This Easy Beer Cheese Soup recipe is quick and simple to make with cheddar cheese and Cheez Whiz and is unbelievably delicious! I've tried quite a few beer soups in my life, but this is the best beer cheese soup recipe ever! And you don't even have to like beer (or Cheez whiz) to love this meatless creamy soup!
This was adapted from a copycat of the Grainery Beer Cheese Soup (in North Dakota) and lightened up a lot to make it Weight Watchers friendly. It pairs well with this Baguette Garlic Bread, or Everything Bagel Cloud Bread Recipe (0 WW points). This recipe is great any time of the year, but ideal for Father's Day!
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If you love cooking and baking with beer, try my Guinness Chocolate Cake with Baileys Frosting!
🥘Ingredient Notes
You don't need heavy cream for this beer and cheese soup, as you can simply thicken it up with a roux. For this Beer Cheese Soup recipe, you'll need:
- Chicken broth. You'll probably want to use a reduced salt brand, as the Cheez Whiz already contains a lot of salt.
- Cheez Whiz. I use light. Don't worry if you're not a fan of Cheez Whiz - you won't even notice it's in there.
- Milk. I use 1%
- Sharp cheddar cheese. I use low-fat
- Beer.I use Miller Genuine Draft because it's a cold filter draft beer that's light and exceptionally smooth tasting.
- Mushrooms. I use fresh mushrooms sautéed with unsalted butter and seasoning salt * I use Lawry's seasoning salt. I don't recommend canned mushrooms.
- Chopped chives. Fresh chives are a must!
*See recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities.
📖Variations & Substitutions
- Beer - you can use any kind of beer you prefer. You could use a lager or a pale ale as well. You could use a non-alcoholic beer if you prefer not to have alcohol in the soup. Generally, this soup is best with whatever beer you already enjoy!
- Cheese- you can use regular cheese (not low-fat) if you prefer and if you don't have sharp/old cheddar cheese, you can use medium (although it won't taste quite the same) or you could use white cheddar instead.
- WW friendlier - use a light beer (I recommend Coor's Light), light Cheez Whiz, and light margarine/butter replacement.
- Chives - you can substitute green onion
- Vegetarian beer cheese soup - you can use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth to make this soup vegetarian
- Spicy - add a little of your favorite hot sauce or a bit of cayenne pepper to spice this up!
- Bacon - you can add some crispy bacon (or turkey bacon) if you desire
🔪How to Make Beer Cheese Soup
Sauté mushrooms in butter and seasoning salt under mushrooms are tender but still firm.
Add chicken broth, milk, Cheez whiz, cheddar cheese, Worcestershire sauce, and beer. Whisk over medium heat, stirring until melted and smooth.
Mix flour and oil until paste forms.
Add to soup broth and cook until it starts to thicken.
Add chives. Continue to cook on medium-high, whisking frequently until it thickens even more. then reduce to simmer
Simmer for about 10 additional minutes. The texture should be like heavy cream but the consistency should be thick like gravy. *If not thick enough, add a little more roux and simmer until it reaches the desired consistency.
Expert Tips for the Best Beer Cheese Soup
- Use freshly grated cheese. Pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents that can affect the soup’s texture, making it grainy. Grating sharp cheddar from a block will give you the smoothest, creamiest soup.
- Add the cheese gradually. To avoid clumping, add the cheese a handful at a time, stirring constantly, and make sure the soup is warm but not boiling when you add it. High heat can cause the cheese to separate and become grainy.
- Choose the right beer. A mild, smooth beer like Miller Genuine Draft, a lager, or a pale ale works best. Avoid overly bitter beers like IPAs, as they can overpower the soup.
- Sauté mushrooms for extra flavor. Cooking mushrooms with butter and seasoning salt before adding them to the soup deepens the umami flavor and enhances the overall taste.
- Keep the heat low after adding dairy. Once you add milk and cheese, keep the heat at medium-low to prevent curdling. High heat can cause the milk to scorch or the cheese to separate.
- Adjust the thickness to your liking. If the soup is too thick, add a little more broth or milk. If it’s too thin, let it simmer longer or add more roux (flour and oil mixture).
- Balance the flavors. If the soup tastes too bitter from the beer, add a splash of Worcestershire sauce or a small amount of honey/sugar to balance it out.
- Serve it hot. Beer cheese soup thickens as it cools, so serve it immediately for the best texture. If reheating, do so gently over low heat and stir frequently.
🥗 What to serve with Beer Cheese Soup (with Cheez Whiz)
The Cheddar Beer soup can be served as a side or a main course and goes well with bread, soft pretzels, and/or salad. I love to serve it with Italian Bread Machine Breadsticks (shown) or my Bread Machine Onion and Olive Bread.
