Beer Cheese Dip for Pretzels

a bowl with creamy beer cheese pretzel dip topped with crispy onions and a pretzel piece inside.

This warm beer cheese dip is made with sharp cheddar and aged Gouda with lager, mustard, and crispy onions. It takes about 15 minutes and is thick enough to cling to soft pretzels.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Servings servings

Calories 247kcal

Author Adina Beck

Equipment

Medium saucepan
Whisk
Box grater

Ingredients

6 oz sharp cheddar freshly grated, Note 1
4 oz aged Gouda freshly grated
1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ cup mild lager or Oktoberfest beer, Note 2
½ cup evaporated milk Note 3
2 teaspoons German medium-hot mustard or Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon sweet paprika
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
⅛ teaspoon ground turmeric optional, for color Note 4
⅓ cup crispy fried onions divided
soft pretzels or pretzel bites for serving, Note 5

US - EU

Instructions

Prepare the cheese: Grate the cheese and place it in a bowl. Sprinkle with the cornstarch and toss until the cheese is evenly coated.
6 oz sharp cheddar + 4 oz aged Gouda + 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Heat the liquids: Pour the beer and evaporated milk into a medium saucepan. Add the mustard, paprika, garlic powder, and black pepper. Heat gently until steaming, whisking frequently. Don’t let it boil.
½ cup mild lager + ½ cup evaporated milk + 2 teaspoons German medium-hot mustard + ½ teaspoon sweet paprika + ¼ teaspoon garlic powder + ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper + ⅛ teaspoon ground turmeric
Add the cheese: Reduce the heat to its lowest setting. Add the cheese one handful at a time, whisking until melted before adding the next handful (Note 6).
Add the onions: Finely crush half of the crispy onions and stir them into the dip.
⅓ cup crispy fried onions
Serve: Transfer the beer cheese dip to a bowl and scatter the remaining crispy onions over the top. Serve immediately with warm soft pretzels or pretzel bites.
soft pretzels or pretzel bites

Notes

Cheese: Grate the cheese yourself. Packaged grated cheese contains starches that can make the dip less smooth.
Beer: Use a mild lager or another beer that isn’t too bitter. Strong, bitter beers can make the cheese dip taste bitter as well. Alcohol-free lager is also fine.
Evaporated milk: This helps the cheese melt smoothly without needing cream cheese or processed cheese. Make sure you use unsweetened evaporated milk, not condensed milk.
Turmeric: I added a small pinch because my cheddar and Gouda were quite pale. You can leave it out when using orange cheddar. Don’t add more than ⅛ teaspoon, or the turmeric may become noticeable in the finished dip.
The nutrition is calculated without the pretzels.
Consistency: The dip thickens as it cools. If it becomes too thick, stir in another tablespoon of warm evaporated milk or beer.

Nutrition