Liptauer (Slovakian Cheese Spread)
Liptauer is a seriously addicting, paprika-infused cheese spread recipe that is equally perfect for game day or a fancy appetizer party, and everything in between.
Paprika-Spiced Slovakian Cheese Spread
Liptauer (pronounced LIP-tower) is a popular appetizer spread throughout Slovakia, Hungary, and Austria.
The name comes from the Liptov region of Slovakia. There, they traditionally made this spread with bryndza, a soft, sheep's milk cheese.
The soft cheese base is blended with butter, to create a creamy and fluffy spread.
Seasonings, including a good amount of paprika, capers, and minced onion, give the spread a smoky, salty, and slightly tangy flavor.
While a soft farmer's cheese is most traditionally used when making authentic liptauer, farmer's cheese can be a bit hard to come by in the States. But, don't worry if you can't find some farmer's cheese. Goat cheese or cream cheese have become perfectly acceptable substitutes when making a liptauer cheese spread.
Variations Of Liptauer
Since liptauer is quite popular across multiple countries, it is no surprise that there are many variations of the spread.
We found versions that were made sweet with sweet pickles or salty with anchovies.
Some like their liptauer spicy and add hot paprika or hot sauce.
Other versions are more savory and add fresh or dried herbs.
The texture of some spreads are smoother, from the addition of sour cream. While others are chunky, from blending cottage cheese into the mix.
Our Liptauer Recipe
We omitted a lot of the regional "extras" and opted to make liptauer using the set of ingredients that seemed most common among all the recipes we found.
Sweet paprika (not hot paprika), capers, and onions give a nice base layer of smoky flavor with a hint of brine.
Mustard and caraway bring additional sweetness and tang to the spread.
Once you get a feel for the spread, have fun with it!
Feel free to mix in some sweet pickles or hot sauce, if those are flavors that your family likes. Liptauer is one of those dishes that is best when you make it your own!
Serving Liptauer Spread
Many wineries in Vienna, Austria serve both a mild and a spicy version of liptauer as an accompaniment to their local wines.
It was the wine that first directed us to liptauer, as we were looking for something to pair with the Austrian Grüner Veltliner wine.
We did find that the liptauer paired incredibly well with wine. But, its ability to be spread on anything makes it the perfect appetizer, no matter what beverage you're serving.
Traditionally, liptauer is spread on a hearty rye or pumpernickel bread. We love the way the creamy, slightly tangy, and salty spread complements the deep and robust flavors of the rye bread.
To tell you the truth, we became quite addicted to this spread as soon as we tasted it.
Liptauer found its way onto any bread or cracker we had around the house.
We spread it on our morning toast and topped it with hard-boiled eggs.
We even used it as a dip for raw veggies.
Even though we were initially slightly skeptical about how the flavors would come together, it is safe to say this spread has become our new favorite snack!
Liptauer (Slovakian Cheese Spread)
Liptauer is a seriously addicting, paprika-infused cheese spread that is equally perfect for game day or a fancy appetizer party.
For the best flavor, refrigerate the prepared spread for at least 1 hour before serving.
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 4 oz salted butter, softened
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 tablespoon onion, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon capers, chopped
- 1 ½ teaspoon sweet paprika*
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds, ground
- 1 teaspoon prepared mustard
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and blend using an electric hand mixer, until everything is well mixed and the cheese is fluffy.
- Refrigerate the spread in an airtight container for at least 1 hour before serving.
- Liptauer is traditionally served on rye or pumpernickel bread, but we found it to be tasty when spread on any kind of bread or crackers.
- Spread will last for 1-2 weeks in the refrigerator.
Notes
*Your regular paprika is most likely a "sweet" paprika. But, if you happen to have some Hungarian sweet paprika standing by in your pantry, it will give this spread a touch of extra, authentic flavor.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1 gAmount Per Serving: Calories: 206
Sarah founded Curious in 2010 as a way to save her recipe creations and share culinary experiences. Her love for cultural cuisines was instilled early by her French Canadian Grandmother. Her experience in the kitchen and in recipe development comes from over 10 years working in professional kitchens. She has traveled extensively and enjoys bringing the flavors of her travels back to create easy-to-make recipes.
Delicious! I do a variation of this for an annual holiday cheese pizza arty and it’s well loved. Your recipe has just the right balance of flavors! Merci.
We're so glad you enjoy the cheese spread! Thanks for sharing!
Try it on radish slices!
That sounds delicious!
I made this for a neighborhood Octoberfest. It has great flavor, but seems a tiny bit salty. It hasn’t set yet, and I’m sure it will mellow after refrigeration. I will definitely make it again!
We're so glad you enjoyed the spread!
I have made your recipe three times now. The only change I made was to add more garlic. It’s so good! Thanks so much. My german family requests it a lot. I served it with my own no knead bread.
We're so glad you enjoy the spread!
As far as I know this was an Austro/Hungarian spread. I am Hungarian born and my mom made this a lot, now I do. I have used cream cheese but originally this was made with either sheep milk cheese, goat milk cheese, quark or turo(a type of cottage or farmers cheese).
My kids love this spread!
Hi Judith. Thanks for sharing your experience with this spread! It is definitely popular across multiple countries, with regional variations as well.
This was one of my moms favorites Im planning on making it for the
inauguration on Wed.
MMMMMMMM
Enjoy!
I like the look of this better than Nigella’s (which I’ve made & liked okay). Thank you!
Hope you enjoy it!
Austrian put pickles and herbs. try to roast the caraway seed before you grind them.
Yum! Thank you so much for sharing!
You should know that in Hungary the liptauer is on every table during Easter week, especially on Good Friday as a meatless dish
Thanks so much for sharing!
Just made this for a Sound of Music sing-along party. A perfect Austrian appetizer,.. it's delish!
So happy you're enjoying the recipe Lori. Perfect for a Sound of Music party!
I am going to make this for mothers day. Can you use Smoked paprika in this?
Smoked paprika can definitely be substituted. It will just give the spread a bit of a deeper, smoky flavor. Which does sound tasty! Enjoy!
I'd love to try this cheesy spread on some grainy bread! Sounds like a delicious lunch to me 🙂
I had some for lunch today with a hearty bread and cucumbers! It might not be traditional, but it's still tasty! 🙂
Sounds like a tasty cheese spread - I can see it being a great base in sandwiches too.
Oh yes! We've been experimenting a bit. But, I really want to try it with some shaved turkey!
Oh my! Not only is this incredibly pretty, I just love the color, but it sounds amazing!! I am definitely making this!
Thanks so much Nicole! We hope you enjoy it!
This is a perfect gameday dip, but it is elevated a notch, which makes it MY kind of dip! YUM!
Thanks Nichole! It's just that little bit of something extra that makes it all the more fun!