Beer Cheese Dip with Soft Pretzel Bites

Note: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases made through affiliate links.

Game day! Football Saturdays and Sundays call for hot, cheesy dips and beer, so let’s cut out the middle man and put them together. This easy Beer Cheese Dip with homemade Soft Pretzel Bites can be assembled ahead, baked off when you’re ready, and served right out of the skillet. Homemade soft pretzels are quite simple to make. Yeast doughs can be intimidating at first and knowing when your dough has proofed enough takes a little practice. I prefer to use instant yeast, which I keep in my fridge and freezer to prolong its life and so I always have some on hand! #thegreatyeastshortageof2020

When I was beginning my forays into using yeast when I was *much* younger, I always followed the recipes exactly—and they almost always called for active dry yeast. I had about 50% success with yeast recipes in my early cooking days; now, I know that active dry and instant yeast and be substituted one for one, plus instant yeast doesn’t have to be activated and can be added directly to my dry ingredients with the salt.

This soft pretzel bite recipe is just flour, water, salt, butter, and a little brown sugar. Let the dough rise, form into balls or cylinders or both, and boil in a baking soda-water mixture. Once boiled, add a little pretzel salt on top and bake off until golden and crisp on the outside. They make perfect dippers for this cheesy spread. I arranged some around the outside of my cast-iron skillet and put the dip in the center to bake together, then baked the remaining bites on a sheet pan.Cream cheese is a must for just about any dip—this appetizer also has mozzarella and cheddar for the gooey, melty cheese factor. A little garlic powder, chives, and mustard flavor the dip, and a little flavorful beer adds a yeasty, earthy flavor that plays well with cheese and soft pretzels. I used a Sierra Nevada pale ale, but use whatever you like. You only need a little of the beer, so keep a glass close by for a little cook’s treat!

What’s your favorite football food?

Beer Cheese Dip with Soft Pretzel Bites

---

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

• Author: Amanda
• Yield: 6 to 8 servings 1x

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

Three cheeses, mustard, beer, and garlic combined to make the ultimate cheesy dip for game days and tailgating. Homemade soft pretzel bites are easy to make—plan ahead to prep the pretzel bites, then bake off when ready to serve the dip!

---

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

SOFT PRETZEL BITES:

• 1–1/2 cups warm water
• 2 tablespoons (27 grams) light brown sugar
• 2–1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
• 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) butter, melted
• 2–1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 4–1/2 to 5 cups (540 to 600 grams) all-purpose flour
• Vegetable oil, for greasing the bowl
• 1/3 cup baking soda
• Pretzel salt or coarse sea salt

BEER CHEESE DIP:

• 1–3/4 cups (7 ounces) coarsely grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) coarsely grated mozzarella cheese
• One 8-ounce block cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1–1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives, plus more for garnish
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1/3 cup pale ale beer (I used Sierra Nevada)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

---

Instructions

1. For the soft pretzel bites: Combine the water, sugar, yeast, butter, salt and 4-1/2 cups of all-purpose flour in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.  Mix on low speed until combined, then begin increasing the speed to medium and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl, about 4 to 5 minutes.  If the dough appears too sticky, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it pulls away from the bowl.  Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead into a ball by hand.  Transfer to a lightly oiled mixing bowl and turn to coat with oil.  Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm place to rise until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.
2. In the meantime, make the beer cheese dip: In a large mixing bowl, stir together 1-1/2 cups cheddar cheese, mozzarella, cream cheese, Dijon mustard, chives, garlic powder and beer until combined.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Set aside while you make the pretzels.
3. Preheat the oven to 400°.  Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot over high heat and slowly add the baking soda.
4. Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a work surface.  Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces.   Using 4 pieces, divide again to form 1-inch balls.  With the remaining 4 pieces, roll into a long, thin rope and cut into 1-inch bites.  Working in batches, transfer the 1-inch balls to the baking soda-water mixture and boil for about 30 seconds.  Remove with a slotted spoon and drain; transfer to a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, placing them around the edges to form a ring (if they won’t all fit in one layer, you can bake them separately with the pretzel bites).  Generously sprinkle with pretzel salt.  Working in batches with the 1-inch bites, continue the process until all the pretzels have been boiled.  Transfer to a parchment-lined sheet pan greased with nonstick cooking spray and sprinkle with pretzel salt.  Ensure the pretzel bites are spread out evenly and not touching each other.
5. Place the prepared dip in the center of the pretzel ring in the cast-iron skillet.  Sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese on top. Transfer the dip and the pretzel bites to the preheated oven and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.  Garnish with more chopped chives before serving.  Serve the remaining pretzel bites on the side.

Notes

Inspiration: Beer Cheese Dip on delish.com and Homemade Soft Pretzel Bites on twopeasandtheirpod.com

• Category: Appetizers, Dips, Cheese