Vegan Beer Cheese with Pretzels
Hello & Happy Friday!!
Believe it or not, I’m the furthest thing from a beer connoisseur, but for some reason, I love beer cheese!!. I was introduced to beer cheese soup back in 2003/2004 and although the thought of the concept sounded off-putting at first, I gave in and tried it and was instantly taken aback by the flavor the beer creates in savory dishes. For those who’ve never tried any beer inspired foods, from a distance, it sounds obscure, but I promise..
It is oh so good!
This recipe came to fruition in 2014, because I honestly was craving it and there wasn’t a single vegan beer cheese recipe I could find! My initial beer cheese I created on a whim featured vegan cheese products. While I support vegan cheese, I love to create recipes sans product as it can be an obstacle for people to source them especially right now and each variety melts different etc. That being said, this beer cheese has been on my bucket list to remake and I’m just so glad I did.
What’s great about this recipe, is everything! It features minimal ingredients to make the pretzels, 30 minutes, requires no rise time, requires no eggs, buttery soft, classic pretzel flavor, the cheese dip can be paired with whatever you like, the color, texture and flavor are on point, it’s great for entertaining, you can turn the pretzels into bites, it’s perfect for any season, affordable, the cheese dip features carrots and potatoes, it has a hint of spice and is just my favorite appetizer!
If you’re looking for an appetizer that has both aesthetic appeal and a flavor profile that will leave you longing for another bite…you have to try my recipe for 30 Minute Pretzels and Vegan Beer Cheese!!
Why this recipe is great:
Easy
Cheesy
Affordable
Great for entertaining!
Beer cheese is the bomb!
NO RISE TIME
To make the beer cheese you just throw it in a blender
Game. Changer.
Vegan 30 Minute Pretzels with Beer Cheese
- Total Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients
Pretzels:
- 1 and 1/2 cups warm water
- 1 packet active dry or instant yeast (2 + 1/4 teaspoons)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 3 and 3/4 white flour + more for work surface
- coarse sea salt, for sprinkling (optional)
Beer Cheese Sauce:
- 1/2 cup vegan beer
- 1 large tbsp dijon
- 2 1/2 tbsp vegan Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 tbsp Sriracha or hot sauce
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 cup soaked cashews (longer you soak, smoother the texture)
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 large carrot, fork tender
- 1 small white potato, fork tender
- Salt/Pepper as desired
- Garnish: peprika and chives
Instructions
- Pretzels: Preheat oven to 425°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir with a spoon until fairly mixed, about 1 minute. Some clusters of yeast may remain. Add salt and sugar; stir until fairly combined.
- Slowly add 3 cups of flour, 1 cup at a time. Mix with a wooden spoon until dough is thick.
- Add 3/4 cup more flour until the dough is no longer sticky. If it is still sticky, add up to 1/2 cup more if warranted. Poke the dough, if it bounces back, it is ready to knead.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface.
- Knead the dough for about 3 minutes and shape into a ball. With a sharp knife, cut ball of dough into sections. Measurements are not exact and the size is up to you to create the pretzels you want.
- Roll the sections of dough into a rope with an even diameter. (20 inches in length for traditional size). Once you have your long rope, take the ends and draw them together so the dough forms a circle. Twist the ends, then bring them towards yourself and press them down into a pretzel shape. See above for a visual.
- Whisk 9 cups of water and 1/2 cup baking soda together in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Don’t add baking soda once boiling as it will boil over. Place a pretzel onto a large slotted spatula and dip into the boiling water for 20-30 seconds. The pretzel will float. Lift the pretzel out of the water and allow as much of the excess water to drip off. Place pretzel onto prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the pretzels. Sprinkle with salt while still wet.
- Bake for 10 minutes at 425°F, rotating mid bake.
- Turn the oven to broil and bake for 5 more minutes to brown the tops. (optional) Watch closely to avoid burning.
- Allow to cool and enjoy. Serve warm with beer cheese. Store in an airtight container or for up to 3 days
- Beer Cheese: Combine everything in a blender, minus the beer, and blend until smooth. Add the beer gradually to figure out how much you want! Serve warm with with pretzel bread.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4-6
What’s the baking time if I do pretzel bites?
Hi Kayla, I’m not sure as I haven’t made these into bites. However, the time would be less given the smaller size.