This easy cheese fondue recipe is a favorite retro recipe!
Swiss and Gruyere cheeses are melted together with a splash of kirsch for a deliciously dippable appetizer.
Perfect for New Year’s Eve, Christmas, or really, any type of gathering!
Easy Cheesy Fondue!
- Party Pleaser: Cheese fondue is a hit at gatherings, bringing everyone together around a pot of melty, gooey goodness.
- Easy to Make: You don’t need to be a gourmet chef to master this delicious dish.
- Prep-Ahead: Easily prepare it up to 2 days in advance and reheat for smooth, creamy perfection.
- Equipment-Friendly: No fondue pot? Use a stovetop, ceramic bowl, or mini Crockpot.
Ingredients for Cheese Fondue
Cheese – The most popular cheese for fondue is gruyère cheese which is mild while the addition of Swiss cheese adds a bold flavor. You can vary the cheese mixture based on what you have, gouda or fontina are other favorites!
Kirsch – Kirsch is a cherry brandy and is a traditional ingredient in cheese fondue. It can be replaced with sherry or a dry white wine if you don’t have any. For non-alcoholic cheese fondue, use any clear fruit juice like apple cider, apple juice, or even lemon juice.
Cornstarch – A little corn starch helps to thicken the fondue and keeps the cheese from clumping.
PRO TIP: Shred blocks of cheese instead of using pre-shredded which contains additives and prevents the fondue from melting properly.
How to Make Cheese Fondue
This recipe can’t get any easier!
- Gently toss the shredded cheese with with the cornstarch per the recipe below.
- Rub the inside of a saucepan with garlic. Add the wine and simmer.
- Slowly stir in the cheese, whisking until melted. Season and serve!
Delicious Dippers for Fondue
- Bread Cubes: chunks of French or sourdough bread, soft breadsticks, garlic crostini rounds
- Chips: tortilla chips, pretzels or pretzel sticks
- Vegetables: roasted broccoli or cauliflower florets, strips of bell pepper, carrot, or whole (cooked) baby red potatoes or fingerlings.
- Fruit: cubed apples, seedless grapes, dried fruit, pineapple slices
- Meat: meatballs, grilled steak, chicken, shrimp
Leftovers
Reheat cheese fondue in the microwave and loosen it up by adding a little milk and a dash of salt for flavor. Freeze cheese fondue in zippered bags and reheat it with milk and extra cheese to emulsify it again.
Cheesy Appetizers
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Easy Cheese Fondue Recipe
A rich combination of Swiss and Gruyere cheeses melted into white wine, this is the perfect dish to bring guests together!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
- 1 clove whole garlic
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 8 ounces Swiss cheese or Emmental, shredded
- 4 ounces Gruyere cheese shredded
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon kirsch optional but delicious, or sherry
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- pinch of pepper
- 1 loaf french bread for dipping
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Cut the garlic clove in half and rub the cut side inside the saucepan. Discard the clove (or save it for another use).
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Add the wine to the saucepan and bring it to a simmer over medium heat, let simmer for 1 minute.
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In a bowl, gently toss all shredded cheeses with cornstarch. Set aside.
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Reduce heat to low and add cheese, a few tablespoons at a time gently stirring until melted before adding more. This should be done very slowly.
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Once melted, stir in kirsh, nutmeg, and pepper.
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Serve warm with bread for dipping.
Swap out half of the cheeses for mild cheddar to create a milder flavor.
Brie is another great creamy addition to fondue.
Calories: 140 | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 71mg | Potassium: 44mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 256IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 253mg | Iron: 1mg
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
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About the author
Holly is a wine and cheese lover, recipe creator, shopping enthusiast and self appointed foodie. Her greatest passion is creating in the kitchen and making deliciously comforting recipes for the everyday home cook!
See more posts by Holly
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