Gluten-Free Cheese Fondue

Name: Gluten-Free Cheese Fondue
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 8 oz Gruyère cheese (shredded); 8 oz Emmental cheese (shredded); 2 tablespoons cornstarch; 1 clove garlic (cut in half); 8 oz dry white white (like Sauvignon Blanc); 1 tablespoon lemon juice; ½ teaspoon ground mustard; ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg; ½ teaspoon ground black pepper; 2 tablespoons Brandy (or Kirsch or Cognac - ensure gluten-free)

Gluten-free cheese fondue made with Gruyère and Emmental cheese, thickened with cornstarch instead of flour. Dry white wine, a rub of fresh garlic, a splash of kirsch, and a few warm spices bring everything together. Ten minutes from start to melted, velvety cheese.

This recipe started as a hand-written one from my mom’s cookbook. Growing up, we’d make fondue for birthdays and around the holidays, and after my celiac diagnosis I figured those nights were done. Turns out all it needed was cornstarch in place of flour and gluten-free dippers to keep the pot safe from cross-contact. Serve it with cubed gluten-free bread, blanched broccoli, and tart apple slices for dipping.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

It comes together in 10 minutes. Shred the cheese ahead of time and all you have to do is simmer the wine, melt the cheese in handfuls, and stir. Great for parties because your guests can watch it come together.
Cornstarch keeps it smooth and gluten-free. Traditional fondue often uses a flour roux, but tossing the shredded cheese in cornstarch before melting works just as well. No clumping, no gluten.
It’s endlessly dippable. Gluten-free bread, blanched broccoli, tart apples, roasted potatoes, cured meats. Set out a spread and let everyone pick their favorites.

Ingredients

Ingredient Notes

Gruyère cheese – A semi-hard Swiss cheese with a nutty, slightly sweet flavor that gets more intense as it ages. This is the classic fondue cheese. Shred it yourself from a block rather than buying pre-shredded, which has anti-caking agents that prevent smooth melting.
Emmental cheese – The other half of a traditional Swiss fondue. Smooth, nutty, and melts beautifully. If you can’t find Emmental, use more Gruyère, or swap in Jarlsberg or Gouda.
Cornstarch – Replaces flour as the thickener. Toss it with the shredded cheese before adding to the pot. It stabilizes the melted cheese and keeps it from separating. If you can’t do corn, arrowroot starch or tapioca starch work too.
White wine – Use a dry white wine, like sauvignon blanc. It doesn’t need to be expensive. The wine adds flavor, and the naturally occurring tartaric acid keeps the cheese from clumping and getting stringy.
Garlic cloves – A fresh garlic clove is rubbed on the interior of the part to impart the cheese fondue with a subtle garlic flavor. Use a fresh garlic clove and cut it in half so that the freshly cut side of the garlic is what you rub all over the fondue pot.
Kirsch – A cherry brandy traditional in Swiss fondue. I didn’t have kirsch on hand so I used cognac, which worked well. Any brandy or sherry will do. Just make sure it’s pure distilled with no gluten-containing flavorings added after distillation.
Spices – Ground nutmeg, ground mustard, and black pepper. The nutmeg and mustard add warmth and depth that complement the richness of the cheese. Adjust the black pepper to your taste.

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In addition to the above ingredients, you’ll also need a fondue pot. I used this Cuisinart electric fondue pot (affiliate link) for this recipe. I’ve had this fondue pot for over 10 years and it works amazingly for cheese fondue, chocolate fondue, or broth fondue. It’s versatile and keeps the contents warm and evenly heated.

The Key to Smooth Fondue

Keep the heat low once the wine simmers. If the fondue gets too hot, the cheese will separate and turn grainy. Add the cheese a handful at a time and let each batch fully melt before adding the next. If it does start to look oily or grainy, stir in a splash of lemon juice or wine to bring it back together.

Step-by-Step Instructions

It’s very simple to make cheese fondue at home! It’s such a fun experience and it can be ready in just about 15 minutes! The below photos and matching steps are not fully inclusive, but are meant to help you see the recipe at various stages to help you make it perfectly every time.

Pay special attention to the shred on the cheeses, the way the garlic is sliced to rub the surface area all over the fondue pot, the amount of cheese to add at a time, and the texture of the cheese fondue after melting.

For the ingredient list with measurements, full instructions, printable recipe, and additional notes, please scroll down to the recipe card.

Jump to the Recipe Card

A glass bowl of Emmental and Gruyère cheese topped with a few tablespoons of cornstarch. — Place the Gruyère and Emmental cheeses to a large bowl. Add the cornstarch to the bowl and mix until the cheeses are completely covered in the cornstarch. Set aside.

