Cheese Fondue is a classic appetizer for any gathering at any time of year and it’s easy to make!
A rich combination of Swiss and Gruyere cheeses melted into a white wine, this is the perfect dish to bring guests together!
Best Cheese for Fondue
This easy fondue recipe uses the Swiss cheese and Gruyere cheese as bases, but for a different flavor profile, feel free to add blue cheese or another soft melt-able cheese and make a signature dip all your own! Make-ahead for a grab-and-go potluck or party!
Cheese Tip
Always shred your own cheeses from a block. Pre-shredded cheeses have additives that can keep them from melting properly.
When it comes to choosing your own signature cheeses just make sure to choose soft, easy to melt cheeses with high-fat content for the best cheese fondue. Cheeses that have a deep rich flavor pair well with whatever your guests are dipping with.
How to Make Cheese Fondue
This cheese fondue is as easy as 1, 2, 3!
- Toss all of the shredded cheese with the cornstarch until the shreds are evenly coated.
- Rub the inside of a stockpot (or fondue pot if you have one) with the peeled garlic clove that is cut in half.
- Simmer wine in the pot and gradually add small handfuls of the coated cheese into the heated wine. Stir each handful in a figure 8 pattern until well melted. It is important to do this step slowly!
- Stir in the remaining ingredients and continue to stir until heated through and the cheese is smooth and creamy.
Serve warm with fresh french bread and other dippers and enjoy!
Variations
- Add 1-2 teaspoons grainy mustard
- Swap out the cheeses for your favorites (brie is amazing too)
- Swap wine for beer (similar to a beer cheese dip!)
- Darker beers, stouts, and malts will give a more bitter flavor while ales and IPA’s will give a lighter flavor.
No Fondue Pot? No Problem!
If you’d like to keep your cheese fondue in a fondue pot, that’s great! I serve cheese fondue in a thicker ceramic fondue pot to keep it from burning (an electric fondue pot works great too).
Even if you’re using a fondue pot, cheese fondue needs to be made on the stovetop so guess what, no fondue pot is really required. Pour it into a bowl (heat the bowl with boiling water for a few minutes before adding the cheese to keep it warm longer) or even a mini crockpot on warm.
Cheese Fondue Dippers
So many things make great dippers for cheese fondue! Maybe that’s why it’s been so popular for decades!
- Chips: tortilla chips, pretzels or pretzel sticks
- Bread: chunks of French or sourdough bread, soft breadsticks, garlic crostini rounds
- Vegetables: celery sticks, broccoli florets, cauliflower florets, zucchini rounds, bell pepper strips, whole mushrooms, whole (cooked) baby red potatoes
- Fruit: cubed apples, seedless grapes, dried fruit, pineapple slices
- Meat: meatballs, grilled steak, chicken, shrimp
Leftovers
You mean, IF there’s leftovers; here’s what you can do! Keep leftovers tightly covered in the fridge until you’re ready to use them again.
Reheat: To reheat cheese fondue just add a little bit of milk and a dash of salt to freshen the flavor and pop in the microwave or back into a pot.
Freeze: It’s okay to freeze cheese fondue but it will separate as it thaws. But this is an easy fix! Just reheat slowly and whisk in some extra milk and cheese.
Cheesy Appetizers
- Easy Shrimp Dip – loaded with juicy shrimp!
- Cheesy Hamburger Dip – rich, creamy & cheesy
- Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Dip – so simple to prepare!
- Cheesy Beef Queso Dip – perfect for dipping!
- Baked Brie – with cranberries & pecans
Easy Cheese Fondue Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Swiss cheese or Emmental, shredded
- 4 ounces Gruyere cheese shredded
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon kirsch optional but delicious, or sherry
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- pinch of pepper
- 1 loaf french bread for dipping
Instructions
- Cut the clove of garlic in half and rub the inside of your saucepan with the garlic. Discard the clove (or save for another use).
- Bring wine to a low simmer.
- Toss all shredded cheeses with cornstarch. Set aside.
- Reduce heat to medium low and add cheese a small handful at a time over low heat until melted. Stir in a figure 8 pattern until smooth before adding more. Do not try to rush this process or your cheese will not melt properly.
- Stir in remaining ingredients (except bread) and heat through.
- Serve warm with bread for dipping.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Appetizer, Dip, Party Food
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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Notes from 6/9/23: HEAD-TO-HEAD FONDUE COOK OFF!
We had the entire family of 10 for French Onion Soup. Along with this I made two batches of Cheese Fondue to use both of our Fondue pots. One was a pre-mised Fondue from Publix and the other this recipe. The Recipe was the unanamaus favorite. The only change I made was to prepare it in a skillet rather than making it in the Fondue Pot which takes too long. Also, I used Kirschwasser rather than Kirsch liquor.
We served it with cubed baguettes, blanched broccoli, cherry tomatoes, chunks of ham, and boiled baby potatoes for dipping. I was really fun for all. Everyone loved it and literally scraped the bowl clean Repeat performance requested by all.
This is so fun Ed! I love this idea and so happy to hear this recipe was the winner ;)
Thank you for sharing!
so easy and delicious.
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe Lise!
It was delicious! So easy to do! Thank you so much!
I am so glad you enjoyed this fondue Jan!
Does the alcohol cook out in this amount of time?
Not all but a good portion should cook out while preparing this cheese fondue. You can replace the white wine with vegetable or chicken broth if you prefer.
Easy and awesome. Will make again for sure!
mmmmm fondue
This was delicious! I used Swiss, Gruyere, and sharp white cheddar, all pre-shredded, and it tasted just like cheese fondue at The Melting Pot. Will definitely make again.
This recipe was out of this world!! I didn’t add the optional Kirsh, but I’d still give it an A++. After watching a travel show on Switzerland, I just had to dig out my old electric fondue pot (never used) and I’m glad I did! We enjoyed it with French bread and Granny Smith Apples.
Hi Kristin!
Sounds delicious! Glad you liked it!
Making this right now! I hope I make it as good as it sounds!