What is the ultimate pretzel cheese dip combination? Warm, gooey pretzel cheese sauce with a hint of spice. Seasoned sourdough pretzel nuggets with a light, airy crunch. This poppable snack or appetizer idea will feed a crowd and is simple to make.
Dip into Deliciousness: How to Make the Ultimate Cheese Dip for Pretzels
This cheese sauce for pretzels is similar to other cheese fondue or beer cheese recipes; once you understand the method, you can change it up in a variety of ways to fit your taste. There are very few rules when it comes to making cheese sauce for pretzels. The key to this recipe is finding simple ingredients and taking your time with a few simple steps.
Must-Have Ingredients for the Dip
This pretzel cheese dip recipe can be the base for letting your creativity shine - switch up the cheeses, add in different spices, top it with color.
The Cheese: It’s important to use a cheese that is completely melted and will create a smooth cheese dip for pretzels. Use blocks of cheese you have to grate yourself, not pre-shedded bags. Top choices are cheddar, fontina, and gruyere.
- Cheddar is a classic American cheese and most people are familiar with the flavor. We like to use a mix of cheddar for this pretzel cheese dip recipe to balance the sharpness of the cheese.Â
- Fontina is a mild Italian cheese that is creamy and delicious on its own and even better when paired with garlic, fresh parsley and chopped fresh spinach or mushrooms for a heartier cheese dip for pretzels appetizer.Â
- Gruyere is a Swiss cheese, but it doesn’t have any holes. It has a nutty, rich flavor and is well balanced by beer. Caramelized onions would be a good topping for this version of cheese sauce for pretzels.
The Roux: The roux is the butter and flour combination that keeps the pretzel cheese dip stable, so it’s important to get it right. A few key tips are:
- Use equal amounts of butter and flour.
- Stir the butter and flour together well over low heat so they create a paste.
- Cook the paste for about 5 minutes so the flour loses its raw taste, but keep the color of the roux light. You don’t want a dark roux for this cheese sauce for pretzels recipe like you do for a classic gumbo.
The Liquid: You will add liquid twice when making your cheese dip for pretzels. The first time it’s milk - equal to the amount of flour and butter you used. The second time, it should be something with flavor - beer, wine or stock - that helps loosen the cheese sauce so it’s the right consistency for dipping.
- When you add the milk, be sure to whisk it into the paste until any clumps are gone before you add the cheese.Â
- When you are deciding what liquid to use, think about what flavors will complement each other. Also, if you are serving a group with a lot of kids, use veggie or chicken stock instead of beer or wine. If you want to use beer, check out our guide to beer cheese and pretzels.
- When you add the flavor liquid, have a little more of it on hand than you think you need in case you need to adjust the thickness of your pretzel cheese dip.
Tasty Options for Your Cheese Dip for Pretzels
Seasonings: Don’t be shy about jazzing up your pretzel cheese dip. Add seasonings that will play up the flavor profile you’re going for. For a Tex Mex vibe, add green chiles or taco seasoning. Stir in store-bought pesto for a herbaceous twist.Â
Toppings: Add color and freshness to your cheese sauce for pretzels with toppings. Bacon bits add smokiness and some chew. Fresh scallions or parsley add a hint of freshness and bright color. Chopped onion or tomato add texture.Â
Perfect Pairings: When it comes to making the best cheese dip for pretzels, you can’t forget the actual pretzels for dipping. Some of our favorite pretzel cheese dip pairing are:
- Fontina cheese and Garlic OMG! Pretzels
- Gruyere cheese and Lemon Pepper OMG! PretzelsÂ
- Classic cheddar cheese and Garlic or Chesapeake OMG! Pretzels
- White cheddar cheese and Cheddar Jalapeno OMG! Pretzels
Mouthwatering Pretzel Cheese Dip Recipe
Mouthwatering Pretzel Cheese Dip Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp butter
- 4 tbsp flour
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced
- 2 cups shredded cheese, cheddar blend
- 4 ounces white wine, sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio
- 1 tbsp hot sauce
- Pinch each of cayenne pepper and smoked paprika
- 1 of OMG! Pretzels
PRO TIP: We think the Garlic or Lemon Pepper varieties are best for this pretzel cheese dip recipe.
Instructions
- Melt butter in a pot; add flour. Warm over low heat whisking regularly.
- When combined, add ¼ cup whole milk.
- Then, add garlic and shredded cheese.
- As cheese starts to melt, add 4 ounces of white white and whisk.
- Continue to whisk over low heat until the cheese is melted through and the pretzel cheese dip is smooth and ready for dipping.
- Add in 1 tbsp of hot sauce, cayenne pepper and paprika.
- Pour into a bowl and serve the cheese dip for pretzels warm with OMG! Pretzels on the side dipping.
