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.
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.
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 flour – Measured 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.
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
By: Tessa Arias
4.88 from 8 votes
Yield: 2 cups
Prep Time: 5 minutes mins
Cook Time: 5 minutes mins
Total Time: 10 minutes mins
Review Print
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
