With only 7 ingredients, this easy Craft Beer Cheese recipe is game day essential that you will want to slather on everything!
Beer Cheese for the win!
Tailgating and Super Bowl Party food is right up my alley. I love game days and all the fanfare that surrounds it. And what goes better with football than beer, snacks and cheese dip? Nothing. As we planned our posts for the big game, Jackie really wanted me to make pretzels and and my famous beer cheese.
What is the best beer for beer cheese?
In our opinion, the best beer for beer cheese is a nice, hoppy IPA (craft beer style). It creates a great depth of flavor. You can substitute a lager, pilsner, or even a non-alcoholic beer, but the flavor profile will be a bit more mild.
Ingredients:
BUTTER: margarine will work work in a pinch
FLOUR: AP Flour works best
GARLIC (chopped): Adds depth of flavor
DARK PAPRIKA: for that extra pop!
CREAM CHEESE: essential for the creamy texture
CHEDDAR CHEESE (shredded): shred your own for best results
BEER: we like a craft style IPA beer for that bitter, hoppy punch of flavor
How to make Beer Cheese Dip:
- In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter. Then add the flour and whisk. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add bottle of beer and whisk until smooth.
- Add cream cheese, cheddar cheese, garlic and paprika and continue to whisk until all cheese has melted and product is smooth (about 5 minutes).
What is the best cheese to use?
We prefer a sharp cheddar cheese for this recipe. When combined with beer, it really is the best option. For best results, shred it yourself.
Why this recipe works:
Sometimes it seems easier to pick up a jar of processed beer cheese at the local market. However, this recipe proves it is worth the time and effort to bypass the store-bought variety and create your own. Its fresh, creamy texture is second to none, and the hoppy IPA flavor really comes through.
We prefer it with our homemade Everything Soft Pretzels recipe, cut into bites and fresh out of the oven. But we also like it as a dip for tortilla chips, fresh veggies, or slathered on a Buffalo Chicken Sandwich. Make the cheese ahead of time, and have the pretzel dough prepared so that the pretzels are exiting the oven just as the coin flip happens. Even if our teams are out of contention, this recipe is sure to win some fans.
Expert Tips:
- USE IT AS BEER CHEESE SAUCE: There is no milk or heavy cream in the recipe (just cheese) so it is thick and perfect for dipping, not runny!
- MAKE AHEAD: you can make this dip ahead of time. Store it in the fridge and heat it up in a sauce pan (or microwave) minutes before you are ready to serve.
- STORAGE: Beer Cheese Dip can be stored in the refrigerator for 5 to 6 days.
What to serve with beer cheese:
- SERVE IT: with tortilla chips, guacamole, and homemade Pineapple Salsa for a football style fiesta!
- SLATHER IT: on Burgers on Chicken Sandwiches for more cheesy flavor
- DIP IT: serve it as a dipping sauce for Chicken Wings or Loaded Nachos
- WASH IT DOWN: make a pitcher of Iceberg Margaritas for a beer lovers feast!
Craft Beer Cheese Dip recipe
With only 7 ingredients, this Easy Beer Cheese Dip is ready for game day in under 30 minutes! You'll want to slather it on everything!
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 3 cups 1x
Ingredients
- 3 TBSP butter
- 3 TBSP flour
- 1 tsp garlic (chopped)
- 2 tsp dark paprika
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 6 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
- 12 oz of your favorite beer (we used IPA, however it was bitter for some. I liked it alot, but for a more subtle flavor use a lager)
Instructions
- In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter then add the flour and whisk and cook for 1 minute.
- Add bottle of beer and whisk until smooth.
- Add cream cheese, cheddar cheese, garlic and paprika and continue to whisk until all cheese has melted and product is smooth (about 5 minutes).
Notes
- USE IT AS BEER CHEESE SAUCE: There is no milk or heavy cream in the recipe (just cheese) so it is thick and perfect for dipping, not runny!
- MAKE AHEAD: you can make this dip ahead of time. Store it in the fridge and heat it up in a sauce pan (or microwave) minutes before you are ready to serve.
- STORAGE: Beer Cheese Dip can be stored in the refrigerator for 5 to 6 days.
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: German American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ½ C
- Calories: 232
- Sugar: 4.9 g
- Sodium: 217.4 mg
- Fat: 18.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 8.8 g
- Protein: 7.2 g
- Cholesterol: 53.5 mg
Keywords: game day, tailgating, football food, football, pretzels, beer cheese, cheese, craft beer, beer, cheddar, dip, sauce
Jake says
How much sugar do you add at the beginning for the pretzels? Then how much sugar do you use at the end for the water bath? Also when does the melted butter come in to play for the pretzels?
Keith says
Thanks Jake for reaching out. While we try to be as precise as we can we make mistakes and we appreciate you letting us know. I did edit the recipe in the site. The sugar is not used in the water bath, not sure why I had that in there. Also the butter is used to brush or coat the pretzels as they come out of the oven, optional though.