This delicious cheese fondue recipe is made with a combination of Gruyere and Swiss cheeses. It's very easy to make at home!
There's something about melted cheese. The Swiss know it (fondue, raclette dinner). The French know it (French onion soup), and the Americans know it (grilled cheese).
Fondue is obviously an amazing dish. What can possibly be better than dipping tasty morsels of food into delicious melted cheese? Hmm. Perhaps dipping them into melted chocolate!
Choosing a fondue pot
When I got married, one of my relatives gave me a fondue pot as a wedding gift. It was a Norwegian, old-fashioned, cast iron fondue pot that you keep warm with an open flame. I was nervous about using it. So I ended up never using the pot for fondue. It turned out to be the perfect size and heaviness for cooking rice!
Recently I ate at a fondue restaurant, and I enjoyed the experience so much that I bought an electric fondue pot. After experimenting with the new purchase and loving it, I wrote this simple, delicious recipe specifically for the Cuisinart electric fondue pot which I own. But you can probably use it with any electric fondue pot.
The ingredients you'll need
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this tasty cheese fondue. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
Cheeses: I like to use shredded Gruyere and shredded Swiss cheese. 🧀
Cornstarch: Just 1 tablespoon helps to nicely thicken the fondue. If you're worried about GMOs in corn, you can use organic cornstarch.
Dry mustard: You can find it in the spice aisle next to the other spices.
Dry white wine: I like to use sauvignon blanc, which is also very nice to serve with the fondue.
How to make cheese fondue
It's so easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:
1. In a large bowl, toss the shredded cheeses with the cornstarch and dry mustard.
2. Pour the wine into the fondue pot. Turn the temperature to medium-high and bring the wine to a strong simmer.
3. Stirring constantly with a wooden skewer in zigzag motions, add the cheeses, a handful at a time, waiting for each handful to melt completely before adding another.
4. Reduce the temperature to medium-low and serve with yummy dippers.
What cheeses to use?
My favorite cheeses are a mix of Gruyere and Swiss cheese. Although cheddar is very nice too, and smoked cheddar is quite interesting in a fondue. Gouda also works.
The idea is to use cheeses that melt well but are not too mild. So mozzarella, for example, is not a good choice.
What are good dippers for cheese fondue?
Bread is the obvious choice for many. But I can tell you from my low carb experience that tender-crisp steamed broccoli and cauliflower florets are even better than bread. The combination of the crispy vegetables and the creamy cheese is wonderful.
For a slightly higher-carb option, lightly steamed carrots are nice too. Sometimes I use homemade pork rinds or homemade keto beef jerky as dippers, although my personal preference is to use lightly steamed vegetables.
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Cheese Fondue Recipe
INGREDIENTS
- ½ lb. Gruyere cheese, shredded
- ½ lb. Swiss cheese, shredded
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch (use organic to avoid GMOs)
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons dry white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place the grated cheeses in a large bowl. Toss with the cornstarch and dry mustard.
- Pour the wine into the fondue pot. Turn the temperature to setting 5 (medium-high) and bring the wine to a strong simmer (bubbling, but not boiling strongly).
- Stirring constantly with a wooden skewer in zigzag (not circular) motions, add the cheeses, a handful at a time, waiting for each handful to melt completely before adding another.
- Reduce the temperature to 3 (medium-low) and serve with your choice of dippers.
NOTES
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living.