Beer Cheese Dip
Cheese dips like this beer cheese, nacho cheese, queso blanco, and pretty much any and all of them are my favorite. I make some kind of a cheese dip or a cheese sauce (think mac and cheese) at least once a week. A couple things I’ve learned the hard way:
- Keep the heat low (medium-low) once the cheese goes in to prevent a grainy or separated dip.
- Let the beer simmer for a minute before adding cheese so the flavor mellows and tastes richer (not sharp).
- Choose a mild lager or amber for a balanced dip because very hoppy beers can turn the dip bitter.
- Shred cheese from the block so it melts silky instead of clumping.
- Serve right away for a glossy, pourable dip, or let it cool a few minutes if you want it thicker for dipping.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
Beer – I like to use an ale because of the deep and rich flavor. Don’t use a light and mild beer as the flavor won’t translate as much. On the other hand, don’t use Guinness or an overly hoppy IPA since those will be too much and bitter. I recommend using lager or amber for best flavor results.
Cheeses – most importantly, use block cheese and grate it yourself! Pre-shredded cheeses are coated in separators and those will affect the way cheese melts and could add grainy texture to the dip.
Cheese options: I like to use a combination of softer cheese that melts easily and cheese that had a strong, sharp flavor. For the softer cheese, I choose Mozzarella or Monterrey Jack cheese. For the sharper cheese, go with aged sharp cheddar, Gruyere, or aged Gouda.
Whole milk – whole milk is best for rich and creamy cheese dip. You can use 2% is needed but don’t use non-fat milk.
Mustard – use Dijon (or a deli-style gourmet mustard) for the best flavor. Avoid yellow mustard.
Gluten free substitution – to make this recipe gluten free, you have to use gluten free beer and use 1:1 gluten free all purpose flour. If you don’t want to use flour, use cornstarch slurry: mix 1/2 tbsp or cornstarch with cold splash of milk and then mix the slurry in with the milk that’s warming in the pot, before adding the cheese.
How To Make Beer Cheese Dip
Prep your ingredients before starting to cook! That’s an important step because this is a fast recipe and you will want to have the ingredients next to you.
Start with making a roux, which is a combination of melted butter and flour, in a medium saucepot. Melt butter over medium heat and whisk in flour until smooth.
Next, start carefully pouring in beer while slowly whisking. Let the mixture come to a gentle simmer and lower heat to medium-low.
Finally, stir in add cheeses, one handful at a time, then add milk, mustard, and seasonings. Slowly stir with a whisk or a wooden spoon while the cheese is melting.
Once cheese is melted, let it come to a gentle simmer and take it off heat.
Serving Suggestions
Soft pretzels is the best compliment to this dip but you can also serve a variety of crackers and chips.
If soft pretzels are not available, I’ve served sliced Baguette with it and it was a hit.
Also, try vegetables! Broccoli and cauliflower florets are wonderful with a cheese dip.
Cucumber slices, asparagus, and carrots are great to dip as well.
How To Reheat Beer Cheese Dip
Microwave is the easiest way to heat up this dip but make sure to set it on half the power or it will scald the cheese and cause it to break up.
If you don’t want to use a microwave, you can also reheat it in a saucepot. Make sure to heat it over medium-low heat, and stir pretty often. Reheat it just until heated through, be careful not to overheat.
Recipe FAQs and Troubleshooting
Grainy dip is almost always a heat and cheese issue, like the cheese got too hot, melted too fast, or the wrong cheese was used. The most common fix was switching to block cheese you grate yourself and keeping the heat gentle.
Fix it now:
Pull the pot off the heat and whisk steadily to try and smooth it out.
If it still looks grainy, add a splash of warm milk and whisk.
Prevent it next time:
Use block cheese (pre-shredded can melt oddly).
Keep the burner medium-low once the beer is in, and don’t let it boil or temperatures get too high.
Add cheese by handfuls while stirring.
It usually happens when the heat is too high and the milk proteins bind together.
Fix it now:
Lower the heat and whisk until it relaxes.
Whisk in a small splash of warm milk to loosen it.
Prevent it next time:
Cheese makes a difference! Stick with the cheddar and Monterey Jack blend in the recipe (unless you know which cheeses melt well), and grate from the block.
Don’t overheat them milk before adding cheese.
Keep heat low once cheese goes in (don’t overcook), add a handful at a time.
Beer cheese thickens quickly as it cools.
Quick fix: whisk in warm milk a tablespoon at a time until it’s scoopable/pourable again.
Tip: Warm it gently first (medium-low on the stove or microwave at half power), then adjust with milk.
Bitterness is almost always the beer, like stouts and very hoppy beers can do that.
How to avoid it: choose an ale or lager with a richer, less-hoppy profile.
If it already tastes bitter: a touch more cheddar and a small splash of milk can soften the edge, but the beer choice is the biggest factor.
I do not recommend freezing this cheese dip. It will break down and separate after freezing and thawing.
Yes you can! Keep it on WARM (lowest possible heat setting), stir occasionally, and add a splash of milk if it thickens.
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Beer Cheese Dip Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 tbsp all purpose flour
- 1 cup beer: ale or lager
- 8 oz extra sharp white cheddar cheese
- 8 oz Monterrey Jack cheese
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp Grey Poupon mustard or other gourmet mustard
- salt
Instructions
- Prepare the ingredients before starting to cook because this is a fast recipe and you will want to have the ingredients next to you. Measure ingredients and grate the cheeses on a box grater.
