Beer Cheese Dip is a 5 minute recipe with just 4 ingredients. Creamy and zesty with a light beer flavor, it’s a perfect pub-style cheese dip for a party!
We love eating cheesy dips while watching Sunday Football. Especially served with other game day favorites like Taco Snack Mix, Meatball Sliders and (what else?) an ice cold summer shandy.
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Why This Dip Is Best
I have rarely met a creamy dip I didn’t like. If there’s dip at a party, whether it’s classic artichoke dip or jalapeno spinach queso, I’m there.
Today’s Beer Cheese Dip recipe is truly extraordinary. For a few reasons.
- It’s served COLD – No cooking or heating necessary.
- Quick and easy – It’s ready in 5 minutes.
- Made with real beer – The mild hoppy taste is distinct yet not overpowering.
- Zesty ranch flavor – Pairs perfectly with the beer and cheese.
- Great game day snack – Serve it with all kinds of dippers and watch it disappear.
This dip is the kind of appetizer you can whip up at the last minute and no one will know you didn’t put a ton of time and effort in!
One more thing: this dip is difficult to stop eating once you start. Every bite makes you want another. And another. And before you know it, you’re looking at an empty bowl, feeling full of dip before you take even one bite of dinner.
Beer Cheese Dip is THAT good. Love cheesy dips? Be sure to try our pimento cheese dip next!
Ingredient Notes
You only need 4 ingredients for this dip recipe.
- Beer – We use Heineken for a light beer taste. If you want a more robust beer flavor, use a hoppy IPA or dark beer.
- Cream cheese – Provides the creamy base for the dip.
- Ranch dressing mix – You can use a store bought mix or a homemade ranch mix.
- Cheddar cheese – Use freshly shredded cheese instead of store bought shreds for best cheesy flavor!
You blend the beer with cream cheese and ranch dressing, then fold in the cheese. When I said it was easy to make beer cheese dip, I wasn’t kidding!
We love to sprinkle a few fresh scallions on top of the finished dip before serving, but it’s entirely optional.
Serving Suggestions
Holidays are for green bean casserole and sweet potato casserole. But don’t forget the appetizers and dips.
- Beer Cheese Dip tastes great with all kinds of dippers. Pretzels are an obvious choice for us. What’s better than a combo of cheese, pretzels and beer?
- You’ll love this dip with soft pretzels, homemade bagel chips, pretzel twists, pretzel rods, you name it.
- Crackers and fresh veggies are two more delicious options. Crisp celery and carrot sticks are a great balance for the rich, creamy dip.
Make sure to serve the beer cheese dip cold. If you won’t be eating it right away, store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to enjoy it. We actually found that the flavors were even better after a couple of hours in the refrigerator!
Recipe FAQs
The beer taste is pretty subtle here, especially if you use a light beer. The beer balances the rich flavors of the cream cheese and cheddar, adds a deeper more robust dimension and thins the dip to the ideal consistency.
We used a Heineken for its crispness, color and light flavor. Lagers and other German style beers are other good options, too.
If you want the flavor to be more beer-forward, choose an IPA or another hoppy style pale-ale. You can even use dark beers like stouts and porters, if you don’t mind a darker color and prominent beer flavor. Just stay away from sour beers, or any beer with a fruity tasting profile.
Nonalcoholic beer works well in this recipe for sure! It’s about the flavor of the wheat and hops, not the alcohol.
Stored tightly covered in the fridge, the dip stays good for about 3 -4 days.
Yes, you can. Process the cream cheese, ranch and beer together, then stir the cheese in by hand.
More Appetizers
- Crab Puffs
- Pigs in a Blanket
- Everything Bagel Dip
- Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Pico de Gallo
- Bruschetta
- Monkey Bread
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Beer Cheese Dip
Ingredients
- 2 packages cream cheese, softened 8 ounce each
- ⅓ cup beer
- 1 envelope ranch dressing mix
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- fresh chopped scallions for garnish
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese with beer and ranch dressing mix (with a mixer).
- Fold in the shredded cheddar cheese. Combine well.
- Pour the dip into a serving bowl and top with scallions. Serve immediately (or chill for later).
Notes
- We used Heineken for a light beer taste. If you want a deeper beer flavor, use a hoppy IPA or dark beer instead.
- Serve dip with pretzels, crackers, or fresh vegetables.
Nutrition
This Beer Cheese Dip recipe is as easy as it gets. Grab some pretzels, crack open a cold one and enjoy the perfect creamy, cheesy, zesty dip for game day!
