This easy cheddar beer cheese dip, made in just 20 minutes, pairs perfectly with warm, soft pretzels. Grating cheddar cheese straight from the block is the secret that makes this beer cheese dip super melty and dangerously addictive. Sure to be a crowd pleaser at your next tailgate, game day, Superbowl party, or movie night, this beer cheese dip tastes great with any number of your favorite, dippable snacks.
Best Beers for This Cheese Dip Recipe
Here are some of the best options for the cheddar beer cheese dip:
- German beer – Try a mild Pilsner
- Lager beer – Pretty standard
- IPA beer – Using IPA beer for beer cheese will add a strong beer flavor, so you should also add 2 tbsp of sugar to offset the bitter hoppy flavor.
Ingredients for Beer Cheese Dip
You will need to decide what type of beer you’re using for your cheese dip first — either IPA, lager or a German beer.
Then, of course, you need plenty of freshly grated cheddar cheese! In addition to the beer and cheese, you’ll need butter, flour, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and parsley to finish off your delicious cheddar beer cheese dip.
Finally, all you need to prep your pretzels is a batch of store-bought or homemade soft pretzels with butter and salt.
How to Make Cheddar Beer Cheese Dip
It’s ridiculously easy to make cheddar beer cheese dip from scratch!
Step 1. First, grate a fresh block of cheddar cheese. If you prefer a short cut, you can thinly slice the cheddar cheese instead.
Step 2. Next, set a large pot on a burner at medium heat, and add in the butter and flour. Stir the mixture for about 30 seconds to form a roux.
NOTE: A roux is a thick paste-like mixture of butter and flour. It’s “done” when the mixture is lightly browned and it sticks to the back of the spoon.
Step 3. Once the roux is ready, add in garlic powder, fresh parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir the seasonings for about 2 minutes.
Step 4. Slowly pour the beer into the roux mixture and whisk until it thickens. After about 5 minutes of whisking, add in the grated cheddar cheese.
Step 5. Continue to whisk the mixture until the cheese melts completely, then remove the cheddar beer cheese dip from heat — if you do not remove from heat, the dip will continue to thicken.
FAQs
What is the best type of cheddar to use for this dip?
This recipe used a yellow sharp cheddar cheese from Tillamook. Grating fresh cheddar cheese is preferred for this recipe because it melts better, but in a rush, using pre shredded cheeses will work. You can also use a white cheddar for beer cheese with a more mild flavor.
What extra seasonings can I use?
Add more flavor to cheddar beer cheese with a little dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, Cajun spice blends, or diced jalapeños. I always keep frozen jalapeños in the freezer to use on the fly in recipes like this.
What if the beer cheese dip is too thin?
If the cheddar beer cheese is too thin, you can thicken the beer cheese with an extra tablespoon of flour or cornstarch. Add flour or cornstarch to a separate bowl and mix with 1/4 cup of the thin beer cheese sauce. Slowly add the new thick sauce back in to the beer cheese recipe. The beer cheese will also thicken as it sits.
Check out these other crowd pleasing party foods.
Soft Pretzels and Cheddar Beer Cheese Dip – A Perfect Duo
Bacon, jalapeños, and fresh herbs, like the parsley used in this recipe, are great choices for toppings when serving beer cheese for a party.
How to heat soft pretzels for beer cheese
Soft pretzels can be found in the frozen section of most grocery stores. In my local store, I found fresh baked soft pretzels. To reheat soft pretzels, coat them with butter and salt and bake in the oven for about 10 minutes at 400 degrees.
Looking for another crowd pleasing appetizer? Check out this Mexican salad. It’s a great make-ahead salad you can also use as a dip.
Another perfect pairing for this dip can be made in the air fryer. When you’re craving wings, but want to keep it healthy…. That’s when you need to try using your air fryer. My methods produce the most crispy air fryer wings ever, and there’s no oil in the recipe! I love this recipe because it is so easy to scale— If I’m making a meal for two adults and a toddler, it’ll be one pound, but if I plan to serve these as a party appetizer I’ll do two.
Tasty Tips
- Perfect Pairings: This recipe can be used to dip more than just soft pretzels. Make beer cheese sauce for brats, hard pretzels, tortilla chips, loaded fries, potatoes, and for dipping thick crusty bread.
- Soft Pretzels: Find soft pretzels in the bakery section or frozen food section of the grocery store. You can also make your own pretzels, fast, with this mix. Mix it up and try using soft pretzel bites.
- All the Cheese: Shred your own cheese from a block, instead of using pre shredded cheeses, because it will melt better and create a super smooth texture.
- Make Ahead: This easy cheddar beer cheese dip can be made a day ahead and keeps in the fridge for a couple of days. But, if you’re anything like me, hubs and our friends, this delicious beer cheese dip won’t last longer than a football game at your house.
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Looking for new ways to enjoy your favorite food with sous vide cooking? Get inspired with my new book – The Home Chef’s Sous Vide Cookbook.
More recipes with cheese you might like…
- How to make pizza at home with store bought dough
- 50+ gourmet grilled cheese ideas
- Sous vide chicken wings with bleu cheese dressing
- Make ahead Mexican salad
Cheddar Beer Cheese Dip Recipe (Sip Bite Go)
Ingredients
Cheese dip
- 2 tbsp butter unsalted
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp parsley fresh
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 cup beer IPA, lager, or German
- 1 cup cheddar cheese grated
Pretzels
- soft pretzels
- butter melted
- salt
Instructions
- Put a large pot on a burner set to medium heat, and add butter and flour. Stir for 30 seconds to form a roux. For newbies to cooking: a roux is a thick paste-like mixture of butter and flour. It's "done" when the mixture is lightly browned and it sticks to the back of the spoon. Once the roux is ready, add in garlic powder, fresh parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir seasonings for two minutes.
- Slowly pour the beer into the roux mixture. Whisk until it thickens, about five minutes, then add grated cheese. Whisk until cheese melts completely. Remove from heat or it will continue to thicken.
- To heat soft pretzels, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat soft pretzels with melted butter and salt. Bake for ~10 minutes.
Video
Notes
- This recipe can be used to dip more than just soft pretzels. Make beer cheese sauce for brats, hard pretzels, loaded fries, potatoes, and for dipping thick crusty bread.
- Find soft pretzels in the bakery section or frozen food section of the grocery store.
- Grate cheddar cheese from a block, instead of using shredded cheese, because it will melt better and create a super smooth texture.
- Make your own pretzels, fast, with this mix.
- This easy cheddar beer cheese dip can be made a day ahead and keeps in the fridge for a couple of days. But, if you’re anything like me, hubs and our friends, this delicious beer cheese dip won’t last longer than a football game at your house.
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