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Beer Cheese Dip is a ranch-flavored pub-style dip that takes just minutes to make (no cooking) and is a must-have at any party. It doesn’t matter if you’re on team pretzel or team chip, everyone’s a winner with this amazing dip.
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: soft pretzel bites, melba toast, celery sticks, carrots, pretzels, or potato chips.
Recipe ingredients:
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.
- Dry ranch dressing mix: Make your own dry ranch seasoning, or buy the packet at the store. (Important: Buy the dressing mix packet, not the dip mix packet, which has a lot more sodium.)
- Beer: You don’t even need a whole bottle, so use your favorite. 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.
Instructions:
To start, mix together the beer, softened cream cheese, ranch packet, cheddar cheese, garlic powder, and chives. Make sure everything is well combined. Give the dip a taste, then add more garlic powder if you think it could use it. Chill the dip for 30 minutes to let the flavors meld together before serving.
Recipe tips and variations:
- What to dip: Homemade Soft Pretzels taste incredible, but so do pretzel sticks, potato chips, tortilla chips, Melba toasts, rye crisps, carrot sticks, the list goes on.
- Make ahead: Whip up the cold dip and stash in. the fridge up to two days before you need it.
- 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.
- Celery ribs: Stuff the cold dip inside celery for crispy veggie treat.
- 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!
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Beer Cheese Dip
Ingredients
- 24 ounces cream cheese softened (see note 1)
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup homemade ranch dressing mix or one packet store-bought (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
- Combine cream cheese, cheddar cheese, ranch mix, beer, chives, and in a large bowl and mix well. Add garlic powder to taste, starting with ½ teaspoon and adding more if desired.
- 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.
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.
- Dry ranch dressing mix: Make your own dry ranch seasoning, or buy the packet at the store. (Important: Buy the dressing mix packet, not the dip mix packet, which has a lot more sodium.)
- Beer: You don't even need a whole bottle, so use your favorite. 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.
- What to dip: Homemade Soft Pretzels taste incredible, but so do pretzel sticks, potato chips, tortilla chips, Melba toasts, rye crisps, carrot sticks, the list goes on.
- Make ahead: Whip up the cold dip and stash in. the fridge up to two days before you need it.
- 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.
- Celery ribs: Stuff the cold dip inside celery for crispy veggie treat.
- 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!
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
When I need to shred a block of mozzarella and just after a few strokes, it starts to get chunky. You know these moments. I always end up wasting a ton of cheese in an effort to finish the dish before my boys become cranky.
You are totally feeling my vibe with beer dip and taco dip having an illegitimate love child. I want to keep the texture and consistency of the beer dip, but give it a Mexican spin. I thought about maybe asking taco seasoning and taco sauce or a smooth salsa?
I make this delicious dip for all my parties and my guests love it. they always come in and scope out where the beer dip is.
Has anyone ever tried a Mexican spin on this? My next party is tacos and tequila themed, but if there’s not beer dip, there might be a riot. 😂
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Hi, Haley! Like maybe taco dip and beer dip had a baby? Or do you want something with a layer of refried beans (or corn), or guacamole? Happy to experiment, there is NO WAY this could end badly! Just hoping to give you what you want. Please let me know if you get a chance! I feel like adding some taco seasoning to this recipe as-is would be delicious, but I’m not sure if that’s what you had in mind.
Does it matter what kind of beer you use?
I just threw this together to go with our bacon bombs. I didn’t have any chives so I subbed onion powder. Super delicious. I can’t stay out of it.
Sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much, Mira! I hope you love it as much as I do.