Pretzel Cheese Dip (with Beer)

Easy beer cheese dip, the same style that is typically known as a cheese fondue staple, is just as easy to make at the home via stovetop. Slather beer cheese on burgers, dip in crunchy tortillas (or pizza rolls) or simply serve with a batch of soft pretzels.

Easily alterable with your favorite beer and cheese types, this incredibly warm, gooey, and cheesy dip is the ultimate party appetizer experience. 

Why you will love making Pretzel Cheese Dip!

Quick: Done in just about 15 minutes, this cheesy dip is a no-brainer when it comes to needing a quick appetizer on the fly. While I don’t recommend it for traveling, if everyone stops at your house it can be whipped up, shared, and enjoyed in minutes. 

Variations: Cheese dip usually speaks for itself, but there are relatively easy ways to spice up the cheese with seasoning variations. Make sure to check out our suggestions and notes below. 

Thick: This cheese is thick! It goes perfectly and sticks to pretzels, apples, carrots, broccoli – pretty much anything you can dip. This dip is not a thin cheese dip like you typically see spread over nachos.

Ingredients

To spice up the dish, you may want to include a few shakes of hot pepper flakes or a pinch of cajun seasoning. Or, if you prefer, you can simply leave out the spices and enjoy the simple flavors of the beer cheese dip as written!

• All-purpose flour – Just like in homemade mac and cheese recipes, all-purpose flour is a required ingredient for a thicker sauce. 
• Favorite beer – See our recommendations below on using lighter beers versus darker beers. Overall, the ultimate choice you make is fine no matter what. I prefer a light beer. 
• Cream cheese – Cream cheese is a secret weapon for a lot of dip recipes and results in a super creamy sauce. 

• Cheese: I recommend a mixture of Monterey jack cheese and sharp cheddar cheese, however, you can use almost any pre-shredded cheese to make this sauce.
• Seasonings: Simple seasonings like paprika, salt,  and cayenne pepper are all you need. 
• soft pretzel pieces for serving

How to Make Beer Cheese Dip for Pretzels

1. Add butter to a skillet with flour and heat over medium heat, constantly whisking until smooth and hot.
2. Slowly whisk in beer and heat over medium, bring to a simmer, so it’s bubbling and boiling.
3. Boil for 1 minute and reduce heat to low.
4. Add cheese, milk, mustard, and spices and continue to stir constantly until cheese is melted. 
5. Serve immediately with warm, soft pretzels. 

Best Beer for Cheese Dip.

What kind of beer does your favorite drinker prefer? That is the flavor beer you should use. Truly, you can use whatever kind of beer you want to make the sauce.

I prefer using a lighter style beer type of beer because it adds more flavor to the sauce. Stout, malt, or non-alcoholic beer will have a dark, bitter taste. Alcoholic beers like ale, lager, pilsner, etc., will give off a light taste.

Cheeses for a Pretzel Dip.

Cheese pairs well with almost any kind of beer, but if you want something more complex than just plain old American cheese try using some Gruyere or Swiss cheese instead.

Shredding your own cheese makes it easier to mix into the sauce, of course, and results in the smoothest cheese mixture. You can buy a block of cheese but just grate it down for quick and even melting. 

You will want to skip cheeses like feta cheese or blue cheese for this dip.

Can beer cheese sauce be made in advance? 

Yes, pretzel cheese dip can!

You can do this ahead of time, but if you’re making it ahead of time, it might get grainy or separated. Make sure you heat the cheese sauce up gently and stir it frequently.

What to serve with Beer Cheese/Fondu Cheese.

Serve this fondu-style cheese with your favorite dippable snack foods. Overall, the beer cheese combo works well for anything that is typically served with hot cheese dip. 

• Pretzels go well with dark ales such as Guinness, but light lagers work better with vegetables.
• Carrots pair well with pilsner and pale ale, while broccoli pairs well with wheat beer.
• Zucchini works well with most cheese flavors. 
• Mini Pigs in a blanket go great with cheese dip and chili cheese dip both!

Related Cheese Dip Recipes

• A feta cheese dip recipe with tomatoes is so rich and a great appetizer to serve to a crowd.
• Homemade Chili cheese dip is so filling that it’s not only a side dish or appetizer but can be served for dinner too!
• An incredible super cheesy jalapeno popper dip hits the spot when you want a jalapeno side dish recipe!
• Say yes to this chihuahua cheese dip recipe and serve with a huge bowl of homemade air fried tortilla chips.