This ultra creamy sauce is made from lager beer, milk, cheddar cheese and spices and is perfect for dipping or topping your favorite foods!
Thick and velvety cheesiness, with plenty of cheddar and beer flavor!
Creamy Beer Cheese Sauce
Lately, I’ve had an obsession with cheese. Beer cheese to be specific. Nearly all our favorite restaurants have an appetizer or two on the menu that come with beer cheese and OMG I can’t get enough. I’ve been on a mission to create a recipe that’s just as delicious as the restaurant’s version, if not better. DONE!
My favorite part about this recipe is how adaptive it is. Want a thicker sauce, more of a dip consistency? Simmer it longer or add a bit less liquid. Want it spicier? Add more cayenne, or some jalapeno. Play around with the cheese used, use a different beer, the possibilities are endless!
WHAT TO SERVE WITH BEER CHEESE?
There are so many ideas, it’s hard to narrow them down!
So far I’ve tried everything pigs in a blanket, homemade soft pretzel sticks, and tortilla chips.
But I can’t wait to try french fries, fried pickles, chicken tenders, and as a topper for a juicy burger!
CAN BEER CHEESE SAUCE BE MADE AHEAD OF TIME?
Sure can! I personally think it tastes best when made fresh, but it can be done ahead of time. Just make sure you heat it up slowly and stir it often, otherwise it can become grainy and possibly separate.
WHAT KIND OF BEER SHOULD YOU USE FOR BEER CHEESE?
You can use whichever beer you like to drink. Make sure it’s a flavor you like, as it will be prevalent in the sauce. I love to use a lager-style beer, as it has a robust, yet light taste.
PRO TIPS FOR MAKING BEER CHEESE SAUCE:
- Don’t let the small amount of beer fool you, it still has plenty of beer flavor.
- Use a beer that you love the taste of, since it will be intensified in the sauce.
- For the best results, shred your own cheese. Pre-shredded cheese is coated in a substance to prevent it from clumping in the bag, which can make it not melt as smoothly in a sauce.
- Season and taste as you go. I’ve given you my base seasoning in the recipe, but feel free to add, subtract, or swap out for any seasonings you’d like.
OTHER GREAT PARTY RECIPES:
- Bacon Ranch Cheeseball
- BBQ Beer Lil Smokies
- Garlic and Herb Ham and Cheese Sliders
- Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Bacon Cheeseburger Dip
SHOP THE RECIPE:
- Box Grater – remember, the best sauce starts with freshly grated cheese!
- Saucepan – a great pot to have for so many sauces!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp butter
- 3 Tbsp all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup lager beer
- 1 cup whole milk (half and half or heavy cream may be substituted)
- 1 tsp grainy dijon mustard (or regular dijon)
- 1/2 - 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- pinch of dried parsley (optional)
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese (or your favorite cheese) (about 12 oz)
Instructions
- In a saucepan, melt butter over MED heat. Add flour and whisk until combined. Cook 30 seconds, while whisking occasionally.
- Add beer, whisking continuously as you pour, eliminating any lumps from the flour mixture. Slowly add in milk, whisking as you pour.
- Cook over MED heat, whisking often, for several minutes, until mixture has thickened. Stir in mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne.
- Add cheese, a handful at a time, and stir until completely melted. Serve warm.
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Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Robin Goff says
Super easy and everyone loved it!
Graham says
How long can you store the sauce?
The Chunky Chef says
About a week 🙂
Maria Seperas says
It was so easy and tasty. Measure out the ingredients first. It makes it even easier to put together.
Llama says
Made this to put over cheesesteaks. Fantastic. Appreciate you.
Jess says
What is a serving size? Trying to determine how much I will need. I see the recipe adjusts for number of servings needed but how much dip per person?
The Chunky Chef says
I don’t measure serving sizes exactly, as I don’t like to tell people how much of something they should have. This recipe makes about 2 – 3 cups, which you can divide up any way you’d like 🙂
Ken says
I made the full batch, 3 cups of cheddar and two of us only ate a fraction of it. Had to store the rest but it still taste good the next day. You probably won’t devour the whole thing in one night unless you have about 10 people that love beer sauce. If you only have a few people and don’t want extra, maybe cut everything down to 1/3?
Kim Knight says
Hi! What type of dough did you use for the weenies?
The Chunky Chef says
This is the recipe for those https://www.thechunkychef.com/everything-pigs-in-a-blanket/
Amanda says
Hi! Can you make this in a crockpot? Any suggestions on how to do that?
The Chunky Chef says
This recipe wasn’t designed to be cooked in a slow cooker, but I do know some readers have kept it warm in one after making the sauce.
Katherine from KS says
This recipe is amazing! I made Philly sandwiches with smoked brisket meat, mushrooms, peppers, onion and toasted buns. We made open faced sandwiches and poured the cheese sauce over all of it. WOW! The sauce was smooth and creamy. I did add a bit more milk before I added the cheese as it was a little bit thick. It was perfect after adding the cheese. Pourable but not running. If this is turning out grainy for you then you are probably using pre shredded cheese and/or too much cheese.
Kevin says
I make this all the time, best beer cheese recipe I’ve found to date!
Jessica says
I added about 4 cups of chicken broth and half an onion. Makes a great beer cheese soup!
Roberta Frederick says
HI!!! IM GONNA MAKE ONE OF THE BEER CHEESE RECIPES I FOUND. MMMM!!! I LOVE IT
Phil says
I’m looking forward to making a Mac and cheese using this recipe. I plan on substituting smoked Gouda for half of the cheddar and using a little less milk. Will probably add a touch of BBQ rub for fun, as well.
Jessica says
Omg that sounds so good lol when’s dinner? 🤤
Jen says
Thank you for sharing the soft pretzel and beer cheese recipes! Excited to make this afternoon. 🙂
Madison says
I really loved the flavor of this beer cheese, and there didn’t seem to be a problem with it when I first cooked it. But by the time I got to my Super Bowl party 30-45 min later, it had become a gelatinous blob. I reheated it to try and get it back to the creamy texture it had been before, but to little avail. The little pigs in a blanket I made using one of your recipes were a hit! The cheese I brought to dip them in, sadly, was not. Any thoughts on where I went wrong or how to prevent this in the future? Because I really liked the flavor and would make it again for that reason.
The Chunky Chef says
Hmmm, it will solidify when not warm, but I’ve not had a problem reheating it (when I whisk it vigorously and add a touch of extra liquid to thin it out). You could always add it to a small crockpot and keep it warm during transfer (which is what I did for the big game yesterday). Glad you liked the flavor and the pigs in a blanket though!
Michelle says
Turned out to be a flush disgusting mess.
The Chunky Chef says
Happy to troubleshoot if you’d like… I just made multiple batches of this yesterday for the big game, and have never had an issue.
Pamela Furst says
Superbowl yummmmmmm
Kathie Heavner says
Can this be made ahead? I am going on a trip and want to take this for superbowl sunday. Can this be made several days ahead of time?
The Chunky Chef says
Yes, it can be made 1-2 days ahead of time 🙂
Tori says
I love mustard so I added a bit more then what it calls for, it was so amazing!
Trevor Anderson says
Amazing beer cheese! We loved it with homemade pretzels. Thank you!
Lina says
Put a few of my own spices in, but base recipe was perfect and easily modified. Thank you!