Vegan Beer Cheese Dip
This thick and creamy vegan beer cheese dip has that classic tangy flavor of traditional beer cheese but is made from tofu right in your food processor! Serve it hot or cold – as a dip with warm homemade pretzel bites and veggies or a spread on sandwiches and plant-based burgers and brats! It’s the perfect dairy-free appetizer for game day, a party, or movie night snack!
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We are head-over-heels for beer cheese over here. I would offer into evidence:
- Exhibit A: Our classic vegan beer cheese soup in a soft pretzel bowl. This is one of the first ever recipes we developed for the blog!
- Exhibit B: Our vegan bacon mac and beer cheese – an award-winning vegan mac and cheese recipe (yes, seriously, we won an award for it!). Try it in a soft pretzel bread bowl!
But the recipe we’re sharing today fills a gap many of you have asked about before: a vegan beer cheese dip.
This creamy tofu cheddar is a thick pub-style beer cheese that, served hot or cold, can be used as a dip for veggies or soft pretzels or as a spread for a variety of delicious sandwiches from brats to veggie burgers! And the best part? It’s made right in your food processor!
And friend, this beer cheese dip is a beautiful, beautiful thing. I could gush about how much I love this recipe for forever, but then neither of us would get the chance to eat it, so let’s get on with it and make vegan pub cheese!
Why You’ll Love Dairy Free Beer Cheese
- No-Cook. This vegan beer cheese requires no stove time – there are no potatoes and carrots to boil like our other beer cheese recipes. It’s all made in your food processor! No sauce pan needed!
- Cashew-Free. Our vegan cheese spread is made entirely from tofu without any raw cashews in sight, making it far more budget-friendly and accessible for people with cashew allergies!
- Exceptional taste and texture. I actually surprised myself with how good this turned out. It’s the perfect dip guaranteed to have everyone at the party talking!
- Made from-scratch without any store-bought vegan cheddar cheese. Another boost for your budget (without sacrificing flavor!).
Ingredients in Vegan Pub Cheese
You’ll need just 10 simple ingredients to make this dairy-free cheese dip!
- Firm tofu – Drain the package of excess water, but you don’t need to press it.
- Beer – Feel free to try your favorite beer. A pilsner is a great place to start if you don’t want much of a beer flavor. Any kind of beer works from lagers to pale ales, but this recipe work best if you choose a good beer taste that’s not overpowering. For traditional German beer, we suggest Hacker Pschorr Munich (or Munchner) Gold, Paulaner’s Munchner Lager. If you’re using US domestic beer, I’d suggest Fat Tire by New Belgium brewing company. I try to avoid darker beers in any beer cheese sauce to avoid losing that gorgeous color.
- Nutritional yeast – This is a savory yeast common in plant-based cooking that adds a nutty cheesy flavor to our dip.
- Refined coconut oil (melted) – Make sure you’re using refined coconut oil and not one labeled “unrefined” or “virgin”. Refined coconut oil has zero flavor or taste.
- Miso mustard – This is a miso/mustard combo made by our friends at HealthSavor from Great Eastern Sun that adds the perfect combo of acidic tang and fermented cheesy flavor! Substitution options below.
- Tomato paste – This adds a little flavor but mostly color
- Garlic – More or less depending on your preferences.
- Spices: sea salt, vegan chicken bouillon powder, smoked paprika
Is there alcohol in beer cheese?
It depends on the recipe! Our vegan beer cheese soup and mac and beer cheese recipes cook the alcohol out of the sauce before serving. However, this pub cheese style spread doesn’t cook the cheese, so it does contain alcohol. Apple cider can be used to keep it alcohol-free.
Substitution Options
If you need to substitute one of the ingredients in this recipe, here are our best tips. Remember though, substituting any of the listed ingredients may lead to a difference in the final product, and that difference may not always be positive. Let us know in the comments if you try any subs and how they work out for you!
For the beer: Use apple cider or non-alcoholic beer for an alcohol-free / kid-friendly version or substitute. You can also use gluten-free beer and skip the pretzel bites to make this dip gluten-free! Check out this gluten-free beer guide for ideas.
For the tofu: You may be able to use extra firm tofu in this recipe, but you may need to add more liquid, a little at a time, to get the food processor moving. Using silken tofu would give you a much thinner consistency that may work as a sauce/dip but not as a spread.
For the Miso Mustard: Sub 1 Tbsp white miso paste + 3 Tbsp yellow mustard. Dijon mustard or stone ground mustard could also work. But they might alter the taste ever so slightly.
For the nutritional yeast: I wouldn’t skip this ingredient if possible. In a pinch, you could probably use vegan cheddar shreds.
