Pretzel Bites with Beer Cheese Sauce
Pretzel Bites with Beer Cheese Dip are soft on the inside and chewy on the outside. A delightful snack that combines the warmth of freshly baked pretzels with the bold flavors of a savory beer cheese sauce!
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This is an easy appetizer or snack to have on hand and is perfect for get-togethers or to serve as a game day snack. This cheesy dip is just as easy and a filling game day appetizer just like my Chili Con Queso and Chili Cheese Dog Dip.
Why this homemade pretzels and Beer Cheese works
You don't need to wait all day for the homemade pretzel bites to bake like some other homemade soft pretzel bites recipes. The whole recipe, including the beer cheese recipe, is done in an hour and 15 minutes.
Sure, you could use store-bought pretzel bites from the grocery store, but these homemade soft pretzels are the perfect dippers to use. These pretzels and homemade beer cheese aren't just for football season, it's simple enough to make all year long like my Philly Cheesesteak French Bread Pizza!
Ingredients Needed
- Yeast: Active dry yeast
- Water: warm water and regular water
- Sugar
- Butter
- Salt: coarse salt for the top of the pretzels.
- Flour: All Purpose flour
- Baking Soda:
- Beer: Lager beer
- Heavy Whipping Cream:
- Shredded cheese: I recommend shredding your cheese.
- Spices: garlic powder, dry mustard powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper
- Worcestershire sauce
How to make pretzel bites with beer cheese sauce
- Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the years, warm water, salt, and sugar. Let the large bowl sit to activate the yeast before adding in the melted butter. Whisk again.
- Step 2: Add the flour and mix with a fork until sticky dough starts to form. Knead the dough with your hands until soft and smooth. Then let the dough rest, covered loosely with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel, in a warm place.
- Step 3: Lightly flour your work surface before placing your dough on it. Separate the dough into 6 equal pieces.
- Step 4: Carefully roll each section of dough into long strands.
- Step 5: Cut each strand into 10-12 bite-sized pieces of dough and set aside.
- Step 6: Choose a pot large enough to hold your water while leaving room for the bubbles that will come to the top once you stir the baking soda to the boiling water. Boil your water, reduce heat, and stir in the baking soda until it dissolves. Add pieces of dough into the baking soda bath and briefly toss.
- Step 7: Remove the dough using a slotted spoon and place them on a baking sheet. Repeat with the dough.
- Step 8: Bake pretzels until golden brown. Coat with salt.
- Step 9: In a medium saucepan, melt butter and whisk in flour. Add beer and whisk.
- Step 10: Whisk in heavy whipping cream until it thickens. Add spices and mix.
- Step 11: Add freshly shredded cheese.
- Step 12: Stir until the cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth.
Recipe Tips
- Make sure the water is warm and not hot. If the water is too hot the yeast will die and never activate.
- Always grate your own cheese. the pre-shredded cheese has additives to keep it from clumping in the package.
- If you want to keep the cheese hot during serving, you can use a mini crockpot or fondue pot.
- I use coarse sea salt on these pretzels, but you can certainly use pretzel salt if desired.
- If you like your pretzels extra buttery, brush the finished pretzel bites with melted butter.
- This recipe uses active dry yeast that needs to be dehydrated- not instant yeast which can be tossed in with the other ingredients.
Recipe Faq's
Yes, just place them in a ziplock freezer bag and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat them in the microwave or oven until warm. The course salt may get brushed off during the freezing process. Before reheating just dip your finger in water and dab it onto the pretzel and sprinkle more salt on top and reheat.
Of course! I use Havarti and sharp cheddar. But you can use all sharp cheddar or a mixture of cheeses like Gruyere, Gouda.
Yes, you can, if you want a subtle beer flavor use a pale or light beer. For more intense flavor use the darker ale. if you want to leave the beer out altogether you can use apple cider
instead.
The best way to reheat pretzel bits so they taste like they have been freshly baked is in the air fryer or oven. Air fryer at 325 degrees for 1-2 minutes. Or bake in a 350-degree oven for 5-8 minutes.
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Pretzel Bites with Beer Cheese Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ teaspoon Active Dry Yeast
- 1 1/2 cups Warm Water
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 tablespoon Sugar
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 3/4 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 9 cups Water
- 1/2 cup Baking Soda
- Coarse salt
For The Beer Cheese
- ¼ cup 1/2 stick butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup Lager Beer
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl whisk the yeast, warm water, salt and sugar. Allow to sit for 5 minutes. Then whisk in the melted butter.
- Using a fork mix in the all-purpose flour until it comes together. Using your hands knead the dough until it is soft and smooth (about 2-3 minutes)
- Flour the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes in a covered bowl.
- Once the pretzel dough has rested, transfer the dough to a surface prepared with a small sprinkle of flour.
- Separate the dough into six chunks.
- Roll each section into strands that are about 20 inches long, cutting each strand about 10-12 times (creating the “bites”)Place them on a baking sheet.
- In the meantime, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare the pretzel soak by boiling 9 cups of water. see notes
- Reduce the heat to medium low and stir in the baking soda until the baking soda dissolves.
- Place 10-15 bites into the simmering soda bath and toss around for 10-15 seconds (any longer and the pretzels can have a metallic taste) Remove the pretzels using a slotted spoon and place on a baking sheet.
- Top the pretzel bites with coarse sea salt and bake for about 15 minutes, until golden brown
For the Beer Cheese
- Heat a medium-sized saucepan on low heat add the butter and whisk until melted.
- Add the flour and whisk to combine, cooking for about 1 minute.
- Slowly pour in the beer, whisking constantly.
- Next add heavy whipping cream, again, whisking constantly.
- Continue to whisk over medium until the mixture becomes thick
- Add garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper, mixing until combined
- Finally, add the shredded cheese, stir completely, until the cheese has melted, and the sauce is smooth. Remove from heat.
- Serve the pretzels with the beer cheese sauce!
So happy you enjoyed them Mary!
I was worried this was going to be complicated but it's actually pretty easy. And they are so good, next time I'm making some extra for the freezer.