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Learn how to make cheese fondue in the comfort of your own kitchen with no special equipment using the classic no-fail method! Serve this simple cheese fondue along with bread and your favorite dippers for an impressive appetizer, or pair it with a green salad and your favorite meat for a full meal.

You don’t need to book a flight to Switzerland or even make restaurant reservations in order to get great fondue. Pop by the grocery store for a few ingredients on your way home, and you’re all set. It’s surprisingly easy to make restaurant-quality fondue at home!
What Makes This Recipe Special
- It’s quick, easy, and great for beginner home cooks! If you’ve ever felt like you had to go to a restaurant for great fondue, this recipe will show you otherwise. This dish is approachable for cooks of all skill levels, and you don’t need any fancy equipment. Also, it only takes 20 minutes to make from start-to-finish!
- You only need a handful of ingredients. The flavor of cheese is the star of the show! In addition to good-quality cheese, we only use a couple ingredients for flavorings, and everything else is there to help emulsify the fondue and create the perfect texture.
- Wow your family or impress your guests. Host a fondue party! Serve this easy fondue recipe accompanied with a variety of dippers as a party appetizer and watch how excited people get. Or pair it with a leafy green salad, cooked sausage, and dipping items like sliced baguette and apples for a full meal your whole family will go crazy for.
- Surprise your sweetheart. Instead of booking a restaurant reservation, surprise your special someone with a romantic fondue date night at home!
Ingredients
Breaking It Down
Ingredients Explained
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
- Gruyère – This is a lovely hard cheese that hails from the Swiss Alps. It’s sweet and salty, creamy and nutty, and has an underlying earthiness. Gruyère melts beautifully, and is the traditional fondue cheese.
- Emmental – Also called Emmentaler, this is what we think of as “Swiss cheese” here in the U.S. Emmental is a semi-hard cheese that’s another classic ingredient in a traditional Swiss fondue recipe because it melts well and has a nutty, buttery flavor. If you can’t find Emmental, you can use more Gruyère or substitute with Norwegian Jarlsberg cheese, which is a mix between Gouda and Emmental.
- Cornstarch – Some recipes call for making a cornstarch slurry by combining cornstarch with a liquid, but here we toss the shredded cheese with cornstarch to coat.
- Garlic – Here we cut a clove of garlic in half to rub inside the pot for subtle garlic flavor.
- Dry white wine – Such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris.
- Fresh lemon juice – Similar to dry white wine, the acidity in fresh lemon juice balances the richness of the dairy. Additionally, it helps prevent the fondue from breaking, curdling, or becoming stringy.
- Kirsch liqueur – This clear cherry-flavored brandy is an ingredient in traditional fondue.
- White pepper – White pepper is earthy, subtly gingery, and a touch piquant. I love its flavor profile paired with the rich cheeses in fondue. Also, the color of white pepper instead of black pepper blends better into the finished dish.
- Freshly-grated nutmeg – A hint of fresh nutmeg adds another dimension and rounds out the flavor without overpowering it.
How to Make Cheese Fondue
- Add the shredded cheese to a large bowl, sprinkle on the cornstarch, and toss to coat.
- Rub the inside of a medium-sized pot with the cut half of the garlic.
- Put the pot over medium heat and add the wine and lemon juice. Once steaming hot and starting to simmer, stir in the cheese a handful at a time.
- Continue adding cheese and stirring until it’s well-combined. Turn the heat down as necessary if it gets too hot; it should just be simmering, not boiling.
- Stir in the Kirsch, white pepper, and nutmeg.
- Serve warm, along with sliced baguette, cubed bread, or any dippers you like.
Storage & Reheating
This recipe should be eaten warm, and is best made right before you want to enjoy it while the cheese is still dip-able. However, you can store leftover cheese fondue covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
After it’s refrigerated, cheese fondue thickens into a block. You can reheat gently it in 30-second intervals in the microwave or in a double boiler on the stovetop, stirring frequently. If necessary, you can add a little splash of hot water to thin it out.
Variations
- Switch up the cheese. Any Alpine-style cheese will work well here, such as Gruyère, Emmental (Emmentaler), Comté, Appenzeller, Fontina, etc. Feel free to experiment and mix, match, and adjust the ratios to suit your taste preference.
- Change the type of dry white wine. I like the refreshingly zesty crisp fruitiness of Sauvignon Blanc here, but Pinot Grigio is more subtle with floral notes. You’ll still be able to taste the alcohol, but if you want it mellower, Pinot Grigio is a good choice. Alternatively, you can use a pale lager here instead of white wine.
- Make it herby. For nuanced herbal flavor, add 1 sprig of fresh rosemary, thyme, or marjoram along with the wine. Remove it before serving.
Special Diet Friendly
This recipe is naturally gluten free, low carb, and keto.
To keep the carbs down, serve it along with low carb dipper options, such as keto bread or the following steamed vegetables:
- Cauliflower
- Broccoli
- Asparagus
- Green beans
Tips for Success
- I know it’s tempting, but don’t use cheddar here. It won’t melt the same and your fondue will likely be oily without making other changes to the recipe. It is possible to make fondue with cheddar, but it requires different ingredients (such as milk instead of white wine). This recipe is for a classic fondue using traditional cheeses. But if you have cheddar to use up, for a cheesy cheddar-based sauce that’s delicious served on toasted bread, try Welsh Rarebit!
- Don’t overcook the fondue or let it simmer too hard. Be vigilant in monitoring and adjusting the heat so your fondue doesn’t boil, which can cause it to separate or curdle.
