Homemade pretzel bites are the perfect dippers for this tangy, rich beer cheese sauce. This is a perfect party appetizer recipe for a crowd.
Looking for a hot appetizer to serve a crowd? These homemade pretzel bites with beer cheese sauce are always a hit.
Making these starts with a quick, easy pretzel dough that you make yourself. Yeast, water, sugar, flour … the simple ingredients may already be in your pantry.
But how do the pretzels get that airy inside and smooth outside? It happens through a combination of a brief rising period for the dough, boiling the pretzels and then baking them.
And the result is terrific — tender, homemade pretzel bites are so delightful. And they are even better when served with an irresistible, bold beer cheese sauce.
This sauce begins with a classic roux — butter and flour. Then it’s mixed with beer and milk, seasoned with dry mustard and swirled with a sharp cheddar. Finish it off with salt to bring out the flavors and you have a delightful sauce for dipping those pretzel bites into.
But I should admit that there’s a secret to the sauce.
The flavor of the cheese sauce will change depending on the beer you use. A hoppy beer like an IPA will result in a hoppier sauce. A smoother beer, like a lager, will result in a smoother flavored sauce. A rich beer like a stout will result in a richer beer cheese sauce.
The choice of beer is all yours — just be sure to choose one that you love.
Now, who’s ready to get cooking? Invite some friends over — it could be to watch a game, a movie, to play board games or whatever — and whip these up to enjoy.
Looking for another appetizer to serve? These pair really well with my recipe for Barbecue Meatballs Appetizer.
Pretzel Bites with Beer Cheese Sauce
Homemade pretzel bites are the perfect dippers for this tangy, rich beer cheese sauce. This is a perfect party appetizer recipe for a crowd.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp baking soda
- 1 package active dry yeast
- 1½ cups warm water
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 4¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- coarse salt (such as coarse kosher salt)
Beer Cheese Sauce:
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup beer
- ½ cup milk
- 1 tsp ground dry mustard
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large pot, dissolve the baking soda in 8 cups of water and bring to a boil.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Let it sit undisturbed until it foams -- about 2-3 minutes. Stir the sugar into the yeast mixture. Add the flour and salt and stir well to combine.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead until smooth. Divide into four pieces and roll each one into a long rope. Cut into 1-inch pieces. Let sit for 10 minutes
- Drop the pretzel pieces into the boiling water, about 10 at a time, and boil for 30 seconds. Remove to the prepared baking sheet with a slotted spoon. Continue until all the pretzels have been boiled.
- Brush the pretzels with oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown.
- While the pretzels are baking, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Whisk the flour into the butter until fully combined and golden. Add the beer a little at a time, whisking thoroughly until combined. Add the milk a little at a time, whisking until fully combined. Whisk in the ground mustard. Continue cooking until it's steaming hot. Whisk in the cheese until smooth. Remove from heat and season with salt, as desired.
- Serve the pretzels and cheese sauce together immediately.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 409Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 2348mgCarbohydrates: 55gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 15g
Kate
Sunday 23rd of February 2020
I did the store bought version of this for the superbowl, but the homemade version sounds 1 million times better.