Gruyere Cheese Fondue Recipe
This cheese fondue is creamy, smooth, and by far the best! It's classic melted gruyère cheese flavored with caramelized shallots, apple brandy, and warm spices. It's an easy recipe that's perfect for seasonal gatherings, and it's ready in just 35 minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 ½ cups finely minced shallots
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 ½ cups finely grated gruyere cheese
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, see notes
- 1 ½ cups dry white wine, such as a Pinot Gris or a Sauvignon Blanc
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg
- 1 small garlic clove, finely minced
- 2 tablespoons apple brandy, like calvados
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Melt the butter over medium heat in a medium-sized frying pan. Add the shallots and cook for 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the sugar and salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Lower the heat if the shallots start to brown.1 tablespoon butter, 1 ½ cups finely minced shallots, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon salt
- While the shallots are caramelizing, grate the cheese using the fine edge of the grater. Add to a large bowl and toss with the flour, or for a gluten-free fondue, toss with cornstarch.3 ½ cups finely grated gruyere cheese, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- OPTIONAL STEP: Transfer the caramelized shallots to your blender. Add the wine and blend until smooth.1 ½ cups dry white wine
- Pour the blended wine and shallots (or add the minced shallots and wine - see notes) into a medium-sized pot and it to a boil for 1 minute. Lower the heat so it's very gently simmering. Using one small handful at a time, slowly begin to add the cheese. Whisk until the cheese has melted and the pot returns to a simmer before adding more. Continue until all the cheese has been added to the fondue.
- Remove the pot from the heat then whisk in the nutmeg, garlic, apple brandy, and black pepper. Be generous with the amount of pepper you grind in. Check for seasonings and add more salt and pepper as necessary.1 pinch ground nutmeg, 1 small garlic clove, 2 tablespoons apple brandy, 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- Serve the fondue hot, preferably in a fondue pot, with all your favorite dippers. See the below for a few ideas.
Notes
Gruyère: This is by far the best choice of cheese for this fondue. 3 ½ cups of finely grated gruyere = 14 ounces. Use the small holes on your grater.
Gluten-free: Use 1 ½ tablespoons of cornstarch instead of flour.
Blending the onions: I often skip this step for a rustic fondue. If you want a silky-smooth fondue with no signs of caramelized shallots, blending the wine and shallots lets you capture all the wonderful flavor without bits in your fondue.
Serving: 1 serving = ⅛ of the recipe, Calories: 288kcal, Carbohydrates: 7g, Protein: 16g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 58mg, Sodium: 475mg, Potassium: 148mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 515IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 515mg, Iron: 1mg