This beer cheese dip is creamy with three different kinds of cheese and a subtle amount of heat – ready in 20 minutes! The perfect partner to my homemade soft pretzels.
I couldn’t wait any longer to share my favorite beer cheese dip recipe, because I almost think it was cruel of me to share my homemade soft pretzel recipe without sharing this dip, too!
This probably goes without saying, I feel the need to start with a disclaimer: No matter how delicious this dip is, and no matter how hungry you are… do not eat the entire batch by yourself in one sitting. You will regret it.
With that said, it’s probably in your best interest to make this for a Super Bowl party, or just invite some neighbors over to help you eat it because otherwise it can be a dangerous, dangerous thing to have sitting around.
I’m not a fan of the super thick, ballgame nacho cheese dips, so this is a bit thinner consistency. Still perfectly scoopable and coats a pretzel or breadstick like nobody’s business.
Tips for making beer cheese dip
Pick a beer you really like. The flavor is going to come through quite a bit, so make sure that you’re using a beer that you truly enjoy. I’ve used lighter lagers as well as thicker porters, and they all end up delicious with their own unique flavor.
Shred your own cheese. You’ve heard me harp on this before in other recipes, but it’s so much better to use freshly shredded than pre-shredded bags of cheese. I know it takes more time, and I know your hand might get a little tired – but it melts much smoother, and you’re avoiding preservatives, which is always a win.
Heat it low and slow. Don’t crank up the heat to cook it faster, you’ll end up scorching what’s on the bottom of the pan and the flavor will suffer.
Stir frequently, but do so over low-medium heat until combined, smooth, and thick enough for your liking.
How do you thicken beer cheese dip?
The beauty of this recipe is that if you find that it’s not thick enough for your liking, it’s easy to fix – and the easiest thing to do is just add more cheese!
But you can also grab a small saucepan, add ½ 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).
How to reheat beer cheese dip
Super easy, thankfully! Just store your dip in the fridge in an airtight container, and then pour into a saucepan and heat, stirring occasionally, over low heat until heated through.
Bam, done!
After you’ve made this recipe, please consider coming back to share your experience with others by leaving a comment below with a star rating!
Beer Cheese Dip
Ingredients
- 12 ounces of your favorite beer
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 8 ounces white cheddar cheese, shredded
- 8 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika, or more, to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine cream cheese and beer and whisk over medium heat until melted and combined.
- Add cheddar cheese, Gruyere cheese, mustard, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, and white pepper. Whisk over low-medium heat until completely melted and smooth.
- Do a quick taste test, and add salt and pepper to suit your preferences. If you'd like more heat or spice, try adding more cayenne pepper or some chili powder!
- If it's not thick enough for your liking, let simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally.
- Transfer to serving dish and serve immediately with your favorite dippers - pretzels, chips, bread, etc. Enjoy!
Notes
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Reheat on the stove over low heat, stirring occasionally until heated through.
- This recipe produces about 4 cups of cheese dip, so if you'd like less just divide the recipe in half!
Let us know what you think!