All the makings for a fondue party, including a full menu for cheese fondue, meat and seafood fondue and chocolate fondue, plus all the dips, sauces and dippers! Info includes the tools required, timelines and tips & tricks! One stop fondue fun.
What do you think of when you hear the word fondue? The first thought that enters my mind chocolate. Mmmm chocolate. Chocolate smothered strawberries and bananas…can’t you just taste them?! And don’t forget the cheese. The hot, gooey, delicious and rich melted cheese smothered bread chunks. So good.
Fun, fabulous and delicious fondue!
A couple of weeks ago we hosted a fondue party and it was so much fun! I wish I could show you a ‘Martha Stewart’ party, complete with all the perfect invitations, menus, printables, and decorations but I don’t have them. And please excuse the pictures, we were too busy eating and having fun to capture any perfect pics…hopefully next time. The important thing is that I share all of the delicious recipes with you!
A Complete Fondue Menu
Not only will you get some tasty recipes to try, but you also got to see some fondue pots that are the real deal…I’m talking 1970’s real deal…like fondue pots that made their rounds at the first fondues of our time. Now how’s that for authentic?! And I’m hoping that you will find this a one-stop-shop-fondue-party!
Now it’s time to partaaaaaaay!
What you need for your Fondue:
First, let’s get everything you need to make your fondue party a success. Here are all the supplies you need:
- 3 Fondue pots (we used 4: one pot was for shrimp only)
- One for Meat & Seafood: 1 pot for the oil – use an electric, stainless steel or cast iron pot for oil fondues. Make sure that the pot that you use for an oil fondue has a splash guard around the rim of the pot to prevent splashing.
- One for Cheese Fondue: Use a ceramic fondue pot over a flame. We use gel fuel pots – you can find these at WalMart or any major grocery store.
- One for Chocolate: Use a ceramic fondue pot over a tea light.
- Fuel: tea lights, gel fuel pots and vegetable oil.
- Fondue forks: make sure you have at least 2 per person.
- Little bowls for dips & sauces (or you can use 8 dishes, and put a set of dips on either end of the table for easy access)
- Napkins: have a lot…fondues are messy
- Serving plates
Fondue Preparation Timeline:
Here’s a quick timeline to help you organize your fondue party preparations:
- Make your dips first. These are best made early in the day so the flavours in them can meld together.
- Prep all your vegetables and fruit ahead of time. Wash and cut them up in to bite sized pieces. Again, this is best to do early in the day so you are all ready to go at fondue time!
- Slice your meat. Do this early and put it in your fridge until dinner time.
- De-thaw any seafood you are serving.
- About an hour or so before your fondue party, you can roast any veggies that you plan on serving. They don’t have to be hot right out of the oven at fondue time. Most people like to warm them up in the cheese fondue or even the oil.
Now on to the food!
Dips and Sauces:
The general rule for fondue dips and sauces, is that there should be at least 3-4 different kinds for your seafood and meats.
- Cocktail sauce for the shrimp (store bought is great!)
- Peanut sauce
- Horseradish-Dijon mustard dip
- Chimichurri sauce

Peanut Sauce Recipe
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1/2 cup 1x
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp finely chopped onion
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- 3 tbsp water
- 1 – 2 tbsp creamy peanut butter
- 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tsp tomato paste
- 3/4 tsp sugar
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, cook the onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes in oil until soft, about 4 minutes.
- Whisk in the remaining ingredients, and simmer while stirring, about 1 minute.
- Cool.
- Category: Sauce
Keywords: peanut sauce

Horseradish and Dijon Dipping Sauce
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 1/2 cups 1x
Ingredients
- 1 cup sour cream
- 6 tbsp prepared horseradish
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- coarse salt and freshly ground paper
Instructions
- Stir sour cream, horseradish, and mustard in a small bowl.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Category: Sauce
Keywords: horseradish sauce, dijon sauce

Chimichurri Sauce
- Total Time: 2 hours (including resting time)
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup packed fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro, chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar (white wine vinegar works well too)
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients together, and let sit for at least 2 hours.
- Tip: Make this dip first, then prep everything else for your fondue while it rests.
- Category: Sauce
Keywords: Chimichurri sauce
3 Delicious Fondues Recipes:
Now on to the fondues! Here are 3 different fondue recipes:
- Meat Fondue: Great for steak, seafood and chicken.
- Cheese Fondue: Great for dipping vegetables, breads and cured meats.
- Chocolate Fondue: A wonderful dessert recipe for dipping fruit, cakes and marshmallows.

Meat Fondue
Description
Great for steak, seafood and chicken.
Ingredients
- sirloin steak (cut into strips)
- shrimp
- chunks of chicken
- vegetable oil for cooking
Instructions
- Fill your fondue pots 1/2 – 2/3 full with vegetable oil.
- Turn on the heat, and when the temperature reaches around 350 – 365 degrees it’s ready to cook in.
- Category: Fondue

