Beer Cheese Dip With Bacon: The Perfect Game Day Appetizer

Beer Cheese Dip With Bacon

Beer Cheese Dip With Bacon is creamy, cheesy, and genuinely indulgent, which is exactly what you want when friends are crowded around the coffee table on game day. It is also remarkably easy to make.

If you have ever watched a cheese dip seize up or turn grainy, this recipe is the fix, because everything comes together in one pan with a short list of ingredients you probably already have.

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We love dips around here, and one of our most popular has always been a simple grilled brie cheese dip with millions of views.

That recipe taught us a lesson we carry into every dip we make: keep the technique simple and let the flavors stay big. This beer cheese dip follows that same idea, with a little crispy bacon scattered over the top for crunch.

Why This Beer Cheese Dip Recipe Works

A simple roux of equal parts flour and butter is what gives this dip its body. The flour cooks into the butter, the liquids go in, and the whole thing thickens into a silky sauce instead of a puddle of melted cheese.

It is also a flexible recipe. Swapping in 1:1 gluten free flour gives you a gluten free version with the same technique and the same portions. The beer you choose changes the flavor profile completely, so the same recipe can taste crisp and light or deep and roasty depending on the bottle you open.

Finally, the dipping sides do real work here. Salty pretzels and grilled sausage are our favorites, and they lift the flavor of the dip in a way plain crackers cannot. Classic bread and crackers still belong on the table, but the salty options are the ones that make people lean in.

Ingredients

Start with whole fat dairy. Cream cheese, whole milk, and full fat cheddar give you the best flavor and the creamiest texture, and this is not the place to cut corners.

For the roux, all purpose flour and unsalted butter are the standard. If you need a gluten free version, 1:1 gluten free flour works in the same amount. Cream cheese brings creaminess and a pleasant tang, while the combination of sharp white cheddar and sharp yellow cheddar layers in mellow richness and a sharper, more acidic bite.

Whole milk is the best choice for the liquid. You can use 2% or skim in a pinch, but lower fat milks may require more cheese to keep the texture thick and balanced. Heavy cream is too thick for this recipe, so save it for another batch of something else.

A lager is our recommended beer because it brings a balance of crisp and caramel notes. A good Dijon mustard is key for extra punch, a touch of Worcestershire sauce adds a savory backbone, and chives add onion flavor without the pungency of raw red onion or shallot.

Diced bacon adds the crunch that makes this dip feel like a real treat.

• 3 pieces bacon, diced into small cubes
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour (1:1 gluten free flour works as well)
• 1 cup lager beer
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 2 cups shredded white cheddar cheese (about 8 oz)
• 1 cup shredded sharp yellow cheddar (about 4 oz)
• 4 ounces cream cheese
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon freshly chopped chives

Optional dipping sides: soft pretzels or soft pretzel bites, grilled kielbasa sausage sliced into 1/2 inch pieces, sturdy corn chips, and baguette slices.

Best Beer For Beer Cheese Dip

The beer is the loudest flavor decision you will make here. The style you pour changes the personality of the dip, and the range runs from light and crisp to dark and roasty.

A lager is what we reach for most often because it balances crisp and caramel notes without taking over the whole bowl. If you go darker, keep in mind that a stout is bold and heavy.

With stout, white cheddar is the best option to balance the earthy notes, and you may need to increase the milk by 1/2 cup to loosen the texture.

Whatever you pick, taste the beer on its own first. If you would not drink it from a glass, do not pour it into the pan. A beer you actually enjoy will carry the dip.

Best Cheeses for Beer Cheese Dip

Plenty of cheese combinations work here, but the structure matters. Softened cream cheese is the base, and it adds a more acidic flavor that keeps the dip from tasting flat. Shredded white cheddar adds mellow richness. Yellow cheddar adds more flavor and acidity, which is why we use both.

If you want to change up the cheddar, extra sharp yellow cheddar, smoked cheddar, comte, or gruyere all work well in the same amount. Keep the cream cheese as the base flavor. That is the one part of the cheese lineup we would not swap.

Making the Beer Cheese Dip

This is an easy one pot dish. Everything happens in a single medium cast iron pan, and the ingredients go in stages so the sauce stays smooth and glossy instead of breaking.

1. Crisp up the bacon: In a medium sized cast iron pan, add the diced bacon pieces over medium heat and stir until crispy. Remove and reserve the bacon, then discard the bacon fat.
2. Make the roux: In the same pan over medium heat, add the flour and unsalted butter. Using a whisk, stir to combine the two ingredients. Once the butter is completely melted, continue to stir frequently for three minutes to activate the roux.
3. Add the liquids: Add the beer, stir, and let it simmer for 2 minutes, stirring often. Be sure the heat is adjusted so the beer keeps simmering. After 2 minutes, add the milk and continue to simmer for an additional 2 minutes. The liquid will begin to thicken.
4. Add the cheese: Add the cream cheese and the shredded cheeses, then reduce the heat to low. Stir. The cheese will melt and combine after about 2 minutes.
5. Add the flavor: Now add the remaining ingredients, the Dijon, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, and chives, and stir again.
6. Top with bacon and serve: Scatter the reserved bacon over the top of the cheese sauce and serve immediately, or transfer the dip to a fondue pot or warming pot to stay warm and melted. Serve with fresh pretzels, corn chips, and grilled sausage.

