This gluten-free cheese fondue is warm, creamy, and easy to pull together for a holiday party or a simple family night. The mix of caramelized leeks, spinach, and melted cheese gives it great flavor, and it is perfect for dipping gluten-free bread and vegetables.
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❤️ Sandi’s Recipe Summary
Have you ever tried Fondue? It is a hot, creamy cheese dip that originated in Switzerland. You can dip all sorts of delicious things into the hot cheese, like bread and vegetables.
I love making delicious gluten-free appetizers that everyone at the party can enjoy. I also love to make these yummy gluten-free meatballs for our friends. You can even dip them into the fondue!
Ingredient Notes:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- Gruyère – This is the most popular cheese for making fondue, and I find it has the best flavor. Gruyére also melts really well without clumping.
- Mozzarella – I used regular block mozzarella and cut it into small cubes.
- Spinach – I tested using frozen spinach in my recipe
- Leeks (or onions) – I found leeks add delicious flavor. They are a little milder than onions, but be sure to use sweet onions if you are swapping out the leeks. This adds delicious flavors.
- White Wine – Wine plays an important role in fondue. The acidity helps to prevent clumping and it helps with an even melt. I recommend using a budget white wine. There is no need to use an expensive bottle. It won’t affect the flavor that much.
- Butter – I used salted butter in this recipe for extra flavor.
- Garlic – Use minced garlic cloves or bottled garlic.
Substitutions:
The acidity in wine helps prevent the cheese from clumping, which is why most classic fondue recipes include it. If you prefer not to use wine, add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to the fondue give the cheese the acidity it needs to melt smoothly.
You can also try this easy Cream Cheese Hot Dip recipe if guests love cheese appetizers!
How to Make a Gluten-Free Cheese Fondue (Step-By-Step)
Step 1: In a pan, sauté the leeks or onions and minced garlic with butter over low heat. Allow them to soften and caramelize, which takes about 5-10 minutes.
🔑 Sandi says: If you are using frozen spinach, it is important to thaw the spinach and squeeze out the extra moisture before adding it to the pot. This will prevent the fondue from being watery.
Step 2: Turn the fondue pot onto low. Every fondue pot has different temperature settings. Read the manual of your pot and follow those directions. Chop the cheeses into small cubes. Add the cheeses and remaining ingredients to the fondue pot and let them melt. Stir frequently to ensure it melts evenly.
Step 3: Add the leeks, spinach, and garlic to the fondue pot. Add the spinach and leeks, then mix.
I love the fondue pot by Nostalgia. You can see it in all of my photos of this fondue. It is easy to use and easy to clean!
While the cheeses are melting, chop vegetables and slice a gluten free baguette for dipping! You can use fresh vegetables as I did, roasted vegetables, or parboil them.
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How do I thicken fondue?
Thickening fondue is straightforward, and if your spinach is very moist, you may need to thicken it slightly. Using cornstarch (or potato starch) to create a slurry is the best way to thicken fondue without lumps.
- Spoon some of the melted cheese mixture into a small bowl. Add (¼–½ tsp starch + 1–2 tsp fondue). Be sure to do this after all of the cheese has melted and before the spinach and leeks are added.
- Once the slurry is well mixed, add it to the remaining melted cheese. Mix well.
👀 Sandi Says: Do not use too much starch, or the fondue will get gummy!
How do I fix clumpy fondue?
If your fondue is clumpy, add a little water and heat it over low heat. Mix frequently.
Foods For Dipping:
There are so many things you can dip into fondue. Here are some of my favorites:
- Gluten-free bread: Use store-bought gluten-free baguettes or make my Gluten-Free Breadsticks or a loaf of my Gluten-Free Sourdough Bread for dipping.
- Carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms
- Steamed snow peas
- Salami, ham, and other meats.
Frequently Asked Questions:
You can easily make this gluten free cheese fondue without wine, but you will need to add a little liquid in its place. Note that dry white wine adds a lot of flavor to the fondue, and this recipe requires only a small amount.
If your fondue becomes too watery, you can thicken it by keeping it in the fondue pot so some of the moisture evaporates out. You can also add a small amount of gluten-free flour or tapioca starch if needed.
Overcooking your fondue can make it turn out stringy. If your fondue is stringy, add some cornstarch or tapioca starch and water, and mix it well.
More Gluten-Free Appetizers to Make:
We love making fun appetizers for get-togethers with friends and family. Here are more delicious gluten-free appetizer recipes to try:
- 14 Delicious Gluten-Free Meatball Recipes – A collection of the best gluten free meatball recipes.
- Gluten-Free Fried Cheese Sticks – If you love fondue, you will love these melty cheese sticks.
- Gluten-Free Sweet and Sour Meatballs – One of the most popular meatball recipes on my blog.
- Easy Mango Pecan Brie – This brie makes a simple appetizer in under 3 minutes.
Love This Recipe?
If you made and enjoyed this recipe, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a comment below. This will help others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
Gluten Free Spinach Cheese Fondue
Equipment
- fondue pot
Ingredients
- ½ pound gruyere cheese shredded or cubbed
- ½ pound mozzarella cheese shredded or cubbed
- 2 tablespoons gluten free flour blend
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup fresh or frozen spinach * see note
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 large leek sliced thinly
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 clove minced garlic
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Instructions
- Chop cheese into cubes.
- In a pan, sautee the 1 cup fresh or frozen spinach, 1 large leek (sliced), and 1 clove minced garlic with a tablespoon of butter. *If you use frozen spinach, thaw the spinach and squeeze out the extra liquid before adding it to the pan.
- Add 1 teaspoon salt and cook until they soften and caramelize, which takes about 5-10 minutes.
- In a sauce pan, add 1/2 pound gruyere cheese, 1/2 pound mozzarella cheese, 2 tablespoons salted butter, and 1 cup dry white wine.
- Cook on low heat, stirring frequently. Cook until all of the cheese is melted. Mix in the spinach and leek mixture. Avoid cooking on too high because it can make your fondue get lumpy.
- Serve warm in fondue pot with vegetables and bread.
- *See the post for troubleshooting tips including ways to thicken the fondue and how to thin it.
Notes
- Feel free to use onions if you can’t find fresh leeks at your market.
- I recommend using an inexpensive white wine. There is no need to spend a lot on wine for this recipe. If you prefer not to use wine, you can use 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to replace the acidity.
- If you use frozen spinach, thaw it and drain the extra liquid.
- Leftover fondue will keep fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Dip steamed vegetables, meats, or gluten-free bread.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, my rule of thumb is to add more flour if your dough or batter is wet and add more liquid if the dough or batter is too dry!
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
This post was updated from an older 11/2015 post with more details and recipe information.
I truly hope you enjoy this recipe. I have been testing and creating gluten-free recipes for over 15 years. Creating gluten-free recipes that do not taste gluten-free is my goal for every recipe. Sometimes I only have to test a new recipe a couple of times, and others it takes multiple times. I do this so you get reliable, delicious results every time!
We made this for New Year’s Eve and it was fantastic! Honestly the best cheese fondue I’ve even made. Notes: there is no garlic listed in your ingredient list (luckily I had some on hand), you say “shredded” cheese in the ingredient list but cubed in the instructions (I used cubed), and the instructions say to add wine in both steps 4 and 5. I added it in 4 (used cooking wine but think dry table white might be even better). Ate with gluten free baguette, broccoli, and cauliflower. I repeat: YUM!
I am so glad you liked this recipe Danika. Thank you for pointing out the missing garlic. I don’t know how I missed adding that. I checked back in my notes and added that in. I also added shredded or cubed. Have a wonderful New Year :-).