Two garlic cloves being rubbed on the interior of an electric fondue pot. — Rub the garlic clove halves all over the inside of the fondue pot to impart garlic flavor into the fondue.

A measuring cup pouring white wine into an electric fondue pot. — Pour the wine into the fondue pot. Bring it to a simmer over medium heat.

An electric fondue pot that has simmering white wine with mustard powder, nutmeg, and black pepper on top of it. — Once the wine is simmering, add the lemon juice, nutmeg, mustard powder and black pepper. Stir until combined.

An electric fondue pot with a white wine and spice mixture that has shredded cheese in it that has not yet melted. — Gradually add the shredded cheese mixture to the wine. Stir with a rubber spatula until the cheese is melted before adding the next handful of cheese.

A fondue pot with shredded cheese that is melting into the cheese sauce with a rubber spatula. — Continue with the rest of the cheese, one handful at a time, mixing in between each addition.

A hand pouring a ramekin of Cognac into a fondue pot of melted cheese. — Once the cheese is melted and smooth, add the Kirsch or Cognac to the cheese fondue. Stir until combined.

An electric fondue pot of glute-free cheese fondue that has a skewer of broccoli and a skewer of apple dipped into it with additional plates of dippers to the side. — Keep the cheese fondue warm over low heat. Serve your favorite dippers with the cheese fondue. Enjoy!

Recipe FAQs

What type of fondue pot should I use?

Fondue pots come in various materials such as ceramic, stainless steel, or cast iron. Some are electric (like mine) that you just plug in for the heat source and others will require a separate heat source, like Sterno fuel. I personally prefer electric fondue pots because they are more consistent and are easier to regulate the temperature as needed.

Is white wine gluten-free?

In general, white wine is considered gluten-free. Wine is made from fermented grapes, and grapes do not contain gluten. However, it’s essential to check specific brands and varieties to ensure that no gluten-containing ingredients or processes were used during production.

Is brandy gluten-free?

Pure brandy made from distilled grapes or other gluten-free sources is generally considered gluten-free. However, some brandies may use additives or flavorings that could contain gluten. It’s crucial to check the specific brand and inquire about its gluten-free status to ensure it meets your dietary needs.

What type of cheese is best for fondue?

The traditional combination is Gruyère and Emmental. You can also try Fontina, Gouda, Jarlsberg, or Raclette. Mixing two or three cheeses gives you more depth of flavor than using just one.

Expert Tips

Add cheese a handful at a time. Let each handful fully melt and incorporate before adding the next. Dumping it all in at once drops the temperature and causes clumping.
Stir occasionally while serving. Fondue will form a film on top if it sits still too long. If it thickens up too much, stir in a small splash of warm wine to loosen it.
Use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon for stirring. Metal utensils can scratch a non-stick fondue pot. I like a rubber spatula since it’s easy to clean and scrapes the sides well.
Use only gluten-free dippers if you have celiac disease. One piece of regular bread dipped into the pot cross-contaminates the entire fondue.

A skewered piece of broccoli covered in gluten-free cheese fondue that is dripping into the fondue pot.

Storage Instructions

Storage: Store leftover fondue in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Cheese fondue can typically be stored for up to 3-4 days.
Reheat: To reheat fondue, place it in a saucepan or a fondue pot and gently warm it over low heat, stirring constantly until it reaches the desired temperature. Add a small amount of wine if needed to bring the consistency back.

What to Dip in a Cheese Fondue

There are so many different gluten-free foods that you can dip into your cheese fondue. Here are some of my favorite things to dip in cheese fondue:

Gluten-free baguette cubed into 1-inch pieces – I used store-bought Schar gluten-free baguettes in these photos
Gluten-free focaccia or garlic butter focaccia cubed into 1-inch pieces
Gluten-free dinner rolls torn into chunks
Gluten-free pretzels or pita chips
Blanched broccoli or asparagus
Raw carrots, snap peas, cauliflower, or bell peppers
Tart apple slices (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp)
Roasted or steamed baby potatoes (or try my parmesan smashed potatoes!)
Cooked steak bites, sausage, or chorizo
Cured salami or prosciutto

A skewered piece of gluten-free bread dipped into gluten-free cheese fondue.

A fondue fork skewered with green apple that is dipped into an electric fondue pot of cheese fondue with plates of bread, broccoli and apple to the side.

2 Comments

Donna says:

May 8, 2016 at 5:19 am

I’ve been wanting to make my own fondue for a while now. Well, I finally bought a fondue pot, and I have a recipe so it’s just a matter of buying the ingredients. I can’t wait!

Anne Hogan says:

December 23, 2024 at 2:04 pm

Be very careful. Cornstarch is not always Gluten Free! I found out the hard way. 🙁 Tapioca flour can be used instead.