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Easy Beer Cheese

January 17, 2024

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This Hot Beer Cheese Dip is quick and easy to make. It’s perfect for game day or anytime you need a cheesy snack.

This Beer Cheese Dip is ooey and gooey, of course. But more importantly, it’s really quick to make and it uses ingredients that I always have at home.

Here’s the complete list of ingredients: butter, flour, mustard, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, salt, milk, beer, and cheese. I have them, do you? Time to make dip. When you’re done it will look like this photo.

Jump To:
  1. Video: Making Delicious Beer Cheese Dip
  2. How To Make Beer Cheese Dip
  3. What Kind Of Beer To Use
  4. Champagne and Swiss Dip Variation
  5. Alcohol-Free Variation
  6. What To Serve With Beer Cheese
  7. Can Beer Cheese Be Reheated?
  8. More Dip Recipes
  9. Podcast Episode: Making Beer Cheese Dip
  10. Beer Cheese Recipe
Bread being dipped into beer cheese dip.

Video: Making Delicious Beer Cheese Dip

How To Make Beer Cheese Dip

Before you can devour it, you have to make it. But it’ll be quick, I promise.

Melt butter in a saucepan and then whisk in some flour to make a roux. Then you add milk a splash at a time. Pour in the beer and add the Dijon, cayenne, garlic powder, and salt. Stir the mixture over the heat until it’s thick and bubbling. Melt in the Cheddar cheese and it’s ready to enjoy.

You can use other cheeses in addition to or instead of the Cheddar, just be sure that they are good melting cheeses and work well with your beer. So think of Swiss, mozzarella, gruyere, and gouda.

Easy Beer Cheese Dip

What Kind Of Beer To Use

The type of beer is up to you! The beer flavor will come through, so use one you like. A dark beer will have a more robust taste, a lighter beer will result in a more mellow dip. 

Ale or lager, dark or light, use the best beer for you. Not sure if it’s a good match? Take a bite of your cheese and a sip of the beer before you get started. Do they compliment each other or clash and overpower the other? You will likely want to avoid with strong additional flavors, so maybe avoid peanut butter stout or fruity sours. 

You can even adjust the recipe to not use beer at all as I explain below.

Champagne and Swiss Dip Variation

On my podcast, Recipe of the Day, when I talked about this dip (the episode is below for you to listen to), I talked about how you can make it perfect for New Years Eve or a special occasion if you do a couple of ingredient swaps. To make this into a fancy fondue-inspired Champagne and Swiss Dip, you’d use an inexpensive dry (brut) sparkling wine, like a prosecco, instead of the beer.

Then, instead of the Cheddar cheese, you’d use Swiss. The only other thing that you need to change is to omit the cayenne pepper. I don’t think that heat goes as well with the Champagne and Swiss flavors as it does with the beer and Cheddar.

If you wanted to add something else for flavor though, the best thing would be a touch of kirsch. Kirsch is a cherry flavored liqueur that is traditionally found in cheese fondue. You would just add in a splash at the very end and then taste. It has a fairly powerful flavor so you don’t need very much.

Alcohol-Free Variation

To make this dip without alcohol, simply use vegetable stock instead of the beer. You could also mix a few tablespoons of apple juice into the stock, that would be lovely as well. Just not very much since you don’t want to add too much sweetness. The idea is to just give it that little tiny bit of acidity and sweetness that would come from the beer.

What To Serve With Beer Cheese

I like to serve it with slices of baguette but you can also use crackers or those long thin crispy breadsticks. Of course, soft pretzels are also a classic companion of beer cheese.

It’s also a great way to get everyone to eat some extra veggies, especially broccoli and cauliflower since they go so well with Cheddar cheese.

So skip the bread and crackers and put some broccoli and cauliflower on the tray. You won’t believe how quickly it disappears.

Can Beer Cheese Be Reheated?

