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Ready for a tangy and delectable yogurt cheese made right in your kitchen? This one-ingredient recipe couldn’t be simpler. Learn how you can use store-bought yogurt to effortlessly craft this creamy delight along with countless ways to season it. Fruit & Nut Crusted Cheese Log? Boursin Copy Cat? Salmon Spread?
Reader Phyl commented: “I used an organic kerned yogurt—which means it has already been strained several times so is quite thick and creamy. I strained it for 36 hours and added some garlic and some wild garlic pesto I had + salt. It is amazing!“ ★★★★★
What is Yogurt Cheese?
Yogurt cheese has a thick, spreadable texture similar to soft goat cheese or cream cheese with a rich and tangy flavor that goes with just about anything. It is made by straining store-bought yogurt to remove the whey.
You may also know this cheese as Labneh, a Mediterranean cheese, typically topped with olive oil and fresh herbs and served with pita bread.
Since this cheese is made from a fermented product, it is a nutritional powerhouse, brimming with protein, and rich in healing fats with a greater depth of flavor than regular cream cheese.
The beauty of yogurt cream cheese?
It flawlessly adopts any flavor, be it savory, salty, or sweet—the possibilities are endless!
Simple.
Inexpensive.
How to Make
Unlike traditional cheese, there is no need for any of the steps of homemade cheese making: no starter culture, no rennet, no curds to cut, and no ripening.
Just a tub of yogurt.
Use a full-fat unflavored yogurt, ideally grass-fed, with no added ingredients, thickeners, or sweeteners. Added bacteria or cultures are fine.
And a day to let it drip.
Then, add some seasoning which can be as simple as salt or as fun as green onions and salmon (ideas provided, below) and you have a spread for bagels, a topping for grilled meats, the perfect dip for chips, and… fermented carrot sticks.
A great way to enjoy the beneficial probiotics found in yogurt without the additives, gums, or thickeners often present in commercial cream cheese. It’s a tasty and healthy option.
Here’s the recipe.
Yogurt Cream Cheese
EQUIPMENT
- 1 Medium-sized mixing bowl
- Large strainer
- Dishtowel, cheesecloth, or coffee filter
- String or rubber band
INGREDIENTS
- 1 quart (liter) yogurt
INSTRUCTIONS
- DRIP.Line a large strainer set over a bowl with either a clean dishtowel or a couple of layers of cheesecloth. Pour in the yogurt and let it drip for a few hours.
- DRAIN.Tie up the towel with the milk solids inside, being careful not to squeeze. Tie this little sack to a wooden spoon placed across the top of your container so that more whey can drip out.Or, instead, hang it from a hook mounted to the underside of your cabinet.Make sure the tips of the towel are tucked into your tie or rubber band to prevent the whey from weeping onto your counter.The whey will run into the bowl and the milk solids will stay in the dishtowel.You can vary the amount of time you let it drip until you get the cream-type cheese consistency you desire.
- COLLECT.Pour the liquid that drips out (whey) into a jar. The whey can be used in many ways: as a starter culture for many fermentation projects, for soaking grains to make them more digestible, and even to sip on as a digestive tonic.
- TRANSFER.Open up the dishtowel and dump the cheese into a bowl, peeling of any bits that stick to the towel. Rinse the towel, run it through your laundry, and reuse it.
- SEASON.Use one of the flavoring options below to season your yogurt cheese.Labneh. Top yogurt cheese with olive oil and fresh herbs. Serve with pita bread. Herbed. 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon fresh herbs, finely minced.Boursin Copy Cat. 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder (or flakes), and 1 teaspoon dried parsley (or 1 tablespoon fresh).Garlic. 1 teaspoon salt and a few garlic cloves, peeled and mashed.Green Onion. 1 teaspoon salt and one small bunch of green onions, finely sliced.Salmon or Shrimp. Pulse 2 ounces of smoked salmon or cooked shrimp in your food processor. Blend in cream cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped, and 1 tablespoon green onions, chopped.Basil. Mix in a few spoonfuls of pesto. Salt to taste. Sweet Yogurt Cheese. Mix 3 to 4 tablespoons of honey, maple syrup, or your favorite jam. Top with chopped walnuts or almondsCheese Balls. Roll tablespoons of thick cream cheese with greased hands and make cheese balls. Place the cheese balls in a container and cover with olive oil and some fresh herbs.Fruit & Nut Crusted Cream Cheese Log. Roll thick cheese in a mixture of crushed salted pistachios and chopped dried cranberries.And… from one of my readers:Colorado Kate's Rocky Mt. Veggie Cream Cheese. In a food processor finely chop a small carrot, a big slice of green pepper, and 1 teaspoon dried onion flakes (or, 1/2 scallion top). Add a dash of aminos. Blend in cream cheese.
