Creamy, melty, warm, and cozy, my Guiness-spiked Beer Cheese Dip for Pretzels is an ideal appetizer for bonfires, tailgates, and all things fall. Best of all? This beer cheese fondue recipe comes together in one pan with just a few minutes of effort, meaning delicious Oktoberfest-inspired flavor is never far from reach.
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What Is Beer Cheese?
As the name implies, this delightfully warm and creamy dip is made with beer and cheese as its primary ingredients. If we’re getting technical, this cheesy fondue is essentially an American interpretation of French mornay, which is considered a “mother sauce.”
First, a roux is made by cooking butter and flour together. In traditional mornay, milk would be the only liquid added (which would turn the roux into a bechamel), but this Americanized version also adds plenty of beer.
Next, the beer-spiked bechamel gets a hearty addition of melty cheese (most often sharp cheddar) and plenty of flavorful spices to turn it into a stretchy, cheesy, creamy sauce that could easily be used to make mac & cheese.
Granted, while this beer cheese sauce can also be served chilled as more of a spreadable, cold-pack cheese in the style of pub cheese, I personally prefer it as a queso-adjacent warm dip, especially when served with my easy homemade soft pretzels.
About This Recipe
While just about any iteration of melted cheese mixed with beer and bechamel is bound to be pretty tasty, I’m particularly fond of this beer cheese recipe because it’s:
- Made With Just 12 Ingredients, many of which you probably have on hand already.
- Quick & Easy. All you need is one pot and about 15 minutes to whip up this delectable beer cheese pretzel dip.
- Crowd-Pleasing. I mean, honestly. Who can say no to a hot vat of melted cheesy goodness?
- Budget-Friendly. A small block of cheddar, less than a lunchbox carton of milk, and not quite a full beer are pretty much the only ingredients you’ll need to acquire for this delectable appetizer; everything else is a pantry staple!
Ingredients & Substitutions
As promised, this beer cheese dip requires just a few ingredients and a handful of pantry staples to whip up. Here’s what to grab:
- Unsalted Butter - While you technically *can* use salted butter and just omit the added salt, I suggest sticking to unsalted.
- All-Purpose Flour - You’re using this as your thickener, so feel free to swap in cake flour or superfine Wondra flour if you prefer.
- Whole Milk - Cheese dip is not the place to skimp on calories. Go big or go home!
- Stout Beer - Slightly bitter and almost coffee-flavored, bold stout beers are perfect for pairing with sharp cheeses like cheddar.
- Worcestershire Sauce - For a lovely hit of salty, umami punchiness. If you’re fresh out, try one of these 34 genius substitutes; you’re sure to have at least one on hand!
- Dijon Mustard - Even if you’re not a mustard lover, make sure to add a little bit to your homemade beer cheese or it’ll taste incomplete. Feel free to use yellow mustard or ground mustard powder if needed.
- Garlic Powder & Onion Powder - For lots of allium flavor.
- Chili Flakes & Paprika - For color, warmth, and a touch of heat.
- Kosher Salt - For seasoning.
- Cheddar Cheese - I’m a sucker for a sharp cheddar, but feel free to experiment with different flavors to find your happy place.
- Pretzel Bread Dough - Homemade soft pretzels and beer cheese? You little kitchen vixen! Obviously you can opt to use store-bought soft pretzels, tortilla chips, or crudites instead.
- Flakey Sea Salt & Chili Flakes - For giving those tender pretzel twists extra flavor.
Equipment
Making flavorful cheese sauce for pretzels is so much easier than you might think. Here’s every possible piece of kitchen equipment you’ll need:
- Scale or Measuring Cups & Spoons - To get all the ratios right.
- Box Grater - You’ll definitely want to grate your own cheese for the best consistency. You can also use a food processor with the shredder attachment if you like.
- Saucepan - Make sure it has at least 2 quarts capacity to prevent spillage.
- Whisk - A fork or spoon will also work, but a whisk incorporates all the goodness with ease.
- Small Crockpot or Fondue Set - This is optional, but it’s a great way to keep the beer cheese fondue nice and warm for when your guests arrive.
How To Make Beer Cheese and Pretzels
Once you see how easy it is to make this flavorful cheese dip for soft pretzels, you might just be inclined to try your hand at making the pretzels, too! I’ve included instructions for both below, just in case 😉
Make Beer Cheese Dip
Step 1: Make Roux. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk together until a thick paste forms, about 1 minute.
Step 2: Add Milk. In a slow and steady stream, whisk in the milk. After it’s all added, continue whisking until it slightly thickens, about 1 minute.
Step 3: Finish. One at a time, whisk in the remaining ingredients until smooth. Then serve with pretzels!
Make Twisted Pretzels
Step 1: Make Pretzel Bread Dough & prep your baking pan (preferably a cast-iron skillet greased with butter).
Step 2: Shape. Divide the dough into eight pieces of similar sizes. Roll each piece of dough into a long rope that is approximately 1 ½ feet in length. Fold the rope in half and twist the rope together until they’ve spiraled together as pictured below. Do one final twist in order to achieve the final twisted pretzel shape!
Step 3: Boil. Add the baking soda to boiling water – it will bubble and foam so make sure you’re prepared! Add the pretzels one by one into the boiling water for 45-60 seconds, then remove with a slotted spoon. Place them on your prepared baking sheet.
Step 4: Brush each pretzel with egg wash and sprinkle with flaky sea salt and chili flakes, or the seasoning of your choice.
Step 5: Bake pretzels for 16-18 minutes, turning once halfway through the bake before enjoying!