For salads, a Kale Salad with Cranberries and Feta or a Mandarin Orange Salad pairs nicely with this beer cheese soup.
You can also serve this creamy beer cheese soup in a fun and delicious bread bowl - see how to make bread bowls here!
🌡️Storage
Store this easy beer cheese soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, whether you make it in advance or have leftover beer cheese soup.
It freezes well in a sealed container for up to 3 months.
👪 Serving Size
This beer cheddar soup recipe makes 8 servings. However, you can half, double, or triple the recipe by clicking on the serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust.
🔢WW Points
Cheesy soup is comfort food at its finest. And this recipe is lighter than most beer cheese soups @ 8 WW points. You can further reduce the points by using non-fat milk, light beer, and light butter, as well as non-fat cheddar cheese (if you can find it. )
❔ Recipe FAQ's
It's best to stick with smoother beers and avoid hoppy beers, such as IPA's, which tend to have a bit more of a bitter flavor.
Beer adds a rich, earthy flavor to soups that makes it taste like it's been simmering for hours. Like salt, beer brings out the flavor of food and adds more complexity to the dish. Most of the alcohol evaporates during the cooking process.
Yes! If you want to skip the beer, you can substitute it with additional broth or a mix of broth and apple cider vinegar for some tangy depth.
If you are looking for a delicious recipe for Dad on Father's Day or any day, this EASY Beer Cheese Soup with Cheez Whiz is going to hit the spot!
And if you love cheesy creamy soups, try my Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheese Soup as well!
🥣More Easy Soup Recipes
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📋 Easy Beer Cheese Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup Cheez Whiz (half of a 16 ounce jar)
- 1 ½ cups milk * I use 1%
- 1 ½ cups sharp cheddar cheese (low-fat)
- 1 cup beer
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cups mushrooms, sliced
- ⅛ teaspoon Lawry's seasoning salt
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup chopped chives
Garnish
- additional chopped chives, if desired
Instructions
- Sauté mushrooms in butter and seasoning salt under mushrooms are tender but still firm.2 cups mushrooms, sliced, ⅛ teaspoon Lawry's seasoning salt, 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Add broth, milk, Cheez whiz, cheddar cheese, Worcestershire sauce and beer. Whisk over medium-high stirring until melted and smooth.4 cups chicken broth, 1 cup Cheez Whiz (half of a 16 ounce jar), 1 ½ cups milk, 1 ½ cups sharp cheddar cheese (low-fat), 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 cup beer
- Mix flour and oil until paste forms.¼ cup all-purpose flour, ¼ cup olive oil
- Add to broth and cook until it starts to thicken.
- Add chives. Continue to cook on medium heat, whisking frequently until it thickens even more. then reduce to simmer.¼ cup chopped chives
- Simmer for about 10 additional minutes over medium-low heat. Texture should be like heavy cream but consistency will be thick like gravy.
- if not thickened enough, add more roux, then simmer for about 10 more minutes until desired thickness is reached minutes.
Garnish
- Garnish with additional chivesadditional chopped chives, if desired
Notes
-
- Use freshly grated cheese. Pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents that can affect the soup’s texture, making it grainy. Grating sharp cheddar from a block will give you the smoothest, creamiest soup.
-
- Add the cheese gradually. To avoid clumping, add the cheese a handful at a time, stirring constantly, and make sure the soup is warm but not boiling when you add it. High heat can cause the cheese to separate and become grainy.
-
- Choose the right beer. A mild, smooth beer like Miller Genuine Draft, a lager, or a pale ale works best. Avoid overly bitter beers like IPAs, as they can overpower the soup.
-
- Sauté mushrooms for extra flavor. Cooking mushrooms with butter and seasoning salt before adding them to the soup deepens the umami flavor and enhances the overall taste.
-
- Keep the heat low after adding dairy. Once you add milk and cheese, keep the heat at medium-low to prevent curdling. High heat can cause the milk to scorch or the cheese to separate.
-
- Adjust the thickness to your liking. If the soup is too thick, add a little more broth or milk. If it’s too thin, let it simmer longer or add more roux (flour and oil mixture).
-
- Balance the flavors. If the soup tastes too bitter from the beer, add a splash of Worcestershire sauce or a small amount of honey/sugar to balance it out.
-
- Serve it hot. Beer cheese soup thickens as it cools, so serve it immediately for the best texture. If reheating, do so gently over low heat and stir frequently.
Terri Gilson
This is my favorite version of beer cheese soup, hands down. I love that I was able to lighten it up and make it Weight Watchers friendly without sacrificing flavor. The combination of cheddar and Cheez Whiz gives it such a rich, creamy texture, and using a roux instead of heavy cream keeps it surprisingly light. Even people who aren't big beer fans enjoy this soup!