- If you prefer not to use wine in your fondue, you have options! You can use the same amount of pale lager or a non-alcoholic pale lager. Another option is to use water or chicken broth instead of the wine, and increase the fresh lemon juice to 1 tablespoon.
- Fondue should be served warm. Instead of having to periodically re-heat it, you can serve it in a fondue pot if you like. An electric fondue pot is helpful to easily maintain the correct temperature, but even a simple fondue pot warmed by tea light candles will get the job done.
- It helps to use fondue forks, which are long, three-pronged forks perfect for dipping. (Because it’s a real party foul when your bread falls into the fondue pot!) Fondue forks are also useful because many are color-coded or numbered so people don’t accidentally pick up someone else’s fork, which is another faux pas in terms of fondue etiquette!
What to Dip in Cheese Fondue
You have a ton of options when it comes to what to serve with cheese fondue for dipping! Here are a few ideas:
- Cubed crusty bread or sliced baguette
- Steamed baby potatoes
- Cornichons and/or pickled onions
- Sliced apple or pear
- Grapes
- Steamed broccoli or cauliflower
What to Serve with Cheese Fondue
Don’t only think of fondue as an appetizer idea! You can pair it with a variety of things to make it a well-balanced and satisfying full meal. Here are some serving suggestions:
- Leafy green salad with fresh herbs, dressed with lemon juice and olive oil
- Cooked sausage
- Roast chicken
- Thinly-sliced charcuterie meats or cured meats, such as bresaola (cured beef), salami, prosciutto, etc.
Frequently Asked Questions
Gruyère and Emmental (aka Emmentaler) are traditional cheeses for fondue. But the possibilities don’t end there!
There are several other mountain cheeses and/or aged cheeses that also melt beautifully into cheesy bliss. Comté, a French semi-hard raw cow’s milk cheese has a nutty flavor and is similar to Gruyère. Additionally, Fontina cheese from the Italian Alps has a mild rich, buttery, and nutty flavor and melts well.
Cheddar won’t yield similar results in fondue. However, for a cheesy cheddar-based sauce that’s delicious served on toasted bread, try Welsh Rarebit!
In classic Swiss fondue, we predominantly use dry white wine, as well as little splash of Kirsch liqueur. For the dry white wine, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio (Pinot Gris), or un-oaked Chardonnay all work well. Kirschwasser, which means “cherry water” in German and is also called “Kirsch”, is a clear brandy liqueur.
Alcohol, specifically wine, in cheese fondue serves multiple purposes: 1) adds flavor, 2) gives the cheese a liquid to melt into, 3) stabilizes the mixture, and 4) reacts with the dairy proteins and helps thicken the fondue. Wine’s acidity helps create a smooth texture, prevents the cheese from becoming stringy, and prevents the fondue from separating or breaking.
The splash of Kirsch in fondue is mainly for flavor. If you prefer, you can omit it or instead use regular brandy or cognac.
Cornstarch in fondue does two things: 1) helps thicken the mixture, and 2) helps stabilize the emulsion and prevents separation.
More Recipes Where Cheese is the Star of the Show
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Classic Swiss Cheese Fondue Recipe
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Ingredients
- 8 ounces Gruyère shredded
- 8 ounces Emmental shredded (or more Gruyère)
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 large clove garlic cut in half to rub inside the pot
- 3/4 cup dry white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, or un-oaked Chardonnay (see Notes)
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Kirsch liqueur or brandy or cognac (optional)
- 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 pinch freshly-grated nutmeg
Dipping Options:
- Cubed bread
- Steamed baby potatoes
- Cornichons and/or pickled onions
- Sliced apple or pear
- Grapes
- Steamed broccoli or cauliflower
- Cooked sausage
Instructions
- Add the shredded cheese to a large bowl, sprinkle on the cornstarch, and toss to coat.
- Rub the inside of a medium-sized pot with the cut half of the garlic.
- Put the pot over medium heat and add the wine and lemon juice. Once steaming hot and starting to simmer, stir in the cheese a handful at a time until it’s well-combined. Turn the heat down as necessary if it gets too hot; it should just be simmering, not boiling.
- Stir in the Kirsch, white pepper, and nutmeg.
- Serve warm.
Video
Notes
- What Kind of Cheese: Any Alpine-style cheese will work well here, such as Gruyère, Emmental (Emmentaler), Comté, Appenzeller, Fontina, etc. Feel free to experiment and mix, match, and adjust the ratios to suit your taste preference.
- Wine Substitutions: Instead of dry white wine, you can use the same amount of pale lager or a non-alcoholic pale lager. Another option is to use water or chicken broth instead of the wine, and increase the fresh lemon juice to 1 tablespoon.
- Serve Fondue Warm: Instead of having to periodically re-heat it, you can serve it in a fondue pot if you like. An electric fondue pot is helpful to easily maintain the correct temperature, but even a simple fondue pot warmed by tea light candles will get the job done.
- Use the Right Dipping Utensils: You don’t have to, but it helps to use fondue forks, which are long, three-pronged forks perfect for dipping. (Because it’s a real party foul when your bread falls into the fondue pot!) Fondue forks are also useful because many are color-coded or numbered so people don’t accidentally pick up someone else’s fork, which is another faux pas in terms of fondue etiquette!
- Storage and Reheating: This recipe should be eaten warm, and is best made right before you want to enjoy it while the cheese is still dip-able. However, you can store leftover cheese fondue covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. After it’s refrigerated, cheese fondue thickens into a block. You can reheat gently it in 30-second intervals in the microwave or in a double boiler on the stovetop, stirring frequently. If necessary, you can add a little splash of hot water to thin it out.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
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I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
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