Beer Cheese Dip Recipe ~ hot and ready in just 10 minutes! Creamy 3-cheese (sharp, gouda, cream cheese) pub style dip served up with soft warm salty pretzels, tortilla chips or vegetables.
You don’t have to be a beer lover (I’m not) to know that when three kinds of cheese and some beer come together good great things happen.
Beer Cheese Dip recipe is not only one of my favorite pub appetizers but because it’s so simple and quick to make, it makes an appearance routinely at home, too.
This Beer Cheese Dip recipe is a take on a basic Cheese Dip meaning equal parts butter and flour, milk, spices and plenty of cheese ramped up with the addition of beer.
I’ve made this recipe many times over until I reached my version of Beer Cheese Dip perfection. It reminds of the ones I’ve ordered in restaurants and bars – silky, creamy and loaded with cheesy goodness.
what kind of beer is best for beer cheese dip?
Easy! Whatever beer you like best and have in your fridge. Or in my case – the kind my husband likes and has in the fridge.
Bottom line, dark beer will result in a stronger, slightly bitter beer taste and darker color dip. Lighter beer (used for the photos) will have a lighter beer taste. It’s personal preference – either works well.
what kind of cheese is best?
I like a combination of cheeses – three to be exact. It is cheese dip after all! Sharp cheddar, Smoked Gouda and for added creaminess, cream cheese.
If you’ve been following for a while, you know when it comes to cheese sauces (or dips) I highly recommend grating your own cheese. Why? Because pre-grated cheese you buy already bagged in the grocery store has additives so that it doesn’t clump in the bag. These additives may result in a less than super creamy, silky cheese sauce. Enough said.
what’s in this Beer Cheese Dip recipe?
- butter
- flour
- garlic powder
- ground cayenne pepper
- beer
- milk (2% or above)
- worcestershire sauce
- sharp cheddar cheese grated
- smoked gouda cheese grated
- cream cheese
- salt
how to make beer cheese dip:
This recipe comes together really quickly so it’s helpful to have all your ingredients gathered and the cheese grated before you start.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium to medium-low heat then sprinkle in the flour, garlic powder and ground cayenne pepper. Whisk together and cook 1 minute.
Pour in the beer, whisking to combine then add the milk and Worcestershire sauce. Continue whisking until it’s smooth.
Turn off the heat then add the grated cheeses and stir until they’re combined. Fold in the softened cream cheese, stir and season with salt to taste. I start with a pinch and go from there.
what to serve with this dip:
These easy-to-make soft pretzels are my #1 choice with this dip. They start with a can of refrigerated biscuit dough and are finished with either coarse salt or Everything Bagel Seasoning. You can also serve the dip with crispy pretzel sticks, tortilla chips, assorted vegetables or even sliced apples or pears.
can i make beer cheese dip ahead of time?
Yes – you can definitely make this dip ahead of time. Once it’s finished cooking, cool it completely then store it in the refrigerator in an air tight container. Reheat the dip in a saucepan on the stove over low heat, stirring well and adding a splash of milk as needed.
can I add meat to this dip?
Absolutely! Crispy cooked bacon or (cooked) crumbled sausage in this dip would be delicious.
Enjoy!
If you tried this Beer Cheese Dip recipe or any other on the blog then I hope you’ll leave a comment a bunch of stars!
Do we share a love of easy, taste recipes? LIKE ME on FACEBOOK, FOLLOW along on TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST and SUBSCRIBE ⇓ for all the latest.
Spicy Beer Cheese Dip
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- small pinch ground cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup beer
- 1 cup milk 2% or above
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese grated and packed in measuring cup
- 1 cup smoked gouda cheese grated and packed in measuring cup
- 2 ounces cream cheese softened to room temp
Instructions
- 1) This recipe comes together really quickly so gather all the ingredients gather and grate the cheese before you start.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium to medium-low heat then sprinkle in the flour, garlic powder and ground cayenne pepper. Whisk together and cook 1 minute.
- Pour in the beer, whisking to combine then add the milk and Worcestershire sauce. Continue whisking until it's smooth.
- Turn off the heat, add the grated cheeses and stir until combined then fold in the softened cream cheese. Season with salt to taste and serve right away.
Goodness Girl, what a dip! Anything with bacon grease and cheese is totally a winner. Always wondered about the frozen pretzels…worth buying? Thanks for settling the dilemma! Sharing this post with my son! We all need good party recipes! Will definitely be making this very soon. Pinned. Thanks for sharing. Have a good week. Chat again soon, my friend.
Hey there Mary – you’ve got that right about the bacon grease. My husband has a theory that you could put bacon grease on a paper bag and it would taste delicious! 🙂 Thanks for following along and pinning and of course your kind words! Enjoy the day friend.
I followed the directions with amounts of all ingredients…felt it was a bit “runny”…so made up another 1/4c. flour roux with melted butter…and it thickened nicely. It is DELICIOUS!!!!! ps. did use freshly grated cheese and a light beer!
HI Marie – great recovery with another roux! We love this dip – my family requests it routinely. So glad you liked the flavor and were able to get it to the consistency you like! Have a great day!
Hi wondering about the jalapenos, bacon and green chilis? When do those come in?
Hi Erin – thanks for your interest. I have updated the recipe using less ingredient (still ridiculously good!) – you can still add the jalapeno, bacon and green chilis after you’ve blended in the cheese. – Bernie