Obatzda is the most addictive beer and cheese dip or spread to help pretzels travel into your mouth! The rustic and authentic camembert cream cheese base is enhanced with onions, chives and paprika. It's the perfect snack to go with pretzels and beer for a game night with friends or an Oktoberfest party.
What Is Obatzda
Obatzda is a creamy and addictive German beer cheese dip from Bavaria. It's made from Camembert cheese (a soft-ripened cheese similar to Brie), cream cheese, butter, onions, chives, spices and beer. The beer is optional, but I think it really brings the flavors together. You could also use non-alcoholic beer if you are worried about the alcohol or gluten-free beer if you can't do gluten. Leave the beer out altogether and use milk or water to thin out the dip. Obatzda is commonly served alongside pretzels and I would like to hereby encourage you to make some authentic German pretzels from scratch. It's also great when spreading onto fresh bread or for dipping crudites like bell pepper slices, cucumber slices or radishes.
How to Make German Beer Cheese Dip
It's really so easy and quick to make! The easiest way to make it is to warm the cheese (camembert and cream cheese) as well as the butter for a few seconds in the microwave. Or you can naturally let it bring to room temperature if you can think about it early enough. Then you'll mush it together using a fork until you get a chunky paste. Make the paste before adding the other ingredients. As for the liquid, a nice Bavarian lager beer preferably like Paulaner, you will want to add it LAST. This is the final step to get your dip to your prefered consistency. For a party like your own Oktoberfest, I like to make my Obatzda more of a dippable consistency (serving with homemade pretzels to dip), but for Abendbrot, I prefer a little thicker, spreadable consistency.
Bavarian Beer Cheese Spread Video
Here a simple and quick video showing you how easy it is to make Obatzda at home.
Ingredient Notes
- Camembert Cheese. It's a milder version of Brie. Can't find it? Use a young Brie instead (make sure the 'use by date' is as far out as possible for milder flavor).
- Cream Cheese. The real, full fat kind.
- Butter. Just a little bit. Use real butter, please.
- Onions. I use yellow onions and finely chop them. Red onions could be used as well.
- Chives. A handful of finely chopped chives get mixed into your Obatzda at the end.
- Paprika Powder. Use the sweet kind, not smoky or spicy. You can also use a combination of paprika and cayenne for a touch of added heat. It's a fun way to mix things up (just don't tell the real Bavarians you did).
- Beer. Not just any beer. Ideally, you'll use a mild Bavarian beer like a Paulaner lager or Oktoberfest beer. You could also use non-alcoholic beer if you're concerned about the alcohol. Add just enough to get you to the right consistency (you decide if you want to it more spreadable or more dippable).
Where Is Obatzda From?
Obatzda is a cheese specialty from Germany's largest state in the South, Bavaria. And Bavarians are very proud of it. You don't want to mess with the sacred ingredient list of Obatzda, either. The word has a derived meaning of 'to touch' and 'to smear.' While originated in Bavaria, it is popular all throughout Germany and is sold in prepackaged containers at supermarkets, apart from some restaurants and beer halls serving it. We eat it as a breakfast spread on bread or Brötchen when I visit home. You can easily make it at home in a matter of 10 minutes. It's so easy and delicious!
More Authentic Bavarian Recipes
Into Bavarian food and need some other food to go along with your Obatzda? Then check out my recipes for Bavarian potato salad, Wiesnhendl, and REAL pretzels. Finally, warming up some Weisswurst and serving it with sweet Bavarian mustard and a Weissbier is another great way to experience Bavarian cuisine.
Obatzda (Authentic German Beer Cheese Dip from Bavaria)
Ingredients
- 250 grams camembert cheese Room temperature. Or a young brie cheese, just go for the one with the farthest out expiration date.
- 120 grams cream cheese Room temperature.
- 10 grams butter Room temperature.
- 2 Tablespoons finely chopped chives reserve a little as garnish on top
- 2 Tablespoons finely chopped onion
- 1 teaspoon paprika powder The 'sweet' kind, not spicy or smoked. Plus more for sprinting on top. Like a little kick? Add a little bit of cayenne powder.
- 100 milliliters beer More or less, depending on the consistency you like. I typically like a spreadable consistency unless I serve it as a dip at parties. I used Paulaner Lager.
Instructions
- Bring all ingredients to room temperature (either by waiting or putting in them microwave for a few seconds). Using a fork, mash together the cheese, cream cheese and butter until you have a chunky paste-like consistency.250 grams camembert cheese, 120 grams cream cheese, 10 grams butter
- Add in the onions and chives and paprika and continue mixing until combined. Finally add in just enough beer to bring to a spreadable consistency. Add more beer if using a dip for parties etc.2 Tablespoons finely chopped chives, 2 Tablespoons finely chopped onion, 1 teaspoon paprika powder
- Garnish with paprika powder and chopped chives. Serve with my homemade pretzels for the ultimate Bavarian experience (they can be made ahead of time minus the baking). Other traditional garnishes and dippers are radishes and sliced onions.100 milliliters beer
Karl Gensheimer
I can see the recipe for Obatzda on the wen. is there any place where you can buy it without having to make it. I live in the Dallas texas area but grew up in bavaria and love it
dirndlkitchen
I have never seen Obatzda sold in the USA. But it's so easy to make that I have never looked! I hope you try my recipe sometime!
John
A very good cheese sauce. We tried it both warm and cold with pretzel bread and it was well received. So well received it was all eaten up.
dirndlkitchen
Wow! Love this kind of Obatzda love! I have never tried it warm, but now I want to!!
Nancy Whittlesey
Do you remove the rind from the Camembert or Brie, or leave it on?
dirndlkitchen
I leave the rind on! Depending on how ripe your cheese is (and your flavor preference), you could remove it as well. However, it's traditional to leave it on.
krista
do you think we can put this in the crockpot and put on keep warm/ low? for a party, especially
dirndlkitchen
Hi Krista, Obatzda is a cold beer cheese dip. So no need to warm it! But if you do warm it, let me know how it is as I've never tries it before!
Tina
Easy to make and super yummy! i added way less beer. It was delicious!
dirndlkitchen
So glad you loved my Obatzda recipe! I usually add less beer too. It depends a little bit too on the consistency of your cream cheese and camembert/brie, but I like it to be more a spreadable consistency versus a dip.
Liane Loyd
Hi Sofie!
I'm making this for an Oktoberfest Party next week with the Brezeln. How many people will this recipe serve? I'm thinking of making about 30 Brezeln and some of the dip. Do you have recommendations on how to best store the Brezeln for freshness? I've par-frozen 11 of them today (first time I tried them and my son loved them and said they are just like the ones in Germany 🙂 and plan on making another 20 the day of the event.
Viele Grüsse aus Indiana! Ich komme aus Schwaebisch Hall und bin seit 1998 in the US.
Liane
dirndlkitchen
Hi Liane! I would just keep the pretzels frozen when you're par-freezing. When ready to bake, let sit on your baking mat for 20ish minutes before dipping in lye, then bake immediately. I hope this helps! For 30 pretzels, I would likely make 2 Obatzda recipes, but it all depends on how much your people like eating pretzels with a German cheese dip versus mustard ;-). Mustard is not common to eat with pretzels in Germany, by the way. I wish I could come to your Oktoberfest party. It sounds so fun and I am sure it will be a great success! Sophie