Beer cheese dip is hot, cheesy, and delicious! This corn and bacon filled cheese dip is the perfect easy appetizer for game day. A quick dip recipe sure to please any crowd!
What’s in Beer Cheese Dip with Bacon?
This corn and bacon packed beer cheese dip is a crowd favorite! It’s hot, cheesy, and filled with beer and bacon. What more could you want in a dip?
- Cream Cheese: Forms the creamy, tangy base of this dip.
- Cheese: A combination of Parmesan cheese and mozzarella (and provolone, if you like!) makes this dip salty, creamy, and ultra-cheesy!
- Beer: I like an IPA for this dip, but a golden lager will also work.
- Spices: Black pepper, paprika, and garlic powder give this dip a spicy, earthy flavor.
- Canned Corn: Adds a pop of sweetness and freshness. You can use frozen or fresh corn if you prefer.
- Bacon Crumbles: Add a salty, umami flavor to the dip. The more, the better!
- Cilantro: Adds a pop of color and freshness. You can leave it out if you’re not a fan.
Pro Tip: Room temperature cream cheese will combine better than cold.
Variations on Bacon Beer Cheese Dip
There are so many easy ways to change up this beer cheese dip to suit your personal tastes. Here are a few ideas:
- Spicy: Add some diced jalapeños or a pinch of cayenne pepper to the mixture for some heat.
- Smoky: Add a few dashes of liquid smoke to the mixture for a smoky flavor. You could also use smoked cheddar or gouda instead of the mozzarella/provolone blend.
- Herb and Garlic: Stir in some finely chopped fresh herbs (such as parsley, chives, and thyme) and minced garlic for a more herbaceous and garlicky dip.
- Mexican-Style: Swap out the Parmesan cheese for queso fresco and the bacon for cooked chorizo. Add some diced tomatoes and green chilies for extra flavor.
- Buffalo: Stir in some Buffalo sauce for a spicy and tangy dip. You could also top it with some crumbled blue cheese before serving.
I recommend using an IPA for this beer cheese dip recipe. It has a great depth of flavor while still being crisp and light. It’s one of our favorite beers on its own, and it’s perfect in this recipe. You’ll only need about half a bottle, so feel free to sip on the rest while cooking.
You sure can. Dump all of the dip ingredients in a crockpot, cover, and cook on low heat for 4 hours (or high heat for 2 hours).
This oven-baked dip is best served hot if you ask me, but it can certainly be served cold if you prefer. Feel free to serve it straight from the fridge.
If you’re serving this dip at a party, keep it warm in a slow cooker set to low.
Absolutely! Don’t let any of this hot beer cheese dip go to waste! It will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
How to Store and Reheat
If you somehow have leftovers (it’s really good and hard to resist), store it in an airtight container. You could also wrap the serving dish with plastic wrap or foil. Then, store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
It tastes pretty good cold, or you can reheat it in the microwave or oven. I do not recommend freezing this dip!
Serving Suggestions
A good dip deserves an even better chip! You can’t go wrong with tortilla chips here. I recommend using a sturdier chip to make sure it holds up against all that cheese, corn, and bacon. You could also serve this with crackers, pita chips, bread dippers, or even some veggies (just for the illusion of health).
Hot Corn and Bacon Beer Cheese Dip
Ingredients
- 16 ounces low-fat cream cheese (2 bricks)
- 5 ounces freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup IPA beer (about ⅔ bottle)
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella/provolone blend cheese divided (or just shredded mozzarella)
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground paprika
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 11 ounces canned corn drained and rinsed (1 can)
- 1¼ cups cooked bacon crumbles plus more for garnish
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro plus more for garnish
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Place the cream cheese, parmesan cheese, beer, 1 cup mozzarella/provolone blend, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder into a high powered blender. Blend until fully combined. It will be a bit thin which is fine.16 ounces low-fat cream cheese, 5 ounces freshly shredded Parmesan cheese, 1 cup IPA beer, 2 cups shredded mozzarella/provolone blend cheese, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon ground paprika, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- Pour mixture into a large bowl and stir in the corn, bacon, cilantro, and remaining 1 cup mozzarella/provolone blend.11 ounces canned corn, 1¼ cups cooked bacon crumbles, ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Spoon mixture into an oven safe baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining bacon.
- Cook for 15-20 minutes or until mixture is hot and bubbly.
- Sprinkle with extra cilantro and serve with chips.
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
- Low-fat cream cheese works just as well as full-fat, but you can use either.
- I love cilantro, but you can definitely leave it out if you don’t like it.
- Drain the corn before adding it into the dip mixture.
- Cook until the dip is hot and bubbly. There’s nothing in here you can’t eat cold, but you want to make sure you get the middle nice and hot too.
- In my opinion, the more bacon the better. So don’t skimp on the bacon crumbles.
Nutrition Information
Can you use a different type of beer? We aren’t fans of IPAs
Is there a substitute for beer to make kid friendly?
Try substituting a nonalcoholic beer in your recipe. You will be able to enjoy the flavor without exposing your kids to alcohol content because nonalcoholic beer has mere traces of alcohol!
Can you make this in a crockpot?
It is delicious. Thank you for sharing. It was a hit!
So happy to hear that!
What size baking dish do you use for this in order to achieve the correct proportion of dip to toppings? Have you ever made it in a small crockpot? Thanks.
Great flavor, I’d add at least 50% more corn next time though, I thought it got lost in all the cheese.
I mean this with much respect you are overwhelming me with all these wonderful dishes and dips THANK YOU
Ha thank you!!! Good problem to have :)
Can you make this in advance then bake the day of?
Yes you could make it the night before, refrigerate, and then bake the next day. Hope you love it!
Oh, wow! This looks incredible.
Oh my gosh, I want to go swimming in this dip! And use the chip as a lounge raft. Yep, I went there! Looks delish!