Our 22 Best Cheese Dip Recipes

By Bridget Hallinan
Updated January 23, 2020
Abby Hocking
Try to name a better snack than a bowl of molten, gooey melted cheese—I’ll wait. You honestly can’t. So let’s celebrate some of our favorite ways to serve it. There’s a warm beer and cheese dip reminiscent of Welsh rarebit, perfectly paired with pretzels and sliced salami; if you’re a fondue fan, we have plenty of recipes, from aged gouda fondue with caraway croutons to a classic Swiss.
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El Original Queso

© Kalei Talwar
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This jalapeño- and pico de gallo-laced queso was served at the now-shuttered El Original in New York City.

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Blue-Cheese-and-Walnut Dip with Waldorf Crudités

David Malosh
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With walnuts, mayonnaise, apples and grapes, this recipe is a riff on classic Waldorf salad.

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Classic Cheese Fondue

© Rob Howard
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Chef Ryan Hardy makes his luxurious fondue with two kinds of Swiss cheese (Emmentaler and Gruyère) and two kinds of spirits (white wine and Kirsch), all traditional ingredients. Some of the dipping items are also classic, like cubes of crusty bread and pickles, but some are unconventional, like slices of Hardy's salami and other hearty house-cured charcuterie, which are all wonderful with the winey fondue.

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Corn Queso Fundido

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F&W's Justin Chapple uses frozen sweet corn from Gill's Farm in Hurley, New York, to create this cheesy, slightly spicy dip.

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Three-Cheese Fondue with Pickles

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To make her fondue especially rich and creamy, Ali Larter adds Brie to a mix of Swiss cheeses. She serves the fondue with bread as well as more original accompaniments like fennel wedges and tangy cornichons.

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Katie's Pimento Goat Cheese

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"My grandpa always used to make pimento cheese for me with sharp cheddar, or even Velveeta," says Katie Lee about the sweet pepper-studded spread, a Southern classic that's also a great dip. "I wanted to make it more grown-up."

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Ratatouille-and-Goat Cheese Dip

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Ratatouille becomes a warm, creamy dip when it’s baked over a layer of fresh goat cheese.

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Bayless's Queso Fundido al Tequila

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This simple, 20-minute dip of melted cheese flavored with tomatoes, chiles, onion and a hit of tequila is just the thing to satisfy a sudden craving for something warm, salty and gooey.

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Goat Cheese-Edamame Dip with Spiced Pepitas

LUCY SCHAEFFER
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Canned chipotles in adobo sauce give this clever, creamy dip an enticing heat and smokiness. The spiced pepitas (roasted and salted pumpkin seeds) scattered on top are great as a snack on their own.

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Classic Swiss Cheese Fondue

© Bill Bettencourt
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Steamed red-skinned potato chunks, grilled or toasted Tuscan bread cubes and pear slices are all great for dipping in the melted cheese. Be sure to stir the fondue as you dip.

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Silky Potato Fondue

© Con Poulos
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In this recipe, David Barzelay takes his master cheese sauce recipe and incorporates potatoes, white wine and lemon juice, resulting in a supersilky fondue that holds up at the table for far longer than most fondues. This is so good that it goes with everything from crudités to Ruffles potato chips.

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Aged Gouda Fondue with Caraway Croutons

© Ryan Robert Miller
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"My friend Natalie's mother, who lives in Amsterdam, brings me aged Gouda each year," chef Barbara Lynch says. "I wanted to serve it as a fondue instead of on its own as an hors d'oeuvre." For those without an overseas cheese connection, Lynch suggests buying an eight-month-aged Gouda—"Nothing too smoky; just a beautiful, salty Gouda."

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Walnut Pesto and Goat Cheese Dip

© William Meppem
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Try mixing walnut peso with goat cheese for a delicious and easy cheese dip.

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Whiskey-Cheese Fondue

Ditte Isager
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Matt Lewis is enamored of fondue—in fact, he had a special pot made for dessert fondues at his former Manhattan shop, Chocolate Bar. His terrific cheddar-Jack cheese fondue includes whiskey, which adds a great kick.

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Pimento Cheese with Salt-and-Pepper Butter Crackers

© CON POULOS
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TV chef Carla Hall makes her own crunchy crackers to serve with her cheese spread, a riff on a Southern classic.

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Gouda, Pancetta and Onion Fondue with Pretzels

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Leyden, a Dutch cheese flecked with cumin seeds, inspired Laura Werlin to create this cumin-spiced Gouda fondue. Serve it with soft, warm pretzels or pickled vegetables for dipping.

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Pepper-Glazed Goat Cheese Gratin

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This warm, sweet-spicy goat cheese dip is an easy alternative to a cheese plate.

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Philly Cheesesteak Queso

Abby Hocking
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F&W’s Justin Chapple combines Tex-Mex queso and Philly Cheesesteak to make his crowd-pleasing dip. He mixes provolone and white American cheeses to form a gooey base for sautéed peppers, onions, and thinly sliced rib-eye steak. Justin recommends serving this dip with toasted slices of hoagie rolls, but tortilla chips are just as delicious.

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Nacho Snack Dinner with Sweet Potato Queso

Antonis Achilleos
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This is a great idea for movie night or game night. Or, you know, any time of any day during the whole year.

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Warm Beer and Cheese Dip

© Abby Hocking
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Spiked with English ale, dry mustard powder and a pinch of cayenne, this warm, gooey Welsh rarebit-type dip goes great with pretzels, crackers and, especially, sliced salami.

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The Stinker Cheese Fondue

© Abby Hocking
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This fondue made with Taleggio, a melty, brine-washed Italian cheese, is cookbook author Liz Thorpe’s favorite. Including its rind enhances the funkiness and adds an almost bacony flavor. The recipe also calls for Époisses cheese and a floral, dry Riesling.

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Poblano Pimento Cheese

Abby Hocking
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Ashley Christensen inspired Justin Chapple’s riff on classic pimento cheese. Chapple loves serving this spread with crudités and crackers, like saltines and Ritz, but it also takes everyday roast chicken to another level in his Poblano Pimento Cheese-Roasted Chicken.

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By Bridget Hallinan