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

By: Tessa Arias

4.89 from 9 votes

Yield: 2 cups

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Cook Time: 5 minutes mins

Total Time: 10 minutes mins

Review Print

Save

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

15 Comments

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Beer Cheese Dip Recipe | Beer Cheese Sauce (6)

Anne

The texture is great, but I found it tasted too strongly of the beer I used, a witbier. Had to adjust with more seasonings and cheese to lessen the dank flavor. Next time cut amount of beer in half.

Reply

Beer Cheese Dip Recipe | Beer Cheese Sauce (7)

Cheryl

2 months ago

I made this recipe with 1/2 cup white vermont cheddar and 1 1/2 cups smoked gouda – delicious!

Reply

Beer Cheese Dip Recipe | Beer Cheese Sauce (8)

Ashley

3 months ago

The only thing I would change is the Swiss cheese. It didn’t melt very well and was a bit lumpy. Maybe Havarti or Gouda would be better. My guest loved it. It’s not a large amount, so if you’re hosting more than 5-6 people, you should double it.

Reply

Beer Cheese Dip Recipe | Beer Cheese Sauce (9)

Maddie

9 months ago

It is so rare that even when I follow a recipe to the T, the finished product looks EXACTLY like the recipe pictures. But this does, and it tastes awesome. My husband: “These are SO good!” Paired with a spicy beer cheese, of course!

Reply

Beer Cheese Dip Recipe | Beer Cheese Sauce (10)

Karey

10 months ago

ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!!! I’ve tried so many beer cheese recipes and this is by far the BEST one!

Reply

Beer Cheese Dip Recipe | Beer Cheese Sauce (11)

Emily @ Handle the Heat

Admin

Reply toKarey

10 months ago

So happy you loved it, Karey!

Reply

Beer Cheese Dip Recipe | Beer Cheese Sauce (12)

Ali

1 year ago

Can’t wait to try this! After it is made, could you put it in a crockpot to keep warm?

Thank you!

Reply

Beer Cheese Dip Recipe | Beer Cheese Sauce (13)

Kiersten @ Handle the Heat

Admin

Reply toAli

1 year ago

Hi Ali! We haven’t tried that, so I can’t say for sure! If it gets too hot, the beer cheese dip might separate slightly, so just keep an eye out for that and give it a good whisk to bring it back together if this occurs. Let us know what you think once you’ve tried this delicious dip!

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Beer Cheese Dip Recipe | Beer Cheese Sauce (14)

Taylor

1 year ago

Excellent dip!! I did use a citrus beer and next time I’ll try a beer without citrus as it does give off the citrus flavor. My one question is can I freeze this dip?

Reply

Beer Cheese Dip Recipe | Beer Cheese Sauce (15)

Kiersten @ Handle the Heat

Admin

Reply toTaylor

1 year ago

Hi Taylor! We are so happy to hear that you enjoyed this beer cheese! We haven’t tried freezing this dip, but I don’t think it would freeze well as dairy often separates when thawed. It will keep for up to a week in the fridge, though. Of course, feel free to give freezing it a try and let us know how it goes!

Reply

Beer Cheese Dip Recipe | Beer Cheese Sauce (16)

Tricia

1 year ago

1000% deliciious! I’ve used all types of cheeses and beers (whichever can my husband does not like) and it turns out amazing! Not grainy, smooth, and fantastic with these pretzels. Making them now by request of my guests tonight. Thank you, Tessa!!

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Beer Cheese Dip Recipe | Beer Cheese Sauce (17)

Herb Llewellyn

1 year ago

They came out great! First time using a lye bath and the results are as advertised. Dark chewy pretzels. It seemed to me that recipe needed more water so I added until dough was stiff.

Reply

Beer Cheese Dip Recipe | Beer Cheese Sauce (18)

Kiersten @ Handle the Heat

Admin

Reply toHerb Llewellyn

1 year ago

Glad the pretzels were as good as you hoped, Herb!