Cheese Fondue
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: about 5 cups 1x
Description
Great for dipping vegetables, breads and cured meats.
Ingredients
- 1 clove garlic, cut in half lengthwise
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 lb Gruyere and/or Emmentaler cheese. Shredded should make about 9 cups total.
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
Dippers for Cheese Fondue:
- chunks of bread
- cooked meat
- fresh vegetables: grape tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms
- roasted vegetables: cauliflower, potatoes, bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, carrots, parsnips
Instructions
- Before you get your fondue pot hot, rub the inside of it thoroughly with the cut garlic halves, then thrown them out.
- Pour the wine into the fondue pot, and place over medium-low heat. (See notes)
- When the wine starts to bubble, add the cheese by the handful, stirring until melted and combined.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch with lemon juice until the cornstarch dissolves, then stir the mixture into the cheese mixture.
- Continue whisking the cheese mixture until it is smooth and bubbling slightly.
- Serve immediately.
- Category: Fondue
Keywords: cheese fondue

Chocolate Fondue
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 cups 1x
Description
A wonderful dessert recipe for dipping fruit, cakes and marshmallows.
Ingredients
- 1 lb semisweet chocolate
- 2 cups heavy cream
Chocolate Fondue Dippers:
- strawberries
- bananas
- chunks of pineapple
- chunks of white cake
- marshmallows
Instructions
- On your stove, place a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water.
- Add the chocolate and cream.
- Using a wooden spoon, stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is creamy and smooth.
- Once it’s smooth, transfer the chocolate mix to a fondue pot, and set over a warming candle like a tea light. See notes.
- Serve immediately.
- Category: Fondue
Keywords: chocolate fondue
Fondues really are such a fun time! I dare anyone not to have a great time dipping and cooking their food. It makes for great conversation and good times! They make for great romantic dinners too…maybe even this Valentines Day. Just sayin’
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Have a delicious day!
19 Comments
Melanie
February 7, 2013 at 4:48 PMNow how fun is that?! I absolutely love fondue – both the cheese and the chocolate ones. But I don’t have any fondue pots! I think I should start looking for them in Goodwill when I go. 🙂
Judy
June 3, 2014 at 5:14 PMTry EBAy
Ali
February 7, 2013 at 4:48 PMYUM!!!! I love fondue! Your pots are awesome! Josh and I had fondue in France and it was gooooood! We also had it a friend’s house in Switzerland and it was the best we ever had. SO yum and such a fun novelty type meal 🙂
Barb
February 7, 2013 at 7:56 PMOMG!! I love those pots – deja vuvu!!
Stephanie @ henry happened
February 7, 2013 at 8:14 PMthis looks so good! I almost hosted a fondue party last weekend but it got turned into a superbowl party instead. still that chocolate is calling my name!
Rose
February 8, 2013 at 6:57 AMFun and appetizing. Looks so good! If you receive a fondue set as a gift be sure to invite the gifter to enjoy with you as they will delight in seeing you use their gift.
Elizabeth
February 9, 2013 at 4:02 PMOh geez, when I hear the word fondue, I’m transported back to the seventies and fonduing with my family!
I still have the ol’ pot; you’ve inspired me to dust it off!
Caroline Csak
February 9, 2013 at 5:16 PMFondues take me back to being a young girl in the UK in the 70’s. For our birthdays, my sister and I and our best friends, also sisters, would go ice-skating at the ice-rink in Bristol, and come home for a fondue dinner. Four times a year, for I don’t know how many years…
Needless to say we weren’t very good skaters – hence my limited abilities out on Lake Bonavista now. I can go forwards, but don’t ask me to look at any of the fancy houses because I have to keep my eyes on the ice – those cracks are lethal for one of my skill level!!
Tammy @ A Walk in the Countryside
February 11, 2013 at 8:07 AMGreat idea! I’m going to be on the lookout for fondue pots while I’m out thrifting! Have a blessed week!
Grayce
December 14, 2017 at 10:10 PMOut thrifting as well…no luck
Cynthia
March 7, 2013 at 4:10 PMHave you ever tried the Tobelerone chocolate fondue recipe Jo-Anna? It’s deadly!
Suzanne
March 26, 2013 at 10:53 PMWhat kind of wine’s complimented your fondue?
Sue
October 26, 2014 at 7:50 AMI found your site after I googled “fondue dinner”. We fondue more often than the average Minnesotan and I was looking for some new ideas. Love your recipe for the Horseradish & Dijon Mustard Dip and the Peanut Sauce. Both were a hit. Even with my husband who is the fussiest eater alive. He thought the peanut sauce was “really nice”. That is the ultimate compliment!
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October 26, 2014 at 10:36 AMThat is fantastic! I’m so happy you enjoyed your fondue!
Katie
December 7, 2014 at 3:17 PMHow many did these recipes serve? Thanks!
sherry
January 20, 2016 at 1:51 PMWhat a relief to find your blog! I am hosting a fondue party in three days, and it was on my “to do list” to complete the menu today. You did all the work for me!!!! Love the printable recipes, and the pictures. I am giddy with excitement over finding this! Thanks!
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January 20, 2016 at 2:34 PMThis makes me SO happy! Fondues are so fun…I hope you have a delicious time!
Jan
December 30, 2016 at 4:31 PMI have 12 coming for a fondue dinner. How much beef, chicken, & shrimp do I buy per person? Do we cook the raw meat (chicken & beef) in the same broth or oil?
Grayce
December 13, 2017 at 11:39 PMFondue is a great way to have a dinner party. A long time ago we realized that oil was not healthy. I found a broth recipe that is absolutely delicious and we use it every time. It is absolutely delicious. Chicken…we pre cook in chicken broth… and have it ready to go for our fondue. When we’re ready to go later in the day all you do is reheat the chicken. Yum