Spicy Cheddar Pub Cheese is an easy beer cheese dip that’s soft and creamy with big cheddar cheese flavor!  It’s the perfect snack for Game Day! 

close up of pub cheese dip in a bowl with pretzel dipped in the center

**This post was originally published in January 2015.  The photos, text and recipe have been updated.

Super Bowl Sunday is only days away, and I’m pretty excited about it.  I think the 49ers and Chiefs will be a great match up, but the real excitement is this Pub Cheese!

It doesn’t get a lot better than watching the Super Bowl while eating cheesy dip spiked with beer, does it? 

I already know the answer to that. 🙂

overhead shot of pub cheese platter with carrots, celery and pretzels 

Years ago my husband brought home a tub of Trader Joe’s pub cheese.  I’d never tried anything like it before, and I fell for it after one bite.

I got right to work creating my own version to share with you, and had a lot of fun customizing it to suit my tastes.

What is pub cheese?

Pub cheese is a soft, cheesy dip spiked with beer or ale.  It’s typically made with cheddar cheese, but some versions include processed cheese.

It’s thought that this dip originated in Kentucky in the 1940’s.  It surprised me that it originated in the United States.

I was thinking England maybe? 🙂

wooden server with bowl of pub cheese and pretzels, carrots and celery

Recipe ingredients

There are only a few simple ingredients in this pub cheese recipe as shown below.  

  • Grated cheddar cheese
  • Cream cheese
  • Beer or ale (your favorite!)
  • Garlic
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • Smoked paprika
  • Cayenne pepper

What type of cheese is best for this recipe?

I prefer sharp cheddar cheese for this recipe as it isn’t overpowered by the beer flavor, but you can certainly use mild or even white cheddar.

close up of pub cheese recipe with pretzels, carrots and celery surrounding

How to make this recipe

This is one of the easiest dip recipes you’ll ever come across.  Pro tip:  Leave the cheddar cheese and cream cheese out at room temperature as it becomes smoother much more quickly when it’s softened.

pub cheese recipe process collage

  • Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  • Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.
  • Serve with your favorite pretzels, crackers, breadsticks or veggies!  

Recipe notes

  • Pro tip: This beer cheese dip will become smooth faster if the grated cheese and cream cheese are left out a room temperature to soften.
  • Store pub cheese in an air tight container until ready to use, and serve with your favorite pretzels, crackers, breadsticks and veggies.
  • Dip is best served at room temperature. If it’s cold, leave at room temp to soften or microwave for 10 seconds or so.
  • Lighten this dip by substituting all or part of the cream cheese with Greek yogurt.
  • Use gluten free beer to make this dip gluten free!

pub cheese dip with pretzel dipped in the middle

More game day snacks you’ll love:

If you make this recipe I’d love to hear from you!  Leave a comment and rating below, or tag me @flavorthemoments on Instagram!

close up of pub cheese dip in a bowl with pretzel dipped in the center

Spicy Cheddar Pub Cheese

Spicy Cheddar Pub Cheese is an easy beer cheese dip that's soft and creamy with big cheddar cheese flavor!  It's the perfect snack for Game Day! 
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Ingredients

  • 8 ounces grated cheddar
  • 4 ounces cream cheese
  • 6 tablespoons beer or ale
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • Pinch cayenne pepper
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • Serve with your favorite pretzels crackers, breadsticks or veggies!

Instructions 

  • Place all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor, and process until smooth, scraping the bowl of the food processor down as necessary. Adjust the seasoning as necessary, serve and enjoy!
    pub cheese recipe process collage

Notes

  • Pro tip:  The dip will become smooth faster if the grated cheese and cream cheese are left out a room temperature to soften.
  • Store pub cheese in an air tight container until ready to use, and serve with your favorite pretzels, crackers, breadsticks and veggies.
  • Dip is best served at room temperature. If it's cold, leave at room temp to soften or microwave for 10 seconds or so.
  • Lighten this dip by substituting all or part of the cream cheese with Greek yogurt.
  • Use gluten free beer to make this dip gluten free!

Nutrition

Serving: 1g, Calories: 169kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 45mg, Sodium: 230mg, Potassium: 53mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 536IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 218mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Did you try this recipe?Be sure to tag @flavorthemoments with the hashtag #flavorthemoments on Instagram so I can see what you made!

 

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