Homemade labneh: Thick and creamy cheese made in your own kitchen

Do you like trying out new and unusual recipes? This homemade labneh is an interesting and easy recipe to try out in the comfort of your own kitchen.

Wondering what labneh is? It is basically cheese made of Greek yoghurt that has been strained to remove most of its whey, resulting in a thicker consistency than normal unstrained yoghurt. Labneh also has the characteristic sour taste of yoghurt.

Making homemade labneh is very easy but you need to make sure you have enough time. The process involves the thick Greek yoghurt being strained for a period of at least 24 hours.

Homemade labneh is surprisingly easy to make, and it’s really versatile. You can serve it as a dip with olive oil and za’atar, or add it to salads, pizzas, sandwiches or anything else of your choice.

Let us know in the comments of this recipe if you have tried out our delicious homemade labneh recipe.

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Homemade labneh recipe

5 from 1 vote

Recipe by James Olivier Course: SnacksCuisine: GlobalDifficulty: Easy

Prep time

10

minutes

Draining Time

1440

minutes

Total time

24

hours 

10

minutes

Ingredients

• 500 g thick greek or double cream yoghurt

• 1 teaspoon salt

• colander

• cheesecloth

Method

• The process is simple, you need to separate the curd from the whey.
• Line a sieve or a colander with a cheese or muslin cloth. You can also use a tea towel if it’s clean and dedicated to cheese making.
• In a separate bowl, mix your yoghurt and about a teaspoon of salt together. Transfer the mix into your cheesecloth, tie up the ends tightly and leave to drain over a bowl.
• The whole process takes about 24 – 48 hours. When the stuff in the cheesecloth is the consistency of thick cream cheese, you’ve cracked it.
• If you want it for dipping, you can get away with leaving it for about 12 hours. If you want to get fancy and roll out some balls, then you’ll need to leave it a little longer.
• Don’t throw away the whey either, use it in flatbread or any other sort of bread for the most delicious, softest bread you’ve ever baked.
• This most basic recipe can be jazzed up with all sorts of flavours – garlic, herbs, chilli… your taste buds are the limit.
• Once done, it will keep in the fridge for up to a week. Or up to three weeks if rolled into balls and covered in olive oil. If you’re using a jar, remember to sterilise it.

Notes

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