Beer Cheese Dip

Cold beer cheese dip for pretzels or chips is here! It tastes amazing paired with a loaf of or 3 ingredient beer bread too!! Bring this to your next barbecue or party and it will surely be a hit with everyone. An easy appetizer that never lasts long during Super Bowl or a potluck.

Ok, I will start off by saying I am not a beer drinker. I personally prefer a glass of wine every now and  then when company comes over BUT when used in this cold dip recipe with beer and everyone asks for the recipe. 😉

I seriously can’t keep my hands off of this, served cold! Pair it with some pretzels, chips, or a loaf of the best beer bread alongside your hot dip recipes and people will go crazy over it. Believe me it won’t last long. It is amazing!! I’m a sucker for dips. Whether we are having people over for a barbecue, or it is a holiday I LOVE snacking. Dips make snacks just that much better.

I’ve made beer bread many times with different dips. This time when I was making jalapeno poppers I thought some of the ingredients could be made into a dip. It turned out to be really good! Let me show you how to make it…it’s super easy! 

Do you eat beer cheese cold or hot?

I mean you can enjoy this either way, depends on your occasion. In this case I was bringing it to a potluck with pretzels and chips around it and it is definitely everyone’s favorite snack before the meal arrives.

If I were to make those big Annie Anne’s pretzels I might want more of a soupy hot beer dip to dunk those in. In the case of pairing with our Sausage Balls with Red Lobster Biscuit Mix I like it cold.

Can kids have beer cheese dip?

I made a version without the lager and realized that it wasn’t nearly as good. There is very little in it so you really don’t have to worry about the kids taking a small bite. Just that 1/4 of a cup brings so much flavor to this creamy cream cheese based dip. If you were worried about the small bit of alcohol though you could us a non-alcoholic beer instead.

If you want a mild heat dice 1/2. If you’re into more of a “fiery” flavor just dice the whole thing (after you remove all the seeds). I like diced chiles in a can and those aren’t spicy but really bring a wonderful flavor to it. You could try those too, or use both!

Ingredient Notes

Beer can be any type you like though I like a pale ale, pub style beer will give this a deeper flavor

Cream cheese softened so it incorporates well with the other ingredients. You would do the same thing with sweeter versions like our pineapple cream cheese dip (that is actually great served along side this).. You can find dairy free variations out there if necessary that taste amazingly similar.

Mayonnaise is a surprising new addition that will encourage more creaminess. I like Best Foods better than Miracle Whip because it doesn’t have that vinegar flavor that detracts from the lager.

Shredded cheddar cheese is what we use, sharp cheddar cheese is our fave for a pub style cheese dip though white cheddar would be milder

Diced jalapeno and/or chiles is what I add for game day to make it a spicy beer flavor duo.

 If you love this, try our Instant Pot beer cheese soup too. Now that can be a complete meal and not just something you’d pair next to your charcuterie plate for a party.

Beer Cheese Dip for Pretzels

The base is basically beer, cheddar cheese and cream cheese which in itself is pretty amazing. Add some diced jalapenos and WOW. You can pair it with all sorts of things but soft pretzels next to our ever so popular dijon mustard pretzel dip is always the best.

If you are serving this to guests you will want this to look pretty. The best way to get this done but still make it look presentable is to mix it in a bowl, but don’t serve it in that. It will get a bit messed up in the process so have your prettier serving dish on the side. Once done I put in an airtight container in the refrigerator to cool. My preference.

Then when ready to serve move it from there to a pretty bowl of sorts. Then you can use this same container if you do in fact have some leftovers. I generally won’t save any left though because if there were any kids present they most likely double dipped and I don’t want to share their germs later. 😉

Try it for yourself with different types of ale. Darker versions will become more intense while milder lighter bottles will give you a chance to taste more of the cheese flavors. Some like to add 1 packet of dry ranch seasoning for another tweak, you could try that too. Serve pressure cooker beer can chicken to boot!