Do not let the roux brown. It should look like it is slowly simmering together without taking on color. Adjust the heat down or up as needed to land on a golden roux that is slightly bubbling, which is why we start on medium heat.

The roux activates once the liquids go in, and the thickening develops as those liquids simmer. Stir often, especially in the first minutes after the beer and the milk are added, and keep the heat low once the cheese goes in so nothing scorches on the bottom of the pan.

My favorite way to serve this is straight from the pan with a stack of warm pretzels on the side, because the dip stays hot longer than it does in a shallow bowl. If you are feeding a crowd, a warming pot keeps it loose and dippable for the whole game.

The recipe makes 6 servings, and the nutrition values above are per serving.

Best Dipping Sides

There are plenty of ways to move this dip from the pan to your plate, but two favorites are highlighted in the recipe: soft pretzels and grilled sausage. Here is the full lineup we keep on the table.

• Soft pretzels or soft pretzel bites
• Kielbasa or smoked sausage, grilled for extra char flavor and sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
• Sturdy corn chips
• Baguette slices
• Carrots or other vegetables

The salty, chewy options are the ones that keep people coming back for one more scoop, while the vegetables give anyone at the table a lighter way to dip.

Adaptations: Gluten Free

We tested this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten free flour and it works using the same portions, so you do not have to change the technique or the timing. Pair it with your favorite gluten free pretzels and the whole spread stays friendly to a gluten free table.

More Cheese Inspired Dips

If this one earns a spot in your rotation, here are other cheese forward dips worth trying next:

• Goat Cheese Dip with Shiitake Mushrooms
• Smoked Sausage and Hatch Chile Beer Cheese Dip
• Buffalo Chicken Dip
• Grilled Cheese Fondue
• Sausage and Queso Bean Dip
• Greek Yogurt Green Chile Dip
• Smoked Cream Cheese

Featured On TV

This beer cheese dip was demonstrated on the local ABC station AM Northwest in Portland, Oregon.

About Vindulge

Mary is a certified sommelier and recipe developer, and Sean is a backyard pitmaster. Together they co authored the cookbooks Fire + Wine and Fire + Wine Backyard Pizza.

Vindulge has been publishing recipes and technique driven content since 2009 and was nominated by the IACP. They live on a farm just outside Portland, Oregon.

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Beer Cheese Dip With Bacon Beer Cheese Dip With Bacon is creamy, cheesy, and genuinely indulgent, which is exactly what you want when friends are crowded around the coffee table on game day. It is also remarkably easy to make.

• Total Time: 0 min
• Yield: 6 people 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Main Ingredients
3 pieces bacon, diced into small cubes
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 cup lager beer
½ cup whole milk
2 cups shredded white cheddar cheese, about 8 oz
1 cup shredded sharp yellow cheddar, about 4 oz
4 ounces cream cheese
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon freshly chopped chives

Dipping Sides (Optional)
soft pretzels or soft pretzel bites
kielbasa sausage, grilled and sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
sturdy corn chips
baguette slices

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Instructions

Main Instructions
1-Crisp up bacon: Crisp up bacon: In a medium sized cast iron pan, add diced bacon pieces over medium heat and stir until crispy. Remove and reserve, discard the bacon fat.
2-Make the roux: Make the roux: In the same pan over medium heat add flour and unsalted butter. Using a whisk, stir to combine the two ingredients. Once the butter is completely melted continue to stir frequently for three minutes to activate the roux.
3-Add liquids: Add liquids: Add the beer, stir, and let the beer simmer for 2 minutes (stir often). After 2 minutes add the milk and continue to simmer for an additional 2 minutes.
4-Add cheese: Add cheese: Add in the cream cheese and shredded cheeses and reduce the heat to low. Stir. The cheese will melt and combine after 2 minutes.
5-Add flavor: Add flavor: Now add the remaining ingredients: Dijon, Worcestershire, and chives, and stir again.
6-Top with bacon and serve: Top with bacon and serve: Add reserved bacon over the top of the cheese sauce and serve immediately or transfer to a fondue or warming pot to stay warm and melted. Dip with fresh pretzels, corn chips, and grilled sausage.

Last Step:

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• Prep Time: 15 min
• Cook Time: 30 min
• Method: stovetop

Nutrition

• Calories: 423kcal
• Sugar: 2g
• Sodium: 553mg
• Fat: 34g
• Saturated Fat: 20g
• Carbohydrates: 8g
• Fiber: 1g
• Protein: 18g
• Cholesterol: 100mg