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!