Cheese Fondue: Alcohol, Necessary Or Not?

Alcohol is a common ingredient in cheese fondue, but it's not necessary. While traditional Swiss cheese fondue features wine and kirsch, you can make a delicious fondue without alcohol by using chicken or vegetable broth, milk, or a combination of the two. You can also use non-alcoholic wine or light beer. To ensure your fondue is smooth and creamy, add cornstarch to the cheese and include an acidic ingredient like lemon juice to prevent the fondue from becoming stringy.

Non-alcoholic fondue recipes

Fondue is a fun and delicious meal that can be made right at the table, making it a great way to connect with family and get kids excited about dinner. While fondue is traditionally made with dry white wine, there are fantastic non-alcoholic alternatives that the whole family can enjoy. Here are some tips and recipes for making alcohol-free cheese fondue.

Tips for Making Non-Alcoholic Fondue

• Use a combination of low-sodium stock and milk as a base instead of wine. You can use chicken or vegetable stock, depending on your preference.
• Add a splash of mild vinegar, such as rice vinegar, white wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar, to give the fondue a slight tang.
• Choose easy-melting cheeses such as Gruyere, Swiss cheese, cheddar, fontina, or gouda.
• Grate the cheese yourself instead of using pre-shredded cheese, as pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking agents that can affect the melting process.
• Toss the grated cheese with cornstarch to help stabilize the cheese and create a smoother fondue.
• Heat the fondue over low heat and stir gently to prevent the cheese from burning or curdling.
• Serve with crusty bread, roasted or boiled potatoes, blanched vegetables, and/or pickled vegetables.

Alcohol-Free Cheese Fondue Recipe

Serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups (228 g) lightly packed shredded Gruyere cheese
• 1 ½ cups (171 g) lightly packed shredded Swiss cheese
• 2 tablespoons (19 g) cornstarch
• 1 cup low-sodium good-quality chicken or vegetable broth
• ⅛ teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon finely minced or pressed garlic
• ¼ teaspoon ground black or white pepper

Instructions:

• Place the shredded Gruyere and Swiss cheeses in a gallon-size resealable bag with the cornstarch and shake until evenly coated.
• In a stovetop-safe fondue pot, add the chicken broth, lemon juice, and garlic and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low.
• Add the cheese a small handful at a time, stirring constantly but not too briskly, until melted.
• Once the cheese is melted and starts to simmer, add the remaining spices and transfer to a fondue stand with a low flame.
• Serve with your favorite dippers, such as steamed broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, apples, chicken sausages, bread, sauteed mushrooms, and/or potatoes.

Enjoy your fondue night with family and friends!

The best cheeses for fondue

In search of the perfect fondue cheese?

The best cheese for fondue is a buttery, creamy cheese that melts smoothly. The quality and types of cheeses you use will have an enormous impact on the final product.

So, which 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, they 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. Gruyere cheese, Swiss cheese, and gouda all qualify.

Cheddar fondue would work well, though its flavour would be less traditional. In this case, you could use cheddar as one of the cheeses, then mix it with a more traditional cheese like Gruyère.

Other fondue cheeses include:

• Comté
• Emmentaler (a variety of Swiss cheese)
• Raclette
• Vacherin
• Appenzeller
• Morbier
• Abondance
• Tomme

It is recommended to avoid pre-shredded cheese. It has a very different consistency than freshly grated cheese and will impact the texture of your fondue. It also tends to have anti-caking agents, which can make it harder to melt.

What to dip in fondue

There are many options for what to dip into your fondue. Here are some ideas:

Bread

Bread is usually the number one pick for cheese fondue because it soaks up all the cheesy goodness. Go for a crusty, rustic loaf, a baguette, sourdough, or a simple no-knead peasant bread.

Fruit

Fruit and cheese mingle nicely on a cheeseboard, so why not in a fondue? Crisp, tart Granny Smith apples and Bosc pears—with their nutmeg and cinnamon undertones—are excellent choices.

Vegetables

Broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers, and roasted Brussels sprouts are all great options for adding a bit of freshness to your fondue. You can dip them raw, or lightly steam or blanch them first to smooth out raw, bitter flavours.

Meat

Meatballs, juicy strips of filet mignon, poached chicken, cured meats like prosciutto, salami, soppressata, and chorizo, and chicken sausages are all tasty options for dipping into your fondue.

Seafood

Lightly sweet, buttery grilled shrimp play nicely with a bold cheese fondue made with brandy or white wine.

Other

Other options include roasted potatoes, pickles, large pasta shapes like shells or fusilli, soft pretzels, and crunchy vegetables like carrots.

How to keep fondue smooth

The Cheese

• Use good-quality, easy-melting, block cheese. The best all-around cheeses for fondue are fontina, Gruyère, and gouda.
• Grate the cheese. For quicker melting and a smooth fondue, grate—do not chop—the cheese. Grated cheese melts faster and more evenly than chopped cheese, leading to smoother results.
• Toss the cheese with cornstarch. Cornstarch helps thicken the fondue and prevents the cheese from clumping.
• Toss the grated cheese with the cornstarch and shake until evenly coated.

The Cooking Process

• Use low heat to melt the cheese. Continuously stir gently over low heat until the cheese melts.
• Add the cheese slowly and stir constantly. Resist the urge to dump all of the shredded cheese into the pot in large handfuls. Add a small handful and sprinkle it into the pot, stirring constantly and waiting for each addition to melt before adding the next.
• Use a wooden spoon and stir in an S-shaped motion, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot so it doesn’t burn.
• If you are using wine, add it before the cheese. Bring the wine to a simmer in a fondue pot, then add the cheese.
• If you are not using wine, use a combination of low-sodium stock and milk, or just stock or milk.
• If you are not using wine, add lemon juice. Lemon juice has citric acid which helps to prevent the fondue from becoming stringy.
• If you are not using wine, heat very gently to reduce the risk of curdling.
• If you are using wine, you can omit the cornstarch. If you are not using wine, toss the cheese with cornstarch first.

What to serve with fondue

When serving fondue, it's best to offer a variety of dippers to your guests. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Bread

Bread is the most popular dipper for cheese fondue. Go for French bread, breadsticks, croutons, bagels, sourdough, rye, multigrain bread, pumpernickel, or even pretzels. Toasting your bread slightly will help it stand up to the cheese without falling apart.

Meat

Meatballs, sausage, poached chicken, steak, and cured meats like salami, pepperoni, and chorizo are all tasty options for fondue. If you want to get creative, try dipping a skewer of meat and bread into the fondue for a fancy, bite-sized burger.

Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits like apples, pears, and grapes go surprisingly well with cheese fondue. On the vegetable front, try broccoli, bell peppers, potatoes, asparagus, carrots, mushrooms, or Brussels sprouts. Raw, steamed, or roasted veggies all work well.

Seafood

For a fancy touch, offer shrimp, crab, or lobster for dipping.

Other

Tortilla chips, pasta shapes with lots of nooks and crannies, and pickles are also great choices for fondue dippers.

Frequently asked questions