Obatzda (German Cheese Spread) - Recipes From Europe (2024)

Craving Obatzda? Here’s How To Make This German Cheese Spread!

If you’re looking for a classic Bavarian food, you’ve got to make Obatzda.

Often known as the “German beer cheese spread” in English, this delicious Bavarian cheese is a beer market staple.

Now you can also bring it to the comfort of your home with our simple Obatzda recipe!

Made with cheeses like camembert and cream cheese and a handful of spices like paprika, Obatzda usually has a light orange color and a sharp taste.

Also written as Obazda or Obatzter, this German beer cheese recipe is often made with wheat beer. However, that’s not always the case. If you buy Obatzda cheese in the supermarket, it often doesn’t include any beer!

We definitely have an affinity for Obatzda. Lisa is from Bavaria and Obatzda is a cheese spread she has enjoyed since she was a child. It’s a classic Oktoberfest food, too!

In German beer gardens, you can often find it on the “Brotzeit” menu served with a fresh German pretzel or radishes. Now that we live in North America, we are happy that it is so easy to make Obatzda at home!

Obatzda Recipe Substitutions

There are actually a number of ways you can modify this Obatzda recipe. It’s best to use a very ripe camembert, but you can also use brie cheese if you can’t get a hold of any camembert cheese.

We like to make ours with cream cheese but you can also use another spreadable cheese like Laughing Cow, for example.

Obatzda doesn’t always have onions in it. We like adding a small, very finely chop onion for a bit more flavor but you can definitely decide to omit it.

As for spices, German cuisine uses a lot of caraway. If you don’t have any at home, can also use ground cumin. Just know that the flavor might be a tiny bit different.

We’d also recommend adding a tiny bit less cumin since it can have a more intense flavor than caraway.

Finally, beer is often added to this cheese but it’s not absolutely mandatory. You could also use non-alcoholic beer.

Bring the German Beer Market to you: whip up a German Radler Beer or even a Colaweizen to go with Obatzda and Pretzels!

How to Make Obatzda – German Cheese Spread Step by Step

If you want to make some Obatzda, you can check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post for exact measurements.

For those looking to follow the recipe with visuals, you can see the Obatzda recipe process photos right below.

This way, you can compare your Obatzda to ours to see if you are on the right track in your kitchen!

Start by cutting the camembert cheese and the butter into small pieces. Then add them to a medium-sized mixing bowl.

“Mince” the butter and camembert pieces with a fork or a pastry cutter. This actually works quite well.

Keep going until there are no large chunks left.

Now add the cream cheese, paprika, ground caraway (or cumin), salt, and pepper.

Mix everything using a fork, wooden spoon, or even your clean hands.

If you like onions, add a small, very finely chopped onion and mix again.

As mentioned, Obatzda doesn’t always have onions so you can definitely also omit them.

Once everything is well combined, add the wheat beer. We usually go for two tablespoons of beer, but depending on the consistency of your cheese, you might want to add a little bit more or less.

Remember, Obatzda is usually quite thick so you don’t want to add too much beer and make it runny.

Mix again. Then cover the bowl with some cling film and place it in the fridge for at least one hour. This step is important as it will allow the flavors to really mingle and develop.

Before serving the cheese spread, try it and add more salt and/or pepper to taste. You can also garnish it with some chopped chives or parsley.

Storage Tips

Although the Obatzda needs to sit in the fridge for a bit, we would recommend making the cheese spread the same day (or max. the night before) you plan to serve it – especially if you include the onions. That’s because the onions can develop a slightly bitter flavor over time.

If you have any leftovers, store them in a container with a lid in the fridge and consume them within 1-2 days.

Obatzda FAQ

Obatzda can be a confusing German food if you’re not familiar with it. Eric sure was but now he absolutely loves it. Here are the answers to some commonly asked questions about Obatzda.

Related Recipes

If you liked this recipe for German Obatzda, try out these other classic German recipes:

• Bavarian Cream – A creamy custard-dessert topped with berry puree
• Farmer’s Omelette – This Bauernomlett recipe makes a whole breakfast in one go
• Jägerschnitzel – A great recipe for German Hunter Schnitzel with mushroom sauce