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Obatzda, a flavorful German Beer Cheese Dip, is a beer garden classic made with camembert cheese, butter, and beer! This easy cheese dip can be made ahead and makes a delicious appetizer or snack with pretzels or rustic bread. Perfect for your next Oktoberfest party!
Obatzda is a classic Bavarian dish that you can get in every beer garden, supermarket in Bavaria, or traditional Bavarian restaurant. But it’s super easy to make at home with ingredients you can get at your local supermarket! This easy recipe is perfect for making ahead.
There are many different ways to make this beer cheese spread but one thing they all have in common are the main ingredients: aged soft cheese like Camembert or Brie, good quality butter, Â and a small amount of wheat beer.
Obatzda or Gerupfter (Franconian name) is traditionally seasoned with paprika, caraway seeds, salt, and pepper. You can add chopped onions to the dip but I recommend adding them just before serving otherwise they could develop a bitter or soapy taste when you make the dip in advance.
I’ve tried many different variations of this beer cheese dip and the recipe below is my favorite way to make it!
Tips and Trick for How to make Obatzda
- If you can’t have alcohol you can omit the beer or use a non-alcoholic beer.
- Instead of wheat beer, you can also use any other German beer.
- Using your hands works best to mix the ingredients together.
- Take out all the ingredients from the fridge half an hour before starting to make this recipe. Cut the butter into small cubes, it will come faster to room temperature. Using room temperature ingredients makes it easier to mix everything together.
- To make my beer cheese dip easily spreadable even after sitting in the fridge overnight I add a spreadable cheese like Laughing Cow Cheese to the camembert cheese. A common problem with Obatzda, made only with cheese and butter, is that it gets quite firm in the fridge. Don’t use cream cheese instead of spreadable cheese wedges. The cream cheese flavor is not the right choice for this dip.
- Add the sliced onions just before serving this way you can store the cheese dip longer.
- Serve this beer cheese dip with pretzels, pretzel bread, or a rustic sourdough bread. My Bavarian Pretzels are perfect to make with this recipe!
- This recipe is perfect for your Oktoberfest party but also makes a great addition to every holiday appetizer buffet!
Looking for more German recipes? Try out these authentic recipes:
- German Pork Hock (Schweinshaxe Recipe)
- German Apple Cake (Versunkener Apfelkuchen)
- German Cucumber Salad Recipe
- Authentic German Potato Salad
- Easy German Spaetzle Recipe
Want to try this German Beer Cheese Dip Recipe?
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Bavarian Beer Cheese Spread (Obatzda)
Ingredients
- 6 oz Spreadable cheese, like Laughing Cow Creamy Swiss
- 7 oz Brie , or Camembert Cheese
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 tbsp wheat beer
- 1/2 tsp caraway, ground
- 1 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
- 1/4 cup chives, finely chopped
- 1 white onion, finely sliced
Instructions
- Cut the Brie (or Camembert) Cheese into small cubes and add it to a medium bowl.
- Add Laughing cow cheese, butter, wheat beer, ground caraway, ground paprika, salt, and freshly ground pepper and mix with a fork until combined and smooth.
- Cover airtight and let it sit in the fridge for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- Take it out of the fridge and let come to room temperature before serving. Garnish with chives and finely sliced onion rings. This dip keeps fresh in the fridge for about 3 days (without onions).
Nutrition
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How good is this without the onions? My husband won’t eat anything with raw onions. Also, it doesn’t say to use a mixer or food processor but it sounds like that is best, correct?
You can leave out the onions. Yes, you could use a mixer or food processor but make sure it is powerful enough because the mixture is pretty thick. I like to use a fork or my hands because it is easier in my opinion and the Obatzda comes out chunkier which I really love.
Do you keep the rind on the brie cheese or remove it? Thanks
You use the whole brie including the rind!
I’ve made this twice. Once for German visitors with rave views. My family really enjoys it too. Our son liked it so much he ordered it the next week in a restaurant and came home to tell me this homemade one was far superior. We’ve had it at Oktoberfest in Germany and this brought back fond memories. I use my food processor to mix it all up and it comes out perfect. It is important to make it the night before which always works great when you are having company!
This recipe got rave reviews from my family! I had contemplated halving the recipe as I wasn’t sure if they would like it but, boy, I am glad I didn’t. Our gathering of 7 people finished it off with some traditional European pretzels as well as smaller, snacking pretzels.
Made this for German Class! Great recipe!
As a German, I would totally omit highly processed cheese such as Laughing Cow and only use camembert or brie cheese. Other than that, great article and recipe!!
Have you ever served this warm?
No, and I would not recommend it because the butter will melt and it might split. Obatzda is always served at room temperature or slightly cold.
Can I use miller lite cause that’s all I have?
Yes, you can!
Can this be frozen?
I would not recommend freezing this spread because the cheese will change texture when frozen.
Hi Julia making this for an appetiser.I didn’t have caraway and used cumin, and used kraft cheese off supermarket shelf as they didn’t have laughing cheese.Mixed with fork but still is lumpy.Can you help with this.I live in Australia and the dinner is tomorrow night
You could give it a blend in the food processor if you have one or use a hand mixer. But if it’s a bit lumpy it’s also totally fine, as long as it is spreadable and tastes good! Hope this helps. Merry Christmas, Vanessa!
Made this for a party a few weeks ago and it was a big hit! I served the dip with you pretzel recipe and everyone wanted the recipe. Thank you!
I just need that pretzel!
The color of it is much more orange than the photo. I suspect because of the amount of paprika? Or did I do something wrong- looks creamy yellowish in the photo and mine looks like nacho cheese
That sounds perfect to me! Yes, the paprika will make it more orange. My husband made some last week and it was also very orange.
Thanks so much! It was a huge hit at the party tonight. I have leftovers – any idea how long it will keep?
Happy to hear that! It will keep 2-3 days in the fridge.