Easy pretzel cheese dip is made with only 5 simple ingredients. This cheese sauce pairs perfectly with homemade pretzels and more!
Cheese sauce for pretzels is similar to a cheese fondue recipe or nacho cheese dip!
Table of Contents
Cheese Sauce for Pretzels
This pretzel cheese dip is so easy and simple to make. It only takes 5 ingredients and comes together in less than 10 minutes! It’s creamy, cheesy and doesn’t clump. Plus is super easy to store and reheat.
There are so many yummy ways to use this cheese sauce. Serve as a snack with soft pretzel bites or bread, on top of a baked potato or even over vegetables. It tastes great on anything!
Ingredient Notes
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Unsalted butter: I prefer unsalted butter but salted butter would work, just skip adding the added salt.
- All-purpose flour: I often use cornstarch or cornflour.
- Whole milk: Any variation of milk will work, although whole milk adds the best creaminess.
- Shredded cheddar cheese: I prefer sharp cheddar cheese, but any other mild cheddar will work. Velveeta can be used if preferred.
- Hot sauce: Adds a small spicy tangy to the cheese sauce.
How to Make Cheese Dip for Pretzels
To make the ‘roux‘, add butter to skillet and melt over medium heat. Sprinkle the flour on top of the butter and cook for 1 minute, constantly stirring. It should form a thick paste. Then whisk in the milk until slightly thickened.
Remove from heat and slowly begin to mix in the shredded cheese until smooth. Add 2 to 3 teaspoons of hot sauce and salt and pepper to taste. If you need to thicken it down a bit, add a few Tablespoons of warm milk.
Pour into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave.
Easy Cheese Sauce Tips and Variations
- Spicy nacho cheese dip: Add an extra Tablespoon of hot sauce and dash of cayenne pepper. You can add jalapeno as well.
- Mustard cheese dip: Add a Tablespoon or two of mustard.
- Richer cheese sauce: Add a Tablespoon of cream cheese when adding the shredded cheese.
- Too thick: Add more milk to the cheese sauce until desired consistency is reached.
Storing and Keep Warm
- Make ahead: Prepare as directed, then store in an airtight container in the fridge. When ready to enjoy, simply heat back up on the stove or in the microwave.
- Keep warm: This cheese sauce is great served right from the stove, but if it’s going to be more than 10 minutes before I serve it, I like to transfer to a mini crockpot to keep warm.
Serving Suggestions
We love to use this pretzel cheese dip with about anything on game day! It makes a great cheese sauce for these favorites:
- French bread
- Soft homemade pretzels
- Breadsticks
- Baked potatoes
- Potato wedges
- Tortilla chips
- Steamed vegetables
- Raw vegetables
More dip recipes we love include this cottage queso dip recipe, homemade queso blanco dip and Velveeta queso recipe!
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Easy Pretzel Cheese Dip Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ Tablespoon corn starch (or all-purpose flour)
- 1 cup milk , plus more as needed
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese or Velveeta
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1-3 teaspoons hot sauce (I prefer Frank's) , plus more to taste
Optional: Cayenne pepper or chili powder
For serving: Soft pretzels, Tortilla chips, Vegetables
Instructions
- Melt butter. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 1 Tablespoon butter. Sprinkle 1/2 Tablespoon flour or cornstarch over the butter, stirring constantly, and cook for 1 minute.
- Add milk. Warm 1 cup milk in the microwave 15 to 20 seconds. Slowly pour the milk into the saucepan, while whisking constantly. Continue whisking until thickened (but still pourable). Watch it carefully.
- Stir in cheese. Remove from heat and stir in 8 ounces cheese until smooth. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.
- Stir in salt and pepper. Add amount of hot sauce you prefer. If the sauce gets too thick, whisk in 1 to 2 Tablespoons warmed milk. Add a dash of cayenne pepper or chili powder for a little heat.
- Place in a mini crockpot to keep warm and gooey. If it thickens, reheat in the microwave 15 seconds. Serve with pretzels, tortilla chips, or vegetables.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Frequently Asked Questions
Cheese dip is a melted cheese sauce which is usually served as an appetizer alongside pretzels, tortilla chips, bread or vegetables.
It consists of butter, cheese, milk, cornstarch and seasonings. The milk helps keep the cheese sauce in a smooth consistency.
The best thing to dip pretzels is in this cheese dip, honey mustard sauce, marinara, spinach dip or spinach artichoke dip.
No I do not recommend freezing leftover cheese dip. The texture will not be as smooth and creamy.
Categorized as: American, Appetizers, Condiments, Dips, Low Carb, Sauces, Super Bowl
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
Love love love this! We can’t get enough when we make homemade pretzels.
yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmy
This dip was so easy to make and it was a huge hit with my family!
Made this for game day! Delicious
This cheese dip was crazy easy to make! My daughter actually made it and it turned out amazing, so I decided to make it as well. YUM! thanks for posting! This will be my go-to recipe from now on!
Thank you Julia! So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I’ve been using this sauce minus the hot sauce on my Mac n cheese for years
Will this recipe still work if you use coconut milk instead of regular milk?
I have not tried with coconut milk, I’m not sure if would come out the same. Let us know if you try it.
I made it with Ripple pea milk today and it was really good. Great recipe.
Made this to go with pretzel bites. Delicious! Can this be frozen?
Glad to hear you enjoyed it. I haven’t tried freezing it, but I don’t think it would have the same texture.
I loved this recipe! I ended up adding a little onion powder, garlic powder and Dijon mustard. I was so tasty and the best pretzel cheese dip I’ve made. Thanks for the recipe!!
Yay, so happy to hear it was a hit! Your additions sound delicious :)
How many carbs?
About 2g carbs per 2 Tablespoons
Perfect! Thank you 😊
This was a very random, last minute recipe for a covid isolation New Years Eve. I had some about to be expired milk, some cheese about to turn, and thought this was a great choice to use it up for us. Made it on the milder side because of the kids, but kept the hot sauce out for hubby (who added tons…we used Peri Peri sauce and it was great!). Paired with some pretzel chips and tortilla chips. Tasted just like the sauce my mom used to make. We thoroughly enjoyed it. Between the 4 of us, there was none left!
I’m so happy to hear this! Glad it was a hit with your family, Joline!
Thank you! Cheese dip was great with the pretzels I made.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Tom!
4.5 stars
Delicious and quick
Easier done with 2 people
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe, Sawyer!
Tastes like Mac-n-cheese.. which throws me for a loop. However a bit of hot sauce does help but still weird. Playing with some Seasonings in it
How much is one serving worth in this recipe?
Hi Alyson, the recipe makes 8 servings and it’s about 2 Tablespoons per serving :)
Could I use mild cheddar cheese?
Yes, definitely!
Could I use mexican style cheese instead?
It will change the flavor a bit, but I think that should probably still work. Just make sure it’s freshly grated :)