Beer Cheese Soup
43 Comments Jan 02, 2023
Updated Aug 06, 2025
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Here’s a simple recipe for beer cheese soup in the slow cooker. This creamy soup has excellent flavor and plenty of cheese, beer, and bacon! You only need to add bread to make this a complete meal.
Beer Cheese Soup, anyone? The first time I tried this soup was at a Halloween party about ten years ago. My friend brought this soup in a slow cooker, and I probably ate half of that pot of soup myself! I have been in love with this soup ever since. This Slow Cooker Beer Cheese soup has a rich flavor and delicious taste but is not completely overpowered by the beer.
Beer is a great ingredient to flavor dishes in the slow cooker. Also, try my Beer Cheese Dip, Garlic Beer French Dips, Beer Brats, or even my Beer, Onion, and Ketchup Chuck Roast.
Recipe Ingredients
- Chicken Broth: When you add chicken broth (or chicken stock) to a recipe as a soup base, you can add a blast of flavor that you obviously don’t get when you use water.
- Beer: Although you can use your favorite beer, I went with a Pilsner. I highly recommend using a light beer.
- Bacon: Cooked and sliced bacon adds two unique things to this beer cheese – flavor and texture.
- Heavy Cream, Flour, and Sharp Cheddar Cheese: These ingredients are added towards the end of cooking time to thicken the soup.
- Vegetables: Carrots, celery, and onion not only add heartiness to the beer cheese soup, but they each carry a flavor that marries well together during cooking time.
- Seasonings: Salt, black pepper, and a bay leaf are used for seasoning.
How to Make Beer Cheese Soup in the Slow Cooker
- Start by slow cooking the bacon and veggies in broth and beer until everything is soft and flavorful.
- Mix up a rich cream and flour blend to thicken the soup.
- Warm it through, then stir in freshly shredded cheddar.
- Once creamy and smooth, it’s ready to serve hot and cheesy.
Tips & Variations
Smoother Soup: Simply use an immersion blender to blend up the the vegetables into the broth – do this before adding the cream mixture and cheese.
Spicy: Add a diced jalapeno or habanero at the beginning of the cooking time for heat.
Beer Choice: The stronger the beer, the more you’re going to taste in the soup – choose what you are comfortable with.
Too strong? If you feel your finished soup is too strong of beer flavor, simply add a touch of sour cream, or more cheese.
Broth Swap: Chicken broth has the most neutral flavor, if you choose to use beef or vegetable broth, the flavor of the soup will change.
What to serve with beer cheese soup
- Bread is one of the first things to grab when serving soup. For this particular blend, you can serve with pretzel rolls, crusty bread, garlic toast, crackers, or even a dinner roll brushed with butter.
- For a light and fresh pair, go for a garden fresh side salad or fresh fruit.
- If you’re looking to wow your guests, serve a couple of scoops inside sourdough bread bowl.
- For toppings, you can never go wrong with saltine crackers or oyster crackers. A sprinkle of green onions and more cheese is also great too.
Stove Top Instructions
This soup can easily be cooked on the stovetop. Combine all ingredients (except the flour, cream, and cheese) and cook for at least an hour to allow the flavors to blend and the vegetables to soften. Add the remaining ingredients when the vegetables are tender.
Beer Cheese Soup
Ingredients
- 8 slices bacon, sliced, cooked and drained
- ½ cup minced carrots
- ½ cup minced sweet yellow onion
- ½ cup minced celery
- ¾ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup beer – I use pilsner, (use a light beer)
WAIT TO ADD
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 8 oz. fresh finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese, buy a block, not preshredded
Instructions
- Add the bacon, carrots, onion, celery, salt, pepper and bay leaf to the slow cooker. Pour over the chicken broth and beer. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours. It will take that long to get the vegetables ultra-soft.
- After the cooking time is up. Whisk together the heavy cream and flour in a small bowl, very well. Remove the bay leaf. Pour the cream mixture into the soup and whisk until combined. Place the lid back on the slow cooker and let cook for 20 more minutes on high.
- Shred the cheese on the fine setting while the slow cooker warms the soup back up.
- Slowly stir in the cheese (about a half cup at a time). Serve and enjoy!
Sarah’s Notes
- Freshly shredded cheese from a block is best when making soups. Prepackaged shredded cheese has anti-caking ingredients which keeps it from melting smoothly.
- Don’t be tempted to add more beer, it will make the soup far too bitter tasting.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
More Crockpot Soup Recipes:
Brighten a chilly evening with Lemon Chicken Rice Soup or a hearty bowl of Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana.
If you’re after bold flavors, try the tangy Dill Pickle Soup or the earthy Sausage White Bean Soup.
On budget-friendly nights, Nacho Soup or Poor Man’s Stew keeps everyone satisfied without stretching the wallet.
Hi! If I’m cooking this on my stovetop, do I add the cooked bacon at the beginning with the onions, etc? Also, do you chop the bacon into pieces prior to cooking it? If so, about how big? Thank you! My daughter made this in her crockpot and loved it!
I would cut the bacon into 1/4 inch pieces and cook with the onions and carrots.
I’m planning on making this great looking soup later this week. Since I’m gone longer than 4 hours can I cook this on low for 6-8 hours?
I have not tested for that long. On low it should do fine.
I am looking forward to trying this in my crockpot.
Does this soup freeze well?
Thank you
Sharon
Just made this today for a wintery day (though soon to be milder) and it is amazing. I left out the veggies (my sis doesn’t like most veggies….I’m ashamed to be related to her sometimes LOL j/k :-P) but instead added in a package of Wardynski’s Polish sausage links all sliced up along with the bacon pieces 🙂
I do not have a slow cooker, can I just let it simmer instead?
Yes, that will work great for this recipe.
How do you increase the number of servings?
I would double the recipe, that would be the easiest.
Can I make this a day ahead and reheat? I have to drive 4 hours to Milw and don’t need a lot of work when I get there. I don’t drink beer so can I add the beer, cheese & flour the next day? I’m going to stop at a tavern to get the beer in a container. What should I use if not a pilsner? My daughter doesn’t want potatoes in it – that makes me sad. How many will this serve? She wants enough for 20 people… Please send answer to my email below by Thursday AM if at all possible!
Thanks a bunch, Linda K.
I would prepare the entire recipe ahead of time and slowly reheat on the stovetop. Any type of light beer will work great.
Thanks Sarah!
Linda K.
Where is the other 4 hours of cook time?
Tasted very good. Was pretty thick so I will probably add another cup of chicken broth next time.
has anyone used extra sharp white cheddar in this recipe?
I used extra sharp cheddar (not white though) and it was pretty good though while I liked it my mom didn’t seem to care much for my addition of Polish sausage…too overpowering of a flavor for her maybe? My sister hasn’t tried it yet.