | Beer Cheese Sauce (2)

How to Make Beer Cheese Dip

Ingredients:

  • Unsalted butter – Make sure to use unsalted butter, otherwise you might end up with an overly salty beer cheese dip.
  • All-purpose flourMeasured correctly!
  • Whole milk – This works best for a creamy dip. Milk alternatives and lower fat milk products simply won’t work as well.
  • Beer – I typically use a wheat beer but you can use your favorite beer. More on this below.
  • Worcestershire sauce – For flavor.
  • Dijon mustard – For flavor.
  • Spices – Garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and kosher salt add the perfect amount of flavor without adding much heat. If you want more spice, add a pinch of cayenne pepper. Feel free to adjust the spices up or down to taste, noting that older spices carry less flavor than brand new spices.
  • Cheeses – I love using sharp cheddar cheese and gouda cheese, but Gruyere/Swiss, fontina, or other melting cheeses work well here too! Just make sure it’s freshly shredded so it melts down smoothly, for a beer cheese dip with a super silky texture. Tip: your food processor makes quick and easy work of shredding lots of cheese!

What’s the Best Beer to Use for Beer Cheese?

Use any beer you enjoy drinking will make for a great beer cheese dip! I prefer something with a more amber color and wheat flavor, like a Wheat beer, a German Hefeweizen, or a Lager. I don’t recommend an IPA, as that super hoppy flavor will override the cheese (unless that’s your favorite kind of beer and you love the hoppy flavor; then by all means, go for it). Be careful that the beer you use doesn’t have added flavors like fruits or sugary sweets. You can also use non-alcoholic beer if you prefer.

What to Serve with Beer Cheese Dip

  • Homemade Bavarian-Style Pretzels – these go SO perfectly with this beer cheese dip!
  • Homemade Soft Pretzel Bites
  • Veggies (broccoli, carrots, celery, cauliflower)
  • Tortilla chips
  • Roasted potatoes
  • Sourdough bread
  • Spread on a burger bun before adding your patty + other toppings

How to Store This Dip

Store this beer cheese dip in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Beer Cheese Dip Recipe | Beer Cheese Sauce (3)

More Recipes You’ll Love:

  • Homemade Soft Pretzels
  • Soft Pretzel Bites
  • Ultimate Macaroni and Cheese Recipe
  • Copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks
  • How to Make Empanadas

Beer Cheese Dip Recipe | Beer Cheese Sauce (4)

How to Make

Beer Cheese Dip

Yield: 2 cups

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Cook Time: 5 minutes mins

Total Time: 10 minutes mins

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You only need 10 minutes to make this Beer Cheese Dip! This easy beer cheese sauce pairs perfectly with your favorite pretzel recipe. Perfect cheesy appetizer for serving a crowd on game day!

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons (57 grams) unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup (32 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2/3 cup wheat beer
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 cups freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated smoked gouda cheese

Instructions

  • Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour, and whisk together until a thick and clumpy paste (roux) forms and the raw flour cooks out, about 1 minute.

  • Gradually whisk in the milk. Continue whisking until it slightly thickens, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to low and whisk in the remaining ingredients.

  • Remove the cheese dip from heat and pour into a serving dish. Allow to cool slightly to thicken. Serve warm.

  • Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Heat over stovetop or in the microwave before serving again.

Show us!If you make this recipe, be sure to snap a picture and share it on Instagram with #handletheheat so we can all see!

Recipe Notes

Freshly shredded cheese melts best, for the smoothest beer cheese dip. If you have a food processor, use the shredding attachment to make quick and easy work of shredding your cheeses.

Photos by Joanie Simon | The Bite Shot

Beer Cheese Dip Recipe | Beer Cheese Sauce (2024)

FAQs

What is beer cheese sauce made of? ›

Beer cheese dip is typically made by heating beer with ingredients like garlic, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce in a saucepan until the beer reduces, mixing in cheese and milk, and continuing to cook until the cheese is melted. The resulting mixture is a cheesy spread that can be served warm or cool.

What is the best beer to use for beer cheese? ›

I used Fat Tire because that what I had on hand, but Budweiser, Bud Light, Coors Light, and Miller Lite are all good options. No need to use anything fancy! What brands of cheese do you recommend? For the Cheddar, you can use a good supermarket brand, like Cabot or Tillamook.

