Homemade Pretzel Ring Beer Cheese Dip

A dip with pretzels around it in a 9-inch round baking pan.

Homemade Pretzel Ring Beer Cheese Dip

Elevate your next party with this creamy, cheesy dip that’s both tangy and flavourful. Made with cheddar, mozzarella, cream cheese, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, chives, garlic powder, and pale ale beer, it pairs perfectly with homemade pretzel bites. The pretzel bites are baked with the sauce to make an easy, cheesy dip that is sure to impress!

Course Appetizer

Cuisine North American

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 20

Servings -8 servings

Calories 418kcal

Author Nina

Ingredients

Beer Cheese Dip

8 ouces cream cheese room temperature
1¾ cup cheddar cheese grated
½ cup mozzarella cheese grated
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons garlic powder
½ cup pale ale beer
salt & pepper to taste
chives chopped, for garnish

Pretzel Bites

1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1½ teaspoons granulated sugar
¾ cup milk warmed to 100°F-115°F
2 ½-3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt plus more for sprinkling on top of pretzels
1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted

Baking Soda Bath

¼ cup baking soda
4 cups water

Instructions

Beer Cheese Dip

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add cheeses, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and beer. Mix together until combined. Season with salt and pepper. Store in the refrigerator until needed.

Pretzel Bites

To make pretzel dough, combine yeast, sugar, and milk in a large bowl. Cover bowl with a towel and let it sit for 5 minutes to activate the yeast.
Add 2 cups of flour, salt, and melted butter. Mix it together, adding ¼ cup more flour at a time, as needed. Knead together until dough comes together and isn't sticky. Be careful to not add too much flour. Knead for another 5 minutes until dough slowly bounces back after poking it with your finger.
Cover with a towel while you prepare the baking soda bath.

Baking Soda Bath

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line one baking sheet with parchment paper. Grease the bottom and halfway up the sides of an oven proof baking pan or cast iron skillet.
Combine baking soda and water to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.
Transfer pretzel dough to a lightly floured work surface. With a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut dough into roughly 3 equal pieces.
Roll each piece of dough into a long thick rope. Roll onto a non floured work surface. Cut rope into 1.5"-2" bites. Transfer bites to the boiling baking soda bath for 15 seconds. You may have to do this in a few batches. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bites onto prepared baking sheet.

Assembly

Line pretzel bites around inside edges of baking pan or cast iron skillet, to form a ring. Leave space between each pretzel bite so they have room to rise while baking. Leave any remaining pretzel bites on the parchment lined baking tray. Make sure none are touching each other.
Place prepared beer cheese dip into the center of the pretzel ring in the baking pan or cast iron skillet. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until pretzels are golden brown. If you have extra pretzels, bake them on their parchment lined baking tray alongside the dip. Bake them for 12-15 minutes or until golden.
Remove from oven, garnish with chopped chives. Serve immediately alongside a bowl of your extra pretzel bites. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Notes

Pretzel roll dough doesn't need to rise like other breads, so it's quick to get into the oven.

Don't add too much flour to the pretzel roll dough. I listed the amount of flour between 2.5 cups to 3 cups. The amount of flour you will need is very dependent on humidity in your house. Start with a lower amount of flour and increase a bit at a time.

Make sure the cream cheese is mixed well until smooth. We don't want chunks of cream cheese in this dip.

If you have extra pretzels, they will bake a lot faster on their baking try than the ones in the dip. Keep an eye on them and take them out when they are ready.

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