Easy Cheese Fondue Recipe (2024)

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 Cheese Fondue Recipe (1)

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.

Easy Cheese Fondue Recipe (2)

How to Make Cheese Fondue

This recipe can’t get any easier!

  1. Gently toss the shredded cheese with with the cornstarch per the recipe below.
  2. Rub the inside of a saucepan with garlic. Add the wine and simmer.
  3. Slowly stir in the cheese, whisking until melted. Season and serve!
Easy Cheese Fondue Recipe (3)

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.

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5 from 46 votes↑ Click stars to rate now!
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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!

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ReviewPrint

Easy Cheese Fondue Recipe (10)

Servings 12 servings

Easy Cheese Fondue Recipe (11)

Author Holly Nilsson

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 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
  • teaspoon nutmeg
  • pinch of pepper
  • 1 loaf french bread for dipping

Instructions

  • Cut the garlic clove in half and rub the cut side inside the saucepan. Discard the clove (or save it for another use).

  • Add the wine to the saucepan and bring it to a simmer over medium heat, let simmer for 1 minute.

  • In a bowl, gently toss all shredded cheeses with cornstarch. Set aside.

  • 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.

  • Once melted, stir in kirsh, nutmeg, and pepper.

  • Serve warm with bread for dipping.

Notes

Swap out half of the cheeses for mild cheddar to create a milder flavor.

Brie is another great creamy addition to fondue.

5 from 46 votes

Nutrition Information

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.

Easy Cheese Fondue Recipe (13) Course Appetizer, Dip, Party Food

Easy Cheese Fondue Recipe (14) 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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Easy Cheese Fondue Recipe (17)
Easy Cheese Fondue Recipe (18)

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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!
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Easy Cheese Fondue Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What kind of cheese is best for fondue? ›

The best all-around cheeses for fondue are fontina, Gruyère, and gouda. If you aren't sure what to pick, use even amounts of these three. Together are lush and complex. For classic Swiss cheese fondue (meaning one like what you would find in Switzerland), a mix of traditional, firm mountain-style cheeses is best.

What can you substitute for wine in cheese fondue? ›

If non-alcoholic wines are also not an option then the wine can be replaced with either milk or a 50/50 mixture of milk and chicken or vegetable stock (broth). Again toss the cheese in the cornflour first and add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to the pot as well.

Why lemon juice in fondue? ›

Lemon juice helps stabilize the emulsion of melted cheese and wine, while providing a bright flavor to balance the dairy-fat richness. Keeping the heat low while melting the cheese prevents the fondue from breaking.

How much cheese for fondue per person? ›

The Swiss recommend 200g of cheese per person but believe me that is a lot so I would go with 150g each. Dry white wine or hot tea is the usual accompaniment with a shot of Kirsch for those who are feeling bold.

What is the best substitute for Gruyere cheese in fondue? ›

What Are the Best Gruyère Substitutes? There are plenty of other premier cheeses that can serve as good substitutes for Gruyère cheese. Depending on whether you're melting cheese or adding more variety to your charcuterie board, you might consider Beaufort, Comté, Jarlsberg, Emmental, or Fontina.

What kind of bread is good for fondue? ›

Bread is the most popular dipper for cheese fondue. There are many excellent options to choose from. French bread, breadsticks, and croutons are always favorites, but also consider multigrain bread, rye, sourdough, pumpernickel, and even bagels.

Why add flour to cheese fondue? ›

When making cheese fondue, always use a thickener. Cheese should be shredded and tossed with flour or cornstarch to aid in thickening and to improve the viscosity of the fondue. A good rule of thumb is to use one tablespoon of flour or cornstarch per pound of cheese.

Does fondue require wine? ›

Even though fondue is classically made with white wine, it can also be made with other alcohols like brandy, beer or whiskey or, for a non-alcohol version, with flavorful stock.

What should you not do with fondue? ›

Fondue rules

You must not double dip, and never put your fork directly into your mouth.

Is broth or oil better for fondue? ›

When making fondue, the first thing to consider is what type of ingredients you want to use; if you are a vegetarian, you may prefer the oil. The oil is also a healthier option because it contains no fat or calories. However, if you like meat and cheese, the broth is better because it has more flavors.

What to eat with cheese fondue? ›

Bread is an excellent choice for cheese fondue because it soaks up the warm cheese and creamy flavors, creating a delicious combination. There are so many options to choose from for this classic side, such as French baguettes, sourdough, breadsticks, bagels, croutons or pretzels.

What is the best melting cheese for fondue? ›

Best Cheese for Fondue

This fondue recipe calls for Gruyère and Swiss cheeses because they're creamy, buttery, and melt smoothly. Other good choices include Gouda, fontina, and Emmental.

What is the best fuel for cheese fondue? ›

Usually fondue fuel is methyl hydrate, also known as methanol, methyl alcohol, or wood alcohol. Most fondue burners have a fiberglass batting inside them to soak the alcohol up and act like a wick, you do not want to overfill the burner because you do not want to spill burning alcohol and start a fire.

What is the best Swiss cheese for melting? ›

Baby swiss is only aged for about a month, while traditional swiss cheese is aged for anywhere from two months to many years. Because of that, baby swiss is creamy, nutty, and great for melting. Baby swiss is also produced in smaller wheels and has a more consistent texture with smaller holes.

What is fondue cheese called? ›

Neuchâteloise: Gruyère and Emmental (sometimes referred to as the original or traditional fondue). Innerschweiz: Gruyère, Emmental, and Sbrinz. Genevoise: Gruyère (preferably of several stages of maturity) with a little Emmentaler and Valais cheese. Sometimes chopped sautéed morels are added.

Why is my cheese fondue rubbery? ›

If the fondue has been over-cooked and the cheese is turning into hard lumps then adding a teaspoon or two of lemon juice should help to restore the texture. If the cheese has split and looks greasy but not lumpy then adding extra cornflour (cornstarch) will help to re-emulsify the mixture.

What are the three types of fondue? ›

There are three main types: cheese fondue, oil or broth fondue and chocolate fondue. Cheese fondue Mixing a variety of cheeses is best when serving a cheese fondue. Before you start, rub a garlic clove inside the pot for added flavor. Shred all cheeses that will be used to create the fondue before melting it.

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