How do you melt cheese and keep it creamy? ›

It's so simple.
  1. In a saucepan over medium low heat, add 1/2 cup of water (or beer) and 2 teaspoons sodium citrate.
  2. Bring to a slow simmer. Do not boil.
  3. Whisk in 8 ounces (1/2 pound) grated cheese (any kind you like including parmesan).
  4. Stir until melted.
  5. Hold warm.
Dec 31, 2022

How to thicken beer cheese sauce? ›

But you can also grab a small saucepan, add 1/2 cup of your existing cheese dip and a little flour or cornstarch (try 1 teaspoon at a time), and whisk to combine over low heat. Add this back in to your other pan of sauce and stir until incorporated (repeat as necessary to get the consistency you're after).

Does the alcohol cook out of beer cheese dip? ›

Roughly speaking: Beer cheese sauce, bourbon caramel and other sauces brought to a boil and then removed from the heat typically retain about 85 percent of the alcohol. Diane, cherries jubilee and other recipes that flame the alcohol may still have 75 percent of the alcohol.

Is pub cheese the same as beer cheese? ›

Pub cheese is a type of soft cheese spread or dip prepared using cheese as a primary ingredient and usually with some type of beer or ale added. While beer cheese is made with beer, pub cheese can be made without alcohol. Pub cheese is a traditional bar snack in the United States.

Is beer cheese dip ok for kids? ›

Can I serve beer cheese dip to kids? It's a little tricky. Most of the alcohol cooks off, leaving just the beer's flavor behind. While some residual alcohol could remain, it's a very minor amount.

Can you taste beer in beer cheese? ›

It's become fashionable to use intensely flavored craft beer for beer cheese, but such beers—especially hop-forward IPAs—can make the spread unpleasantly bitter and overpower the cheddar flavor.

What is the best melting cheese for sauce? ›

Cheeses with more moisture and lower melting points make for mouthwatering, creamy cheese sauces. Cheddar is one of the most popular choices, but Swiss and Gruyère are also terrific options.

How to keep cheese dip from hardening? ›

For dips, you'll want to use a tablespoon of cornstarch per pound of cheese, then add at least five ounces of evaporated milk. After that, you can use more evaporated milk to thin out your dip as much as you need.

Why won't my cheese melt into my sauce? ›

Acid-curd cheeses aren't suitable for melting. They contain an acid that dissolves the calcium glue that keeps casein proteins together. As the milk heats, the acid curds become closer to one another, and the water content decreases. Without the calcium glue, the cheese will continue to solidify and will not melt.

Why is my cheese dip watery? ›

Dips can turn watery if food, such as chips or vegetables like carrots and celery, is being dipped directly into the container and then refrigerated and re-opened for later use.

How to make cheese dip less watery? ›

Making a slurry with cornstarch and cold milk is how you will thicken your queso. A traditional slurry is a 1:1 liquid to cornstarch ratio, but for our queso purposes I used 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of milk.

What kind of beer for beer cheese? ›

Fruity wheat beers pair especially well with cheese! Dark Beers: Stouts and porters also make a great beer cheese sauce, but are best paired with a sharp, funky cheese that can stand up to their strong, rich flavors. Super-hoppy IPAs: If you love this style of beer, go for it.

Does beer cheese still have alcohol? ›

Primarily crafted from milk, butter, and melted cheddar, plus a bit of beer, the dip might lead some to wonder if it includes enough alcohol to feel a booze-induced impact. Rest assured, while beer cheese does contain alcohol, it's typically not enough to give anyone a buzz.

Is there actual beer in beer cheese? ›

Beer cheese, regardless of whether it's melted and creamy or spreadable, is always made with beer.

What does beer cheese taste like? ›

It is full flavored, salty and tangy; you won't be missing out on flavor if you try this cheese. Beer Cheese is a semi-soft combination of Limburger Cheese and Brick Cheese. Not to be mistaken for the Beer Cheese dips that are popular in Kentucky, it has a very strong smell and taste.

Who makes beer cheese? ›

Kentucky Beer Cheese©

Kentucky Beer Cheese has been a family owned business for 35 years. We make in small batches to ensure the highest quality. Our focus in on the details – the taste, quality and consistency.

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