Gruyere Cheese Fondue Recipe

A Gruyere Cheese Fondue with fondue forks dipping into the cheese.

Yield: 3 cups

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 25

Total Time: 35

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
6 ounces shallots, finely minced (about 1 ½ cups)
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
14 ounces gruyere cheese, finely grated (about 3 ½ cups packed)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, for a gluten free version use 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
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, 6 ounces 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.
14 ounces 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

While leftover fondue can be reheated, it is best to make it fresh. To make your fondue party easier, you can prepare all your dippers, caramelize the shallots and blend them with the wine, and grate the cheese and mix it with the flour ahead of time. On party day, all you have to do is warm up the dippers and melt the cheese. Easy!

We've added the optional step of blending the shallots with the wine for those who want a silky smooth fondue with no signs of caramelized shallots. By blending them you'll get all the wonderful taste without little bits in your fondue.

What to dip in a cheese fondue

While bread is what is often served with fondue, there are many other things that you can use to dip. Some of our favorites are spicy sausage, sautéed whole mushrooms, lightly steamed broccoli or cauliflower, prawns, tiny roasted potatoes, and slices of apples.

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