Easy Beer Cheese

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.

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.

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

Podcast Episode: Making Beer Cheese Dip

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