Liptauer
Liptauer is a tasty paprika-infused cheese spread popular throughout Austria, Hungary and Slovakia. This easy recipe is a great addition to any appetizer board!
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If you told me this recipe was primarily a combination of cottage cheese and butter, I would’ve looked at you like you’re crazy. But hear me out! Liptauer is actually a delicious (and unique) cheese spread. It’s one of those things where you take one bite…then another…then another. The flavors just keep calling you back!
Several years ago, we took a trip out to the Finger Lakes (NY) with our good friends. In addition to visits to several wineries, we found a highly rated Austrian restaurant overlooking Seneca Lake. Hmmm. I must admit that we couldn’t name many Austrian recipes, but we decided to give this place a shot. In short, it was a great restaurant. At the advice of our waitress, we ordered Liptauer as an appetizer as it was a house specialty.
What is Liptauer?
Liptauer is a spicy cheese spread that is common in Austrian, Slovak and Hungarian cuisine. This recipe goes by different names in different regions – Liptauer (pronounced LIP-tower) is the Austrian name. (It goes by Körözött in Hungary and Liptaver in Slovenia.) The name itself comes from Liptau, the German name for the region of Liptov in northern Slovakia.
The main ingredients in Liptauer are a spreadable white cheese, chives and sweet paprika. Other common additions are finely chopped onions, caraway seeds and occasionally chopped capers. Liptauer is generally served as an open-faced sandwich on toasted rye bread, or it can be served with crackers as an appetizer. In fact, this recipe is commonly served in wine taverns throughout Austria.
Liptauer is traditionally made with bryndza, a soft sheep’s milk cheese common in East-Central Europe. Unfortunately, bryndza is not readily available in the United States. Not to fear – this recipe can still be made using ingredients that are common in the States.
After going down way too many internet rabbit holes and messages boards, I settled on a combination of full-fat cottage cheese and unsalted butter. Plain cream cheese is also an option, but I feel like cottage cheese lends a better texture and taste to this recipe. The cottage cheese is pressed through a sieve, so it ends up very smooth and creamy. And in the room temperature butter and seasonings, and you’ve got one heck of a delicious appetizer recipe!
Serving Suggestions
Liptauer is typically served as a spread with toasted rye bread. It’s often served as an appetizer along with chilled white wine or a cold beer. As such, it would be a great addition to a charcuterie and cheese board along with various cured meats and cheeses. Before serving, garnish the top with chopped chives, a pinch of Hungarian paprika and/or a few caraway seeds.
How to Store Leftovers
Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Liptauer does not freeze well, so I recommend making it fresh. (It’s an easy recipe to make! Just make sure to include a couple of hours for the spread to chill in the fridge.)
When you serve Liptauer, chances are most of your friends and family will be unfamiliar with this recipe. However, if they’re anything like us, they will quickly become addicted! Liptauer is a great appetizer option as it’s not only easy to make, but it’s unique. It will become a topic of discussion for sure. Inviting friends over and enjoying tasty foods along with a glass of beer or wine is one of our favorite things to do. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do – Cheers!
Did you make this Liptauer recipe at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!
Liptauer
Ingredients
- 1 cup full-fat cottage cheese
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 Tbsp finely chopped yellow onions
- 1 Tbsp finely chopped capers
- ½ tsp minced garlic
- 2 tsp Hungarian sweet paprika plus more for garnishing
- 1 tsp caraway seeds
- 1½ tsp Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- pinch ground black pepper
- {for serving} thinly sliced rye or pumpernickel bread
- {for garnishing} finely chopped chives
Instructions
- Place the cottage cheese into a fine mesh sieve. Using a rubber spatula, press cottage cheese through sieve into the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Fit the mixer with the paddle attachment. Add butter and cream together the butter and cottage cheese until smooth.
- Add onions, capers, garlic, paprika, caraway, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper; mix until smooth.
- Transfer mixture into an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
- For serving, spread Liptauer on toasted slices of rye or pumpernickel bread. Sprinkle chopped chives and a pinch of paprika on top.
Looking for more tasty appetizer recipes? Check out these other favorites, too:
I need to try this soon for me BTW can’t wait to make your recipes soon for me
I hope you enjoy it, Ramya!
I’ve made this and it’s fabulous!
I totally agree, Mimi! It’s surprisingly delicious.
I love discovering regional spreads like this! Liptauer sounds incredible, creamy, paprika-spiced, and perfect for a wine-and-cheese night. Can’t wait to try it on rye bread!
This really is perfect for a wine-and-cheese night! It’s an unusual spread (at least for us here in the States), but it’s really quite tasty. Thanks, Raymund!
sounds great to me! Lots of flavours. I don’t remember seeing it when we backpacked thru Europe but then again, we were poor and didn’t eat in cafes much!
This spread is quite delicious, Sherry! I say make a batch and relive the memories of your backpacking trip. 🙂
I’ve had dips and spreads featuring cottage cheese before, but this one is new and so unique to me. And regarding bryndza, I think feta is a good substitute. Or the combination of feta and pizza mozzarella. (I was looking for a replacement a few years ago.)
I like that idea of feta + mozzarella cheese – I think that would get somewhat close, too. I’ve gotta say that this cottage cheese version turned out surprisingly well. We couldn’t stop nibbling on this!!
Can’t wait to give this spread a try! Looks so flavorful too!
This spread is so easy to make, Michelle – and, yes, it’s super flavorful, too! I hope you enjoy it!
I really want to thank you for taking the time to hunt down the best available ingredients for making liptauer here in the US. I love the flavor profile of this fantastic dip… and I think the biggest problem I am going to have is running out of things to dip into it with!
It’s usually pretty easy to replicate recipes here in the US, but this one was a bit harder. In the end, the result was pretty darned good, though! Thanks, Heidi!
I hadn’t ever heard of Liptauer – what a delicious combination of flavors in your version!
That’s what I love about food – there is always some new food, or new combination of ingredients or a new method of cooking that you haven’t come across before. No matter how much time you’ve spent in the kitchen, there’s always something new to learn! Add this spread to the list of things to try, Shashi – it’s delicious!
Ah, this brings back memories. Back in the day I lived in Vienna for a couple of years and practically lived on this stuff, washed down with the local wine. Good times..
I didn’t realize you lived in Vienna, Frank! This is a fantastic side dish/appetizer. It’s a bit hard to make in the US due to sourcing the proper ingredients, but I think this version turned out quite well.