This 6-Ingredient Pub Cheese Is The Easiest Party Dip Ever (2024)

Here at Delish, we’re big fans of beer cheese. We’ve made this classic dip in a skillet, with pretzels, and even folded it into macaroni. To switch things up, we knew there was another way we needed to try this flavorful dip: cold. Skeptical? Hear us out! This pub-style cheese is not only full of all the delicious flavors you crave in the classic app, but is so easy to make. It whips up in minutes (yes, minutes), and you only have to dirty one bowl. How’s that for an easy Super Bowl appetizer? Keep reading on for all of our top tips on how to make this cheesy, flavorful dip:

What is pub cheese:
Pub cheese is basically the same beer cheese you know and love, but served cold. While you might think beer cheese would lose its appeal without the gooey creaminess achieved by heating it, we’re here to tell you this is simply not true. It's salty, creamy, cheesy, and as ridiculously simple to make as it is to scarf down. While some recipes don’t require beer, we decided to use it in our recipe to really amp up the flavor.

How to make pub cheese:
It starts the way any good dip does, with lots of cream cheese. Next comes cheddar and garlic powder—all essentials. What really makes this dip great though is the caraway seeds. They add an herby, savory flavor that adds intrigue without being overpowering. If you do want more of a flavor wallop, try adding horseradish or strong mustard too. Then, finish it off with the titular ingredient: beer!

Top tip: We recommend letting all of your ingredients come to room temperature before combining for the easiest possible mixing.

The best beer for pub cheese:
Use whatever kind you like, anything from a hoppy IPA to a creamy stout. You could even go non-alcoholic, though start with less because those often taste a bit watered-down compared to their boozy counterparts.

Serving ideas for pub cheese:
After garnishing with chives, we love serving this with hard or soft pretzels (homemade, maybe?), but pretzel bites work too. Honestly, there’s not a lot that doesn’t go well with this dip: try everything from crackers to toasty bread to grapes.

Storage:
If you have any leftovers, we recommend storing tightly covered in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Made this? Let us know how it went in the comments below.