Beer Cheese Dip

Rich and oh-so-cheesy, this creamy beer cheese dip is equal parts easy and delicious. Made from a buttery roux seasoned with garlic and paprika, with a touch of spicy brown mustard, lots of sharp cheddar, and all the flavor of your favorite beer. Ready in roughly 15 minutes, it’s perfect for an appetizer, party food, or game-day snack.

What Makes This Recipe So Good

• Pub-inspired beer cheese dip is hands-down one of my absolute favorite party appetizers. I’ve been making it for years and every time, without fail, it disappears in what seems like seconds. I’d say it’s safe to assume my family’s pretty fond of this dip, too. Can you blame them? A bowl of rich, creamy, full-bodied melted cheese, best eaten with warm soft pretzels or crusty bread? How could you not love it?
• Making the dip is SO easy, and only takes about 15 minutes or so. It’s just a matter of adding an ingredient, then whisking, then adding, then whisking. Best of all, it’s made in one saucepan, so cleaning up after is a breeze.
• You can customize your beer cheese dip any way you like. First of all, you absolutely must use your favorite beer, whatever it is. You’ll definitely notice the beer in the dip, so don’t make it taste like something you hate. I would avoid anything fruity or floral, though. Instead of cheddar cheese, try pepper jack or gouda. Rather than smoked paprika and garlic powder, use cayenne, salt, pepper, even a little hot sauce or Worcestershire. Serve it with soft pretzels, fresh veggies, or even smoked sausages – trust me, it’s delish.

Chef’s Tips

• Dairy products can curdle or separate if they’re heated too quickly, so you don’t want to add cold milk or cold cheese to a hot saucepan or hot liquids. Be sure to bring them to room temperature before you get started. When it’s time to incorporate each ingredient in the recipe, move the saucepan off the heat and let it cool a little. The less shock to the dairy, the better!
• Speaking of dairy, let’s chat cheese. Whatever cheese you decide to use, don’t buy the prepackaged, pre-shredded stuff. Instead, buy a fresh block and grate or shred it yourself when you get home. The prepackaged versions have added starches and fillers that keep the cheese from clumping in the bag. Those same ingredients keep it from melting like it’s supposed to, and can make your dip grainy or gritty.

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Recipe By: Cheryl Malik

5 from 1 vote

Beer Cheese Dip

Prep 10 minutes minutes

Cook 15 minutes minutes

Total 25 minutes minutes

Party-ready beer cheese dip is savory, creamy, and full of flavor. Ready in 15 minutes or less, it's a must for any game-day, holiday, or tailgate.

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8 servings

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Equipment

• medium saucepan
• whisk
• serving bowl

Ingredients

For the Beer Cheese Dip

• ▢ 3 tablespoons salted butter
• ▢ ¼ cup all-purpose flour see Notes
• ▢ 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ▢ ¾ cup milk of choice at room temperature, see Notes
• ▢ 2 teaspoons spicy brown mustard
• ▢ 1 cup beer of choice lager preferred, see Notes
• ▢ 2 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar at room temperature, see Notes

Serving Suggestions (All Optional)

• ▢ soft pretzels
• ▢ hard pretzels
• ▢ chips any kind
• ▢ French bread torn into cubes
• ▢ crostini
• ▢ raw veggies
• ▢ smoked cocktail sausages

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Instructions

 

• Place medium saucepan on stovetop over medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons salted butter and let butter melt completely, swirling and tilting pan as needed to distribute butter across surface.
• When butter is melted, add ¼ cup all-purpose flour and whisk until flour is fully incorporated into melted butter.
• Sprinkle 1 teaspoon garlic powder and ½ teaspoon smoked paprika over roux and whisk until spices are fully incorporated. Cook roux 1 to 2 minutes or until spices become fragrant and roux develops rich reddish-orange color.
• Remove saucepan from heat and let cool slightly. While whisking constantly, slowly add ¾ cup milk of choice (at room temperature) in small increments, whisking until mixture is smooth.
• Add 2 teaspoons spicy brown mustard and whisk to incorporate. Once mustard is incorporated, slowly pour in 1 cup beer of choice, whisking constantly until beer is fully incorporated.
• Return saucepan to stovetop over medium heat. Simmer mixture 2 minutes or until thickened. Consistency should resemble gravy.
• Remove saucepan from heat and let cool slightly. Add 2 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar in small increments, whisking between each addition until cheese is fully melted. Once all cheese has been added, whisk mixture until all cheese is melted and dip is smooth and thick.
• Transfer beer cheese dip to serving bowl and serve warm with desired sides for dipping.

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• Milk: For a thicker, creamier dip, use whole milk, heavy cream, or half and half. You can use 2%, non-fat, or non-dairy milks, but they’ll give you a dip that’s very thin, so keep that in mind.
• Beer: The dip will taste like the beer you use, so it’s important that you use one you love! I recommend a lager, but almost anything will work, even pale ales – they’ll just give the dip a lighter flavor. Avoid any with strong floral or fruity flavors.
• Cheese: For the best flavor and texture, buy a block of fresh cheddar and shred or grate it yourself, rather than buying prepackaged, pre-shredded cheese. They contain starches and fillers that can keep the cheese from melting like it should and give the dip a gritty or grainy texture. I recommend a mix of orange and white cheddar, but you can use any harder cheese like gouda, pepper jack, colby jack, etc.
• Dairy Temperature: Dairy products can curdle or separate if they’re heated too quickly. Let the milk and the cheese come to room temperature before starting the recipe, and let the saucepan cool slightly before adding them to it.
• Make it Gluten Free: Use gluten-free all-purpose flour and a gluten-free beer like Redbridge Lager.

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Approximate Information for One Serving

Serving Size: 1servingCalories: 225calProtein: 10gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 49mgSodium: 256mgPotassium: 84mgTotal Carbs: 6gFiber: 0.2gSugar: 1gNet Carbs: 6gVitamin A: 585IUVitamin C: 0.01mgCalcium: 282mgIron: 0.3mg

Nutrition Disclaimers

Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.

Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.

To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.

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