Reply

Beer Cheese Dip Recipe | Beer Cheese Sauce (19)

Emily

2 years ago

This is the best cheese dip I’ve EVER had. It’s super creamy and chock full of flavor. I love the addition of smoked gouda too, so delicious! My husband and I literally stood right over the stovetop and dipped our freshly baked pretzels into the cheese straight from the pan, it was just too good to spend any extra time putting it into a regular bowl and sitting down haha! I used Weihenstephaner, and it was the perfect lighter beer. I tried using Guinness in a previous batch and didn’t prefer how strong the beer flavor was, but other readers might like that! 🙂

Reply

Beer Cheese Dip Recipe | Beer Cheese Sauce (20)

Emily @ Handle the Heat

Admin

Reply toEmily

2 years ago

So happy you loved this recipe, it’s a favorite of mine too!

Reply

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's the best beer for beer cheese dip? ›

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 thicken beer cheese sauce? ›

Flour or cornstarch can both thicken a liquid. In a small separate bowl, mix a tablespoon of either flour or cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cheese sauce until the mixture is smooth. Add the mixture back to the milky cheese sauce, and stir until combined and desired thickness is achieved.

What do you serve with beer cheese dip? ›

This warm cheddar beer dip is fantastic paired with soft or hard pretzels. It also goes great with vegetables like celery, cauliflower or broccoli florets as well as toasted baguette slices or crackers. If possible, use a brick of cheddar cheese and grate the cheese yourself.

What beer should I put in beer cheese? ›

It's as simple as this: Beer and cheese are the two main ingredients of this crowd-pleasing dip. Start by making a roux with melted butter and flour, then whisk in beer (preferably a lager or IPA, but any variety will work) and milk.

What does cheese sauce contain? ›

A cheese sauce is a sauce that's typically made with one or more cheeses, butter, flour, and milk, as well as other ingredients such as herbs and spices as desired for flavor.

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.

What is another name for beer cheese? ›

Weisslacker
Other namesBeer cheese, Beer kaese, Bierkäse, Bierkaese,
Country of originGermany
Source of milkCow
PasteurisedYes
3 more rows

How do you keep beer cheese from separating? ›

Coating the cheese with cornstarch keeps the fat from separating, the proteins from clumping and the water in both cheese and beer from thinning the sauce.

How do you keep cheese sauce creamy? ›

Remove the saucepan from heat and slowly incorporate the cheese, whisking constantly. According to AlSawwaf, adding the cheese over heat can cause the fats and milk solids to separate, resulting in a lumpy sauce with a curdled texture — so always take the pan off the burner first.

Why is my cheese not melting in sauce? ›

Why won't my cheese melt? There are many reasons, but the biggest is the moisture content. The moisture content of the cheese has a great effect on the melting process. Cheese that contains higher amounts of fat will melt better than one that doesn't.

Why is my cheese dip watery? ›

Once a cheese container is opened, the product is exposed to its surroundings where various enzymes can break down the thickness or viscosity of the cheese-based sauce. Use of utensils that have come into contact with saliva (double dipping) or any other food may accelerate the loss of viscosity of the cheese sauce.

What does beer cheese sauce taste like? ›

It's made with just 5 ingredients, and it only takes about 10 minutes to whip up. Beer cheese dip tastes sharp and cheesy, yet creamy at the same time. There's a noticeable beer flavor. Depending upon the kind of beer you use, it might taste a little bitter and hoppy, or it might be more roasty, sweet, and malty.

Why do people put beer in cheese? ›

The addition of beer to a cheese dip can add flavor and depth, as well as help to thin out the cheese and make it easier to dip. When choosing a beer to use in your cheese dip, you can experiment with different varieties to find one that complements the flavors of the cheese and other ingredients in the dip.

What is the history of beer cheese dip? ›

It is indigenous to the Central Kentucky area called Boonesborough. Made by the head Chef of Turf Catering, Joe Allman, in the late 1930s for his cousin Johnny Allman to give to his patrons at his restaurant on the Kentucky River.

Is beer cheese sauce alcoholic? ›

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 any alcohol in beer cheese? ›

Is there any alcohol in Hall's Beer Cheese? Yes. There is less alcohol content in beer cheese than there is in a non-alcohol beer.

Why do they call it beer cheese? ›

Beer cheese isn't a type of cheese, but rather is made from various cheeses. It's thought to have originated in Kentucky in the 1930s as a salty snack to serve at bars. The Kentucky version is traditionally made with German lagers, but today it is often made with IPAs, stouts, and other craft brews.

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