- STORE.Store cheese and whey in the refrigerator. Refrigerated, the cheese keeps for about 1 month and the whey for about 2 months.
Notes and Tips
- Look for full-fat unflavored yogurt, ideally grass-fed, with no added ingredients, thickeners, or sweeteners. Added bacteria or cultures are fine.
- Straining Time: Adjust straining time based on desired consistency; shorter for a softer texture and longer for a firmer one. For a consistency similar to Greek yogurt: 4 to 6 hours. For a thicker Consistency, like cream cheese: 12 to 24 hours. For a very thick consistency, for cheese balls or a cheese log: up to 48 hours. Too Thick? If the texture is too thick, thin with whey or cream.
- Kefir Cheese. Homemade thickened kefir can also be used.
- Health Benefits: Remember, yogurt cheese retains many of the probiotics from yogurt, making it a gut-friendly food choice.
Ways to Flavor Your Cheese
Labneh. Top dripped cheese with olive oil and fresh herbs. Serve with pita bread.
Herbed. 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon fresh herbs, finely minced.
Boursin Copy Cat. 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder (or flakes), and 1 teaspoon dried parsley (or 1 tablespoon fresh).
Garlic. 1 teaspoon salt and a few garlic cloves, peeled and mashed.
Green Onion. 1 teaspoon salt and one small bunch of green onions, finely sliced.
Salmon or Shrimp. Pulse 2 ounces of smoked salmon or cooked shrimp in your food processor. Blend in cream cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped, and 1 tablespoon green onions, chopped.
Basil. Mix in a few spoonfuls of pesto. Salt to taste.
Sweet. Mix 3 to 4 tablespoons of honey, maple syrup, or your favorite jam. Top with chopped walnuts or almonds
Cheese Balls. Roll tablespoons of thick cream cheese with greased hands and make cheese balls. Place the cheese balls in a container and cover with olive oil and some fresh herbs.
Fruit & Nut Crusted Cream Cheese Log. Roll thick cheese in a mixture of crushed salted pistachios and chopped dried cranberries.
And… from one of my readers:
Colorado Kate’s Rocky Mt. Veggie Cream Cheese. In a food processor finely chop a small carrot, a big slice of green pepper, and 1 teaspoon dried onion flakes (or, 1/2 scallion top). Add a dash of aminos. Blend in cream cheese.
Frequently Asked Questions
The best type of yogurt for making yogurt cheese is plain, unsweetened, full-fat yogurt without additives.
Full-fat yogurt yields a creamier and richer yogurt cheese. The higher fat content helps in achieving the desired consistency and mouthfeel of the cheese.
Additives, stabilizers, or thickeners might not drain as well or might have an altered texture when converted into cheese.
Yes, you can use non-dairy yogurts to make yogurt cheese! The process remains essentially the same: straining the yogurt to remove excess liquid and achieve a thicker consistency. Many non-dairy yogurts contain thickeners, stabilizers, or gums to improve texture. While these can impact the straining process and final texture, they generally don’t prevent making yogurt cheese.
Yes, you can use flavored or sweetened yogurt to make yogurt cheese, but it will result in a cheese with the same flavor or sweetness, which might not be suitable for all recipes or uses.
Yes, yogurt cheese can be used as a substitute for other cheeses or dairy products in recipes, particularly as a replacement for cream cheese, sour cream, or ricotta, depending on the desired texture and flavor.
Your yogurt cheese might be too runny if it hasn’t been strained long enough or the yogurt used was particularly thin; conversely, it may be too thick if it was strained for an extended period or if a thicker yogurt base, like Greek yogurt, was used.