For the refined coconut oil: You could possibly make this with vegetable shortening, but we have never tried it and don’t recommend it. Coconut oil is not interchangeable with other oils like olive oil. It is a key ingredient in our tofu cheese recipes because it firms up when chilled, which is what makes our cheese dip firm up in the fridge.
For the tomato paste: Sub tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, or crushed tomatoes.
How to Make Our Vegan Cheese Dip Recipe
This is the easiest vegan beer cheese recipe we’ve ever made!
Step 1: Blend the tofu cheese mixture.
You’ll start the recipe process by adding all the ingredients to your food processor or high speed blender – starting with the tofu and ending with the refined coconut oil. Process on a low speed, slowly increasing to high for about 7-8 minutes, stopping to scrape the sides as needed.
This timing may seem long, but it’s the key to getting the creamy texture of the tofu, oil, beer mixture right. The vegan cheese mixture will get really smooth and shiny towards the end, which is exactly what we want!
We use our Vitamix and the tamper that comes with it for this step, but a good quality food processor would also probably work (maybe better).
Step 2: Set the dairy-free cheese.
Now, you’ll transfer this mixture to a bowl or container, cover it, and place it in the fridge for at least 3 hours to set.
The vegan cheese spread will thicken as it cools, so this part is important. For best results, I like to let it set overnight.
How to Serve This Tofu Cheese Dip
When you’re ready, remove the dip from the fridge and sprinkle with some smoked paprika or vegan bacon bits to give it a bit of a smoky flavor and make it all pretty.
Serve this tofu cheddar dip with:
- Our warm homemade soft pretzel bites
- As a great addition to a veggie and dip party platter.
- Alongside your favorite crackers, tortilla chips, pita chips, and apple slices (seriously, try it!)
- As a spread on a thick slice of bread or sandwich!
How to Heat Vegan Pretzel Cheese
We like to serve this dip cold, but you can heat it up if that’s more your jam!
There are two ways to heat your vegan pub cheese:
- On the stove: If you want to serve vegan beer cheese warm, you can heat it in a small saucepan on the stove over low heat, whisking constantly until completely warmed through.
- In the microwave: You could also heat this vegan cheese dip in the microwave on high for 30 second – 1 minute intervals, stirring thoroughly in between each interval, until it’s heated through.
How to Store Leftovers
This vegan beer cheese dip makes spectacular leftovers, and the flavors really shine after having some time to mingle.
Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or the freezer for up to 8 weeks.
What to do with leftover beer cheese dip:
- Freeze it in 1-2 cup Souper Cubes and defrost for future game days or parties
- Use it as a sandwich spread for plant-based burgers and vegan brats!
- Eat it as an afternoon snack with carrots, celery, broccoli, and cauliflower
More Dairy Free Cheese Spreads:
- Easy Vegan Cheese Ball
- Whipped Tofu Feta Dip
- Vegan Veggie Cream Cheese
- Herbed Cashew Cheese Spread
- Vegan Goat Cheese
I know you’re going to love the magic of this dairy-free beer cheese dip just like we do. It may just be my favorite tofu cheese recipe we’ve created thus far!
When you make it, don’t forget to let us know by leaving a rating and review of the recipe in the comment section below. This helps more people like you find our recipes, and our favorite thing about being food bloggers is hearing about your own experience with our recipes!
Now, go get blending that tofu into cheese, and enjoy!
Vegan Pretzel Cheese Dip
Ingredients
- 1 14-oz block firm tofu
- 1/2 – 2/3 cup beer See notes for brand suggestions.
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/2 cup refined coconut oil melted
- 1/4 cup miso mustard*
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 4 large cloves garlic
- 1 tsp sea salt optional, taste before adding
- 1 tsp vegan chicken bouillon powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to your food processor and process on a low speed,slowly increasing to high for about 7-8 minutes, stopping to scrape the sides as needed. The mixture will get really smooth and shiny towards the end which is what we want! We use our Vitamix and the tamper that comes with it.
- Transfer this mixture to a bowl or container, cover, and place it in the fridge for at least 1 hour to set.
- When you're ready, remove the dip from the fridge and sprinkle with some smoked paprika to make it all pretty. Serve with pretzel bites and veggies or spread it on a thick slice of bread, toast, or sandwich!
- If you want to serve vegan beer cheese warm, you can heat it in a small saucepan on the stove over low heat, whisking constantly until completely warmed through. You could also heat this vegan cheese dip in the microwave on high for 30 second – 1 minute intervals, stirring thoroughly in between each interval, until it’s heated through.