- Melt butter over medium to medium-low heat and whisk in flour until smooth.
- Start pouring in beer while slowly whisking. Let the mixture start to a gently simmer. Lower the heat to medium-low.
- Whisk in milk and seasoning. You can switch to a wooden spoon and start to add cheese one handful at a time, stirring slowly and letting it melt in between handfuls.
- Slowly stir with a whisk or a wooden spoon while the cheese is melting and take off heat as soon as it's melted and smooth.
Video
Notes
- Gluten Free Option: With two simple substitutions, you can enjoy this dip in a gluten free version. To thicken the dip, use gluten free all purpose flour and use your favorite gluten free beer to make the dip. There are several gluten free beers on the market and even though they tend to have a strong, IPA-like flavor, you can still use it to make the dip.
- Reheating: Microwave is the easiest way to heat up this dip but make sure to set it on half the power or it will scald the cheese and cause it to break up.
If you don’t want to use a microwave, you can also reheat it in a saucepot. Make suer to heat it over medium-low heat, and stir pretty often. Reheat it just until heated through, be careful not to overheat.
Nutrition
More Cheese Recipes To Try
When I say “game day,” do you think of the game or the incredible spread of food? Personally, I look forward to the food the most. Who can resist delicious baked chicken wings with an array of sauce, fresh homemade guacamole, cheesy dips, hot dogs, little smokies, and so many other foods popular on game days? Can you tell I’m in it just for the food?
Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles in January 2020.
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Categories:
30 Minute Meals, Appetizer Recipes, Dip Recipes, Father's Day Recipe Ideas, Gluten Free Recipes, St. Patrick's Day Recipes, Super Bowl Recipes,All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
How do you reheat. Microwave or on the stove.
I had some left over cheese dip and was going to reheat
Hi Jill,
Microwave is the easiest way to heat up this dip but make sure to set it on half the power or it will scald the cheese and cause it to break up. You can also reheat it in a saucepot, over medium-low heat.
LOVE this dip! Made it several times and can’t wait to make it again for Super Bowl. I personally haven’t had trouble with it and I agree, some people who say stringy did something wrong cooking it. It’s fast to cook but can’t overcook or have heat too high!
So glad you like it! 🙂
I followed the directions … used block cheeses. It’s not a liquid dip but rather a delicious bowl of stretchy cheese. Not sure what happened.
Hi Deb, it seems like the dip may have been cooked at temperature that’s too high. When many cheeses are overheated it get get stretchy or break up. I would recommend cooking it all over medium-low heat, never letting it boil, and cooking nice and low, letting it melt between cheese handfuls.
I made this last night for game night and it was a huge hit! Thanks for the recipe!
That’s great! Thank you so much for coming to tell me, I love “hearing” it 🙂
Dijon mustard or deli mustard?
I’m so sorry that I did see your question before, the mustard is Dijon, although you can use deli gourmet mustard if you prefer. Just don’t use yellow mustard.
I really didn’t care for this recipe. It was not a smooth melt at all, and it has very little flavor.
I’m sorry that you didn’t like this dip! You can always spice it up with a pinch of cayenne pepper if you want to add some spice. The beer and sharp cheese usually provide quite a rich flavor. Did you choose an ale or a lager and sharp cheeses?
Love love love this recipe. I do like a bite to my beer cheese so I make it with pepper Jack and hard cider instead of beer. Usually Blake’s El Chavo (added spice) or Flannel Mouth.
That sounds good!
The cheese comes out grainy. I think when using flour their is no way to avoid this
I think anyone saying this was stringy or grainy didn’t cook it correctly. This came out perfectly for me! Exactly what I was looking for.
Thank you, Krista! I am so glad you liked it!
Did you use shredded cheese instead of the block cheese that you grated yourself? You should definitely use block cheese when making this it makes a big difference in the texture. I apologize for not making it very clear in the recipe card I will fix that.
Hi! Could this dip be put in a warmer? You know, to have it stay warm at a party.
I really want to know the answer to this question as well!
Hi, yes that would work for this recipe. Just make sure it’s not too hot, just warm, and not for too long. After a while (couple hours) you many notice some oils separating. You can always stir it from time to time as well. I hope you enjoy it!
I made it and the cheese is all stringy…
The first thing that comes to mind is did you use shredded cheese instead of block cheese that you grated yourself? You should definitely use block cheese when making this it makes a big difference in the texture. I apologize for not making it very clear in the recipe card I will fix that.
To make this gluten free use cornstarch to thicken. Most gluten free flours don’t work in soups and gravies as a thickener bc they make the recipe grainy and have unpredictable flavors. I’ve been gf for 8 years and cornstarch is the only way to go for good thickener. Also, if you have to be gf the beer needs to be one that doesn’t make you sick, i.e. gf beer.
Hi Lyn! I am gluten free as well and I use 1:1 gluten free flour is all my cheese sauces and dip. It works very well. You can definitely use cornstarch, it’s just a slightly different process. You need to combine cornstarch with a splash of cold milk first until mixed, then pour it into the milk in the pot while it’s warming up. Before adding the cheese.