Easy Cheese Fondue Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the best cheese to melt in 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.

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.

The cornstarch protects the proteins and the fat in the cheese from breaking down and becoming clumpy and lumpy. Some recipes use flour, but I think that changes the taste of the fondue, making it more starchy. That being said, if you don't have cornstarch you can substitute flour.

Wine is also an important ingredient because its acids encourage the softening of cheese. In addition, wine has a lower boiling point than water, allowing the cheese to melt at a lower temperature and helping prevent it from becoming stringy. (The wine you use doesn't have to be expensive.)

What is the best melting cheese? Cheeses with more moisture and lower melting points - cheddar is one of the most popular choices, but Swiss and Gruyère are also terrific options. Which melts better, mild or sharp cheddar? Mild cheddar melts more smoothly than sharper (more aged) cheddar.

Acid-Set Cheeses: The Grillers and Fryers

There's one type of cheese that no amount of tweaking will melt: Acid-set cheeses, like fresh goat cheese, quick farmers cheese, paneer, queso fresco, and ricotta, just can't do it.

Fondue rules

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

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.

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.

Here are the most commonly used melting salts: Sodium citrate. A little bit of sodium citrate—the salt of citric acid—will help emulsify the proteins and the fats in cheese, preventing them from splitting and forming a dry, stringy mess.

Why is my cheese fondue rubbery? ›

Go low and slow with melting the cheese and reworking the lumps. If your beautiful fondue has taken on a lumpy texture, the issue could be too high of heat. Once a cheese has reached its melting point, the curds can separate from the whey and seize up. This causes those dreaded lumps you do not want to deal with.

Whatever the case, you need to fix your fondue fast. Do so by creating a slurry consisting of ¼ cup (60 ml) cold white wine and three tablespoons of cornstarch. (This is good for about 1 ½ pounds/650 grams of grated cheese.) Once combined, whisk it into your sauce little by little until it finally comes together.

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.

For make ahead, transfer fondue to a glass bowl and cool to room temperature. Cover and chill (can be stored in the refrigerator 2-3 days). To serve, spoon desired amount of fondue into a coffee mug. Partially cover and heat in a microwave 15 seconds at a time, stirring frequently, until heated and smooth.

For superior meltability, look for a full-fat, high moisture mozzarella, like small balls packed in water. You can substitute other types of mozzarella for the ball form (like stracciatella or burrata), or look to other mild-flavored melting cheeses like provolone or Gouda.

Mild cheddar will melt easily and consistently; however, low-fat cheddar cheese and sharper cheddar melt better if first shredded or cut into strips and cooked over low heat. Learn all about how to best melt cheese with our How to Melt Cheese guide!

WHAT IS HIGH-TEMP CHEESE? High-temperature cheeses (or high-temp) can withstand the heat of cooking and hold their shape without melting. This makes them a perfect addition to meats and provides both a creamy flavor and a soft texture. Go ahead and grill or smoke this cheese to get the most flavor out of your meat.

Monterey Jack is the cheese goddess of melting. With a high fat and moisture content, this semi-hard American cheese will melt on cue for baked pasta, grilled cheese sandwiches, and any quesadilla it lays its eyes on.