Cheese Sauce for Pretzels

As promised, yesterday I shared our family’s favorite snack – Homemade Bake Pretzels Bites. The kids devour them. I’m all about having a dipping sauce so of course cheese dip is a must.

I made it and it worked perfectly for the homemade pretzel bites. In fact…. it was wonderful and tasted just like Auntie Anne’s cheese sauce that they give you with their pretzels! You will love this Easy Dip Recipes because of the amazing taste and creamy it is. You may even like Best Rotel Dip Recipe.

Why You’ll Love this Cheese Sauce

We love to have friends and family over to watch the big game. We may not always know what is going on with the game, but we really are more concerned with the food.

This cheese sauce is always the hit of the party. It is usually the first item gone as everything that we are serving can be dipped in it.

Plus with these simple ingredients and simple process I always have the ingredients on hand to make this cheese dip.

Ingredients for Easy Cheese Sauce

• Butter – Either unsalted butter or salted butter works for this recipe.
• Flour – I use unbleached all purpose flour.
• Whole Milk – I have found that whole milk works the best but you can use low fat if that’s all you have on hand. Heavy whip will also work in this recipe.
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese – I like to use sharp cheddar cheese. I recommend shredding your own cheese so that this cheese dip is creamy and smooth.
• Salt – Don’t skip the salt as it brings out the flavor in all the other ingredients.

Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe and ingredients in the recipe card.

How to Make Cheese Sauce for Pretzels

Step 1 – Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.

Step 2 – Whisk in the flour and keep whisking for about a minute until a thick paste forms.

Step 3 – Step 3 – Gradually add the milk and whisk. Let this mixture cook uncovered until it has thickened.

Step 4 – Remove from heat and add the cheese and salt.

• Step 5 – Whisk this all together, stirring constantly, until the cheese has completely melted and the mixture is smooth.

The cheese sauce is best served right away with your favorite soft pretzels or soft pretzel Bites.

Pro Tips

• If the cheese sauce is too thick, add in more milk gradually until the cheese sauce is the consistency that you prefer.
• You can add cream cheese to the mixture for a richer consistency. I would start with a tablespoon when you add the shredded cheese.
• Now if you are going to make a big batch, I highly recommend a double boiler to melt your cheese. It will go much smoother and will melt more evenly. Trust me… I’ve learned from experience!
• Shred fresh cheese for the best flavor. Pre-shredded cheese as added ingredients which may make it not melt as easily.

Flavor Variations

• Beer Cheese Dip – You an also make an easy beer cheese dip with this recipe. Simply substitute half of the milk with your favorite beer.
• Add Jalapenos – Mix in ½ cup of pickled jalapenos or fresh jalapenos for a spicy tex-mex kick. You can also add in ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
• Smoky Flavors – We recommend adding in ½ cup of smoked gouda to the cheese mixture. We even love to add in ½ teaspoon garlic powder and paprika to add to the smoky flavors.
• Buffalo – For a great addition to your game day appetizers, mix in 2 tbsp of hot sauce and ranch seasoning mix.
• Mustard Cheese Dip – Add a Tablespoon or two of mustard.

Serving Suggestions

This delicious sauce isn’t just for pretzels. It is delicious on many different things. We also love it drizzled over fritos, spicy chips, tortilla chips and vegetables.

• Steamed Broccoli – We make our in the microwave for an easy side dish.
• Nachos – Perfect to serve with a Nacho bar.
• In Burritos – Add a drizzle of of this cheese sauce inside a burrito to pump up the flavor.
• Baked Potatoes– Drizzle this cheese sauce on your potato. Bacon is good too.

Storage and Reheating Tips

• Fridge – Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
• Freezing – I do not recommend freezing this cheese dip recipe as the texture from frozen will be different as well as the flavor.
• Reheating – The cheese sauce will harden as it sits, so I recommend adding a small amount of milk when reheating the sauce to thin it back out and make it smooth and creamy again. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat or in a microwave safe bowl in the microwave.