If you’ve never tried beer cheese dip you’re missing out! Warm, melty cheese goodness, with a light savoury ‘beer-ness’ (you can make it more ‘hoppy’ with different beer varieties), and little cayenne kick. Served with warm dough balls, tortilla crisps or crunchy vegetables, it makes a fantastic game day snack or party appetizer!
This velvety, cheesy Beer Cheese Dip is a game day classic (I wish they did game day in the UK like they do in the US!!). That salty, savoury cheesy flavour with just a hint of cayenne is easy to make and is always a show stopper at the buffet table.
Whether it’s drizzled over Baked Tortilla Chips, used as a dip for Dough Balls, Fried Pickles, or Fried Jalapeños, it’s the ultimate no-fuss party dip! Plus, if you’re having a larger get-together, you can make it ahead in a larger batch to refrigerate, which makes food prep so much simpler!
📋 Ingredients
Beer: We use Hawkstone or Devon Rock lager – both of which are close to a light IPA (India Pale Ale) with a bit of maltiness.
If you don’t like any hoppy or malty flavours, go with a regular lager – such a Coors or Budweiser.
If you like it more hoppy, go with your favourite robust IPA.
A more robust beer/lager/ale will result in a stronger, more complex flavour in the beer cheese dip. I find the light IPA-style lager to be a happy medium.
How to make it:
***Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post***
- First, melt the butter in a saucepan and whisk in the flour and mustard. Then, whilst continually stirring with the whisk, pour in the milk slowly, then keep stirring and turn up the heat until it thickens.
- Once it’s thickened, stir in the beer, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings, and heat through whilst stirring.
- Finally, stir in the cheese until its completely melted and combined, and you’re done!
Pro Tip
Make sure you warm it up and give it a quick stir right before serving to make sure it keeps that lovely velvety texture.
It’s a wonderfully indulgent dip!
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🍽️ What to serve it with
🍲 More fantastic sauces and dips
? Frequently Asked Questions
You can make it ahead to store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to three days. When you want to reheat, heat it thoroughly in a saucepan, over a medium heat, stirring often to keep the smooth texture.
Note: it will be lumpy at first when reheating, but those lumps will disappear as the dip is heated through.
Cool the dip, then transfer to an airtight container and freeze. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and reheat thoroughly in a saucepan, over a medium heat, stirring often to keep the smooth texture.
Note: it will be lumpy at first when reheating, but those lumps will disappear as the dip is heated through.
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Melt the butter over a medium heat in a large saucepan.
45 g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter
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Add the flour and Dijon mustard and stir, using a whisk, for 1 minute.
4 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour, 1 tsp Dijon mustard
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Slowly pour in the milk, whilst stirring with the whisk (not whisking, just stirring), until all of the milk is incorporated. Be sure to stir right to the edges so you don’t get any butter-flour mixture left there.
240 ml (1 cup) full-fat milk
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Turn the heat up to medium-high and keep stirring. As the sauce starts to approx boiling point, it will thicken.
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Turn the heat back down and add in the beer, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, Cayenne pepper and black pepper and stir together.
180 ml 3/4 cup beer or lager, 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp black pepper
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Heat through, whilst stirring for 2 minutes.
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Add the cheese and stir for a further 2-3 minutes, until the cheese has melted.
300 g (3 packed cups) grated cheese
Make ahead (and freezing)
You can make it ahead to store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to three days. When you want to reheat, heat it thoroughly in a saucepan, over a medium heat, stirring often to keep the smooth texture.
You can also freeze in an airtight container. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in the same way.
Note: it will be lumpy at first when reheating, but those lumps will disappear as the dip is heated through.
Nutritional information is approximate, per serving, based on this recipe serving 8.
Calories: 197kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 269mg | Potassium: 102mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 498IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 233mg | Iron: 0.4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.