Beer Cheese Dip

Beer Cheese Dip is a ranch-flavored pub-style dip made with cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and of course, beer! It’s a popular Midwestern recipe for game days and party days, and it’s ready in just a few minutes with 6 ingredients.

Meggan’s notes

If you’re expecting a hot, gooey, nacho-cheese style dip here, you’re probably confused. But this is what we make in the Midwest! We love a cold dip with cream cheese, ranch dressing mix, and sharp cheddar cheese. And of course beer! Wisconsinites love their beer and they add it whenever they think they can get away with it, especially on Game Day.

This recipe makes a fairly large amount. Break the recipe in half, if you need to, or you could just invite some extra people over. Divide the dip into two bowls; when one bowl is is ready for the sidelines, you can switch it out for a fresh one.

What is absolutely necessary, however, is having something great to dip: pretzels, potato chips, tortilla chips, crackers, celery sticks, or even baby carrots. Pick something sturdy that can stand up to the dip and watch the whole bowl disappear.

Recipe ingredients

At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.

Ingredient notes

• Cream cheese: Three, yes three whole blocks, because the recipe makes a lot of dip. Let them come to room temperature before you start.
• Ranch dressing mix: You can certainly buy a packet at the supermarket. To make homemade ranch dressing mix, whisk together 2 tbsp. powdered buttermilk, 2 ½ tsp. dried parsley, 1 tsp. dried minced onion, 1 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. onion powder, ½ tsp. dill weed, and salt (I like ¼ teaspoon).
• Beer: You don’t even need a whole bottle, so use your favorite. Lager, ales, pilsners, and lighter beers make a slightly sweet, mild dip. Heartier beers like stout, dark lagers, porters, or schwarzbiers will make the cheese dip a little more fully-flavored. Prefer no beer? Just leave it out; the dip is still delicious without it.

Step-by-step instructions

1. In a large bowl, add cream cheese, cheddar cheese, ranch mix, beer, chives, and garlic powder (start with ½ teaspoon and add more to taste if desired).

2. Stir the mixture to combine.

3. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes or until serving time. Garnish with more chives if desired and serve with chips, pretzels, or crackers.

Recipe tips and variations

• Yield: This recipe makes about 4 cups of dip, enough for 16 servings, ¼ cup each. Yes, it’s a big batch!
• Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• Make ahead: Whip up the cold dip and stash it in the fridge up to two days before you need it.
• What to dip: Homemade Soft Pretzels taste incredible, but so do pretzel sticks, potato chips, tortilla chips, Melba toasts, rye crisps, carrot sticks, celery sticks, and the list goes on.
• Make jalapeño poppers: Stuff the cold dip in half of a jalapeño pepper (scoop the seeds out first) and roast in the oven until tender at 425 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes.
• Toasted bread: Add 8 ounces of chopped sliced salami to the dip, then slather it on a baguette loaf that’s been sliced in half lengthwise. Bake at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes. Cut into slices and eat.
• Leftover dip sandwiches: Spread any leftover beer cheese dip on rye bread with deli ham and some lettuce. Perfect weekday sandwich, coming right up!
• Cheese Fondue: Hot, cheesy fondue is made in a fondue pot (or in a medium saucepan) with gruyere, Swiss cheese, or other alpine-style cheeses. You can even serve it right from a crockpot.

More cheesy recipes

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Cheese Fondue

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Buffalo Cauliflower Dip

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Cheese Sauce for Broccoli

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Fried Cheese Curds

Beer Cheese Dip

By Meggan Hill

Beer Cheese Dip is a ranch-flavored pub-style dip made with cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and of course, beer!

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Servings 12 servings (¼ cup each)

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Calories 277

5 from 25 votes

ReviewPrint

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

• ▢ 24 ounces cream cheese softened (see note 1)
• ▢ 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• ▢ 1 (1 ounce) packet ranch dressing mix (see note 2)
• ▢ 6 ounces beer (see note 3)
• ▢ 4 chives or 1 scallion, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish if desired
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or more to taste
• ▢ Potato chips pretzels, or crackers, for serving

Instructions 

• In a large bowl, add cream cheese, cheddar cheese, ranch mix, beer, chives, and garlic powder (start with ½ teaspoon and add more to taste if desired). Stir to combine.
• Cover and chill at least 30 minutes or until serving time. Garnish with more chives if desired and serve with chips, pretzels, or crackers.

Recipe Video

Notes

1. Cream cheese: Three, yes three whole blocks, because the recipe makes a lot of dip. Let them come to room temperature before you start.
2. Ranch dressing mix: To DIY a packet’s worth of homemade ranch dressing mix, in a small bowl, whisk together 2 Tbsp. powdered buttermilk, 2 ½ tsp. dried parsley, 1 tsp. dried minced onion, 1 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. onion powder, ½ tsp. dill weed, and salt (I like ¼ tsp.). Use immediately or store covered in the refrigerator.
3. Beer: Lager, pilsners, and lighter beers make a slightly sweet, mild dip. Heartier beers like stout, dark lagers, porters, or schwarzbiers will make the cheese dip a little more fully-flavored. Prefer no beer? Just leave it out; the dip is still delicious without it.
4. Yield: This recipe makes about 4 c. of dip, enough for 16 servings, ¼ c. each. Yes, it’s a big batch!
5. Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25 cupCalories: 277kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 8gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 82mgSodium: 306mgPotassium: 101mgSugar: 2gVitamin A: 965IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 191mgIron: 1mg

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