Optional Variations
While Calvin and I are in agreement that this is the best beer cheese recipe we’ve ever tried, that doesn’t mean customization is out of the question! Here are a few variations to consider:
- Gluten-Free Beer Cheese - Use your favorite cup-for-cup gluten-free flour mix and swap in a gluten-free stout beer (e.g. Glutenberg brand).
- Vegan Beer Cheese - Swap in unsweetened dairy-free milk (preferably on the creamy side, like oat milk), plant-based butter, and your favorite vegan cheddar cheese (e.g. Violife).
- Different Cheeses - Sharp cheddar is my favorite for beer cheese, but feel free to experiment with other varieties like gouda, fontina, havarti, gruyere, or mozzarella. You can also mix and match!
- Different Beer - Lagers, ales, and IPAs all bring their own unique flavor to this cheese party, so play around until you find your favorite.
Expert Tips
- Grate your own cheese
- Make it ahead of time
- Serve warm
Frequently Asked Questions
Sharp cheddar was one of my first loves, so it’s always my top choice for this beer cheese pretzel dip. That said, feel free to mix and match your favorite melty cheeses at will. Swiss or gruyere, smoked or regular gouda, mild havarti or mozzarella, nutty parmesan or asiago… the options here are endless.
If you’re using a strongly flavored cheese (e.g. sharp cheddar or gruyere), I suggest reaching for a beer that will hold it’s own (e.g. stout or IPA). For milder cheeses (e.g. havarti or mozzarella), use lighter beers like lagers. My only recommendation is to stay away from fruity beers like lambics and shandys; the rest should all work.
Since we’re using less than a cup of beer in the entire batch, there isn’t going to be a ton of alcohol in it and I personally would feel fine about serving it to kids. That said, the flavors of beer cheese might be too much for a tiny human’s palate to handle! As a result, I’d place this in the category of “leave it up to the parents.”
More Recipes For Cheese Lovers
- Sourdough Discard Crackers - these would be great to serve with your beer cheese!
- Whipped Goat Cheese with Fresh Herbs
- Pancetta, Gruyere & Walnut Tart
As always, I love seeing your creations and hearing from you! If you try this easy recipe for Cheddar Stout Beer Cheese, please share your creation with me on social media! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Youtube and Pinterest - for more delicious recipes sent straight to your inbox, sign up for my newsletter!
Beer Cheese Dip For Pretzels
Equipment
- Box Grater
- Small Crockpot or Fondue Set
Ingredients
Twisted pretzels
- 5 cups Boiling Water
- 2 ¼ teaspoon Instant Dry Yeast
- 1 tablespoon Granulated Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 4 ¼ cups All-Purpose Flour, plus more for countertop
- 1 ½ cups Warm Water, 110°F
- ½ cup Baking Soda
- 1 Egg, (beaten)
- Flakey Sea Salt & Chili Flakes
Spicy Beer Cheese with Stout
- 2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- 3 ½ Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
- ¾ cup Whole Milk
- ⅔ cup Stout Beer
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
- ½ teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 teaspoon Chili Flakes
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Paprika
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 2 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Instructions
Twisted pretzels
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and prepare your baking sheets by lining with parchment paper.
- Bring the 5 cups of water to a boil on medium high heat within a large pot.5 cups Boiling Water
- Add dry ingredients into a bow/mixing bowll and whisk to combine.2 ¼ teaspoon Instant Dry Yeast, 1 tablespoon Granulated Sugar, 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt, 4 ¼ cups All-Purpose Flour
- Add water into the bowl and mix by hand or with the dough attachment. Continue mixing until the dough is smooth and fully mixed.1 ½ cups Warm Water
- Cover and allow the dough to rest for 15 minutes before continuing.
- Divide the dough into eight pieces of similar sizes.
- Roll each piece of dough into a long rope that is approximately 1 ½ feet in length.
- Fold the rope in half and twist the rope together until they’ve spiraled together as pictured below. Do one final twist in order to achieve the final twisted pretzel shape!
- Add the baking soda to boiling water – it will bubble and foam so make sure you’re prepared!½ cup Baking Soda
- Add the pretzels one by one into the boiling water for 45-60 seconds, then remove with a slotted spoon. Place them on your prepared baking sheet.
- Brush each pretzel with egg wash and sprinkle with flaky sea salt and chili flakes,1 Egg, Flakey Sea Salt & Chili Flakes
- Bake pretzels for 16-18 minutes minutes, turning once halfway through the bake before enjoying!
Spicy Beer Cheese with Stout
- Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk together until a thick paste forms, about 1 minute.2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, 3 ½ Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
- In a slow and steady stream, whisk in the milk. After it’s all added, continue whisking until it slightly thickens, about 1 minute.¾ cup Whole Milk
- One at a time, whisk in the remaining ingredients until smooth. Then serve with pretzels!⅔ cup Stout Beer, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce, ½ teaspoon Dijon Mustard, ½ teaspoon Onion Powder, 1 teaspoon Chili Flakes, ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder, ¼ teaspoon Paprika, ¼ teaspoon Salt, 2 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Notes
Optional Variations
- Gluten-Free Beer Cheese - Use your favorite cup-for-cup gluten-free flour mix and swap in a gluten-free stout beer (e.g. Glutenberg brand).
- Vegan Beer Cheese - Swap in unsweetened dairy-free milk (preferably on the creamy side, like oat milk), plant-based butter, and your favorite vegan cheddar cheese (e.g. Violife).
- Different Cheeses - Sharp cheddar is my favorite for beer cheese, but feel free to experiment with other varieties like gouda, fontina, havarti, gruyere, or mozzarella. You can also mix and match!
- Different Beer - Lagers, ales, and IPAs all bring their own unique flavor to this cheese party, so play around until you find your favorite.
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