Featuring two flavorful cheeses and your preferred Belgian beer, this dip is sure to curb your craving for the beloved restaurant appetizer!
Here’s Our Copycat for Applebee’s Beer Cheese
Updated on Sep. 30, 2024
If you love re-creating restaurant favorites at home as much as we do, you’ll want to add this recipe to your repertoire. Our copycat Applebee’s Beer Cheese recipe is creamy, packed with flavor and perfect for sharing.
The Applebee’s cheese dip uses Blue Moon, which is a Belgian-style witbier. For this version, you can use any kind of Belgian beer. I recommend blonde ales to add a crisp, light flavor. You can also use dark ales for a toasty, malty flavor and just a touch of bitterness.
Editor’s Tip: With a few simple ingredients, you can also make the best-ever homemade Applebee’s spinach artichoke dip.
First: Choose the Right Kind of Cheese
Using the right kind of cheese is key in creating a silky-smooth beer cheese dip. You don’t want to use whatever’s lingering in your cheese drawer! When choosing the best cheeses to use, look for these characteristics: flavor and meltability. Pick a cheese that you would enjoy alongside a beer. Skip the pre-shredded stuff because it doesn’t melt well.
The best cheeses for an Applebee’s-style beer cheese dip are:
- American (offers great texture, but not a lot of flavor)
- Cheddar
- Emmental (aka Emmentaler)
- Gouda
- Gruyère (it’s a cheese worth keeping on hand—here’s why)
- Young cheddar
Just like Applebee’s, I used plenty white cheddar in the recipe below, but you can definitely try different combinations.
How to Make Applebee’s Beer Cheese Dip
This recipe takes 20 minutes to make and yields about 2½ cups.
Ingredients
- 2 cups Gouda, shredded
- 2 cups white cheddar, shredded
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1¼ cups Belgian beer of choice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
Step 1: Prep the Cheese
In a large bowl, toss cheeses and cornstarch together. (The cornstarch will thicken the dip and keep it from separating into a greasy puddle. See what other magic you can work with cornstarch.)
Step 2: Melt and Stir
In a saucepan, heat your beer, garlic, mustard and pepper over medium heat until simmering. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add a handful of the cheese mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until completely melted.
Continue adding cheese a handful at a time, allowing cheese to melt completely between additions.
Step 3: Finish and Garnish
Once all of the cheese has been added and melted, stir in cayenne and season with salt. Serve with warm Soft Giant Pretzels or Soft Beer Pretzel Nuggets.
But we couldn’t stop there…we also re-created Applebee’s unique Blond Brownies a la Mode and their out-of-this-world Garlic Mashed Red Potatoes, among others. Enjoy!
More Applebee's Copycats to Make ASAP
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Applebee's Copycat Recipes FAQ
What are the best Applebee’s copycat recipes?
The best Applebee’s copycat recipes are bacon cheeseburger, chicken tacos and Italian three-cheese macaroni. These recipes strike the right balance between bold flavor, texture and familiarity, just like the originals. They layer sauces, spice blends and creamy elements that are easy to replicate at home. Use fresh aromatics like garlic and onion, and don’t skip finishing touches like broiling cheese until it bubbles or letting sauces reduce for richness.
Are there any easy Applebee's copycat recipes I can make for dessert?
Yes, absolutely! Applebee’s dessert-inspired copycat recipes like choco-chip blondies, chocolate lava cake and cookie skillet bars are surprisingly simple to make. Many use pantry staples like brown sugar, chocolate chips and flour and rely on familiar techniques like one-bowl mixing or skillet baking. For an even easier win, pair a warm blondie or brownie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzle with caramel or fudge sauce.
What’s the secret to making Applebee’s copycat recipes taste like restaurant-style comfort food?
The key to getting that restaurant-style comfort food flavor is layering. Start with bold seasonings, balance sweet and savory notes and finish with texture—like melted cheese, crispy edges or toasted toppings. Many Applebee’s dishes also use rich sauces like bourbon glaze, Alfredo and queso, which are easy to prep in small batches at home. Use broilers or cast-iron skillets to mimic the caramelization and sear you’d get in a restaurant kitchen.
