Pretzel Cheese Dip without Velveeta: Butter, flour, milk, and cheese come together to create a mouth-watering cheese dip you’ll want to dip everything in (trust us). Whether you serve this alongside soft baked pretzels, chips, or veggies it’s sure to be a hit at any party!
This pretzel cheese dip recipe pairs perfectly with our soft baked pretzel recipe, but this would be delicious to dip almost anything in!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
A lot of cheese dips are made with Velveeta or a similar processed cheese product, but this one can be made with everyday ingredients you probably have on hand right now! (But if you have Velveeta, definitely check out this Rotel Dip that is so delicious as a cheese dip!)
Not to mention that it’s creamy, cheesy, and delicious (cheese lovers rejoice)! This easy cheese sauce is perfect alongside your favorite soft pretzels (check out the best homemade pretzels recipe), tortilla chips, veggies, or really anything. You could even use this cheese dip for cheese fondue!
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Ingredients
You only need 5 simple ingredients to make this pretzel cheese dip! That’s right, 5 pantry ingredients that you probably have in your home right now. You’ll need:
- 2 tablespoons butter unsalted
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole milk room temperature
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (If you can shred your own block cheese, this will help keep it from being “grainy” or have an odd texture, since storebought shredded cheese has anti-caking agents on it.)
- ½ teaspoon paprika
Continue reading for step-by-step instructions for making this easy cheese dip or see the recipe card at the bottom of the post!
How to Make This Creamy Pretzel Cheese Dip
- Melt the butter in a nonstick medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk the mixture until it is slightly browned.
- While whisking continuously, slowly pour in the milk. Continue whisking until the mixture starts to thicken. Your whisk will begin leaving a trail in the mixture and you might be able to see the bottom of the pan.
- Add in the shredded cheese and whisk the mixture continuously until the cheese has melted and the mixture is smooth. Add in the paprika when the cheese has melted and whisk to combine.
- Remove the mixture from the heat and serve it immediately. The mixture is best enjoyed warm, so I recommend serving in a microwave safe dish that can easily be used to reheat the dip as needed. This cheesy dipping sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheated in the microwave as needed.
Substitutions
- Whole Milk – You can replace the whole milk with canned evaporated milk. The evaporated milk will help the dip stay smooth when cool.
- Flour – If you need a gluten free dip, you can replace the all-purpose flour with your favorite gluten-free blend.
- Dairy-Free – replace the butter and milk with dairy-free versions to make this delicious dip dairy-free.
Variations
This dip is made with simple ingredients, but there is a TON of room for creativity! Here are a few suggestions…
- Spicy – If you like things on the hotter side, instead of cheddar cheese, try using a spicy cheese like a pepper jack cheese and add 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder into your dip recipe. You could even mix in a bit of your favorite hot sauce to really kick up the heat!
- White Sauce – Replace the cheddar cheese with mozzarella cheese and a bit of parmesan for a white sauce variation.
- Garlic & Chive – Add 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder to your dip and 1/4 cup of chopped chives.
- Beer Cheese Dip – Replace 1/2 cup of the whole milk with your favorite lighter beer to turn this into a beer cheese dip.
- Mustard Cheese Dip – Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of yellow mustard or dijon mustard into this dip to turn it into a mustard cheese dip!
Play around with different cheeses and spices to make this dip your own! Or, make sure you take a delicious look at this Cowboy Queso to see if there are any ingredients in that, that your tastebuds will love!
Storage
The dip can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheated in the microwave as needed.
Expert Tips and FAQs
Sometimes cheese dips can get a bit thick once they cool. To avoid this, you can try replacing a bit of the whole milk with canned evaporated milk. The evaporated milk will help the dip stay smooth when cool.
You likely did not fully incorporate the butter and flour or didn’t let the milk mixture thicken enough before adding the cheese. To fix it, you can simmer the sauce, stirring it occasionally, until it reaches the desired consistency.
Go for it! I did not add salt to this recipe because cheddar cheese tends to be pretty salty, but there is some variation, so feel free to add salt to your taste preference. You could also try adding garlic powder and/or chili powder.
Related Recipes
If you’re looking for other delicious dips to serve at your next party, be sure to check out our loaded cream cheese dip (this one’s perfect for sports related parties) and our buffalo bacon blue cheese dip because…yum! Or if you’re a fan of having beer in your dips, this pretzel beer dip is a great cool dip for crunchy pretzels.
You can also check out the latest appetizers on the blog right here…
📖 Recipe
Pretzel Cheese Dip
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter unsalted
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole milk room temperature
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese – see notes If you can shred your own block cheese, this will help keep it from being "grainy" or have an odd texture, since storebought shredded cheese has anti-caking agents on it.
- ½ teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a nonstick saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk the mixture until it is slightly browned.
- While whisking continuously, slowly pour in the milk. Continue whisking until the mixture starts to thicken. Your whisk will begin leaving a trail in the mixture and you might be able to see the bottom of the pan.
- Add in the cheese and whisk the mixture continuously until the cheese has melted and the mixture is smooth. Add in the paprika when the cheese has melted and whisk to combine.
- Remove the mixture from the heat and serve it immediately. The mixture is best enjoyed warm, so I recommend serving in a microwave safe dish that can easily be used to reheat the dip as needed. The dip can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheated in the microwave as needed.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Lil'lizard says
Be ready to do a bit of doctoring. Not very good. Grainy and flavorless. But with help it can be good.
Jessica says
Hi there. Thank you for letting us know, and I’m sorry you didn’t like it. We recommend using a block cheese and then shredding it yourself, instead of storebought cheese since it has an anti-caking agent on it. This can make cheese sauces grainy. Did you by chance use store-bought shredded cheese? If not, I’d love to help troubleshoot what else may have gone wrong.
Sharron H says
Next time I make this I will have to double the recipe, I think my kids ate most of it!
Diana says
I prefer cheddar to velveeta, and this was perfect! I wouldn’t change a thing! Will definitely make again!