There are hundreds of different types of cheese, including one called labneh. It’s a fresh, soft cheese believed to originate in the Middle East, primarily made with yogurt. It tastes a bit like cream cheese, but has about half the fat and calories.

While labneh is traditionally made with cow’s milk yogurt, some vegetarians also make it with coconut milk or soy milk.

Before I teach you how to make labneh cheese with yogurt, let’s first get to know the cheese.

What is labneh cheese?

The main ingredient is yogurt

Labneh cheese is primarily made with yogurt. In the Middle East and other regions, yogurt is not only eaten as a snack but is also often used in cooking. For example, it’s sometimes mixed into food before serving.

How to Make Labneh Cheese

The process of making Labneh cheese involves straining most of the water out of yogurt, resulting in a thick, soft cheese. This soft cheese can be used similarly to cream cheese: as a dip, spread, or sauce, and it pairs well with both sweet and savory dishes.

Labneh cheese can be added to spicy dishes to help soften the spiciness and mellow the flavor.

How to Make Homemade Labneh Cheese?

Daniel

Homemade Labneh Cheese

You can make homemade Labneh cheese simply by using yogurt and a pinch of salt. It's recommended to use full-fat yogurt for a thicker texture and richer flavor. If you're looking for a thicker cheese, use Greek yogurt instead of regular yogurt. Using Greek yogurt, which has less water than regular yogurt, can actually shorten the cooking time. Follow the steps below to make Labneh cheese.

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Total Time 5 days d

Servings: 2 people

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients Notes

Ingredients

  

• 900 g full-fat yogurt
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• Cooking cloth or other clean strainer

Notes

1. Combine full-fat yogurt and salt in a large bowl and mix well.
2. Place the strainer in another large bowl and pour the yogurt over it.
3. Tie the top of the strainer to a wooden spoon, chopstick, or other suitable tool.
4. Using a wooden spoon, hang the strainer and yogurt from a high pitcher or other suitable container, as shown in the image below. Refrigerate for 24-36 hours.
5. After refrigeration, inspect the bottom of the pitcher. You will see a lot of whey released from the yogurt. Remove the strainer and remove the Labneh fresh soft cheese.

How to Store Labneh Cheese

It’s recommended to place any unused Labneh cheese in a vacuum-sealed container and refrigerate it. It will keep for about a week.

For longer storage, pour enough olive oil into the vacuum-sealed container to cover the cheese. Then, refrigerate the container. This will keep the cheese for 1-2 months.

Comparing Labneh Cheese to Yogurt

The main differences between Labneh cheese and yogurt lie in texture and flavor. Labneh cheese has a texture closer to cream cheese, meaning it’s much thicker than yogurt and has a richer, more flavorful texture.

This is why it’s classified as a soft cheese rather than yogurt, but it’s made primarily from yogurt.

Some people also call it “yogurt cheese.” The similarity between Labneh fresh soft cheese and yogurt is that Labneh soft cheese still retains the rich protein in yogurt, as well as a large amount of probiotics. Probiotics can help maintain intestinal health and help boost immunity.