On the rare occasion you have any leftover, yes, this beer cheese can be reheated. You can reheat it in the microwave for just 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each round. Or gently warm it over low heat on the stove top.

More Dip Recipes

If you love this easy dip, you might enjoy some of these other crowd favorite dips.

Podcast Episode: Making Beer Cheese Dip

Listen to me explain briefly about how to make this dip, with some great tips along the way, by clicking the play button below:

Listen to more Recipe of the Day episodes here.

Print

Beer Cheese Recipe

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5 from 3 reviews
  • Author: Christine Pittman
  • Prep Time: 0 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
  • Category: Appetizer
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American
Print Recipe

DESCRIPTION

This has become a go-to comfort food in our house because we always seem to have the ingredients. Eat it with slices of baguette, crackers, or broccoli and cauliflower florets. Once the dip is made you can reheat it in the microwave 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each round. Or warm it over low heat on the stove top. Yield 2 and ¾ cups.*

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup milk, divided
  • 1/2 cup beer (a lager or an ale – your preference)
  • 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper (plus more for garnish)
  • 3 cups shredded extra sharp Cheddar cheese

Instructions

  1. In a medium sauce pan over medium heat melt the better. Whisk in the flour.
  2. Take the pan off of the heat and whisk in 2 tablespoons of the milk until smooth. Then whisk in 2 more tablespoons. Add 1/4 cup of the milk and whisk that until smooth followed by the final 1/4 cup of milk.
  3. Stir in the beer, Dijon, garlic powder, salt, and cayenne. Return the pan to medium heat and stir until thick and bubbling, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.
  4. Add the cheese one big handful at a time, whisking after each addition to melt it in. Taste and add more garlic, salt, and cayenne if desired. Garnish with a pinch more of cayenne.

Love this recipe? I’d appreciate it if you could scroll down and add a *5 star rating* to help others know they’ll love it as well!

Notes

*I originally posted this recipe in 2015. That version was tasty but over the years I’ve tweaked it. The tweaked version is what is now written above. But in case you came here back in 2015 or 2016 and made this and loved it and want it exactly as it was then, I thought I should tell you what changes I have since made. The original recipe did not have any garlic powder in it, and it had only a pinch of cayenne. I think it is much better with the garlic and cayenne but if you like things a bit blander, go ahead and omit them.

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This post originally appeared in January 2015. It was revised and republished in September 2022.

Easy Beer Cheese

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About Christine

Hi! I’m a passionate home cook and recipe developer with over 25 years of experience in the food industry. My mission is to help you make delicious food for your family while making cooking easy and fun. My recipes have been featured in a lot of major publications and over 2 million monthly readers trust me for tasty recipes that work. Sign up for my free mini-cooking-courses, or follow along with me on Instagram, or by listening to my daily recipe podcast. I can’t wait to connect with you and hear what you’re cooking!

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116 Responses to Easy Beer Cheese

    • Christine Pittman says

      Sure, Gale! Reheat it in the microwave in 30 second bursts until it’s warmed through (stir in between). Or use a slow cooker on low, then it stays warm during the party!

      Reply

  3. Sarah L says

    The only ingredient I don’t have is the beer. Can you buy just one can at a time? (you can tell I’m not a beer drinker) It looks delicious.

    Reply

    • Christine Pittman says

      Some grocery and liquor stores do let you buy single bottles! Usually if they have a ‘make your own 6-pack’ option, you can also find single bottles. Enjoy, Sarah!

      Reply

    • Christine Pittman says

      Yes, Crystal. You can reheat it in the microwave 30 seconds at a time, stirring each time. Or warm it in a slow cooker.

      Reply

  17. Debbie Yoder says

    Im going to make this soon! Sounds wonderful, Im always looking for a nice before dinner treat,Im going to use baguette bread!

    Reply

    • Christine Pittman says

      Yummy! It can be pretty filling, Debbie, so don’t let it become your whole dinner! (But we won’t tell if it does.)

      Reply

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