So, here’s another one of those things that have me telling you, “I grew up eating this!” I did. But, it wasn’t really this. You may be familiar with labne (or labneh). Labne is a cheese made from yogurt, but the labne I grew up eating was flecked with bits of mint and spread into a bowl. My Mom would smooth the top with a spoon and created hills and valleys. She’d drizzle the fruitiest olive oil over the top and turned those valleys into rivers.
I make it my Mom’s way and I love it, but once I made it this way…it became my favorite. I do a few things to get as much of the whey out of the yogurt as possible and get it nice and thick. Then, I add just a bit of salt and the best olive oil I can find. Stop right there, and what you end up with is so similar to goat cheese. That is what inspired me to roll it into logs and serve it the same way you’d serve any goat cheese. Take it a step further and use a variety of herbs, depending on what you’d like to serve it with. Sprinkle them over the top or you could finely chop the herbs and roll the log to completely cover it. There are so many possibilities with this cheese.
Greek Yogurt Cheese
Ingredients
- 32 ounce non-fat plain Greek yogurt
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Your choice of herbs parsley, rosemary, basil, mint
- <b>You'll need:</b>
- cheese cloth
- large fine mesh sieve
- bowl with high sides be sure the bottom of the sieve sits high above the bottom of the bowl
- two sheets of parchment paper
Instructions
- Place the sieve onto the bowl and line it with the cheese cloth. Spoon the entire container of yogurt into the lined sieve.
- Bring up the sides of the cheese cloth to cover the yogurt and place one of your largest cans on top (Don't use two cans, like in the photo! I really just use one). This will help press the whey out even more. Place the entire contraption in your fridge and leave it alone for about three to four days. If you want, you can unwrap it after two days, but it just won't be as firm.
- Remove the cheese from the refrigerator. Discard the whey. Unwrap the cheese and place it in a medium bowl. Add the salt and the olive oil and blend in well using a rubber spatula. Draw a line down the center with the spatula.
- Take half of the cheese and place it on the sheet of parchment. Bring up one side of the parchment over the cheese and using your hands, form a log out of the cheese. Roll it up in the paper and roll the log on your counter to give it shape. Repeat with the other half of the cheese.
- Refrigerate the cheese logs or serve immediately.
- To serve, I like to drizzle the top of the cheese with more olive oil and some fresh herbs. Try using flatbread crackers topped with the cheese and some assorted veggies.
Notes
I was wondering whether you could use this method using flavoured fruit yoghurt to use in a cheesecake or other sweet desserts.
Great question! I imagine you may be able to, but honestly I’ve never tried that. I’d love to hear back if you give it a go!
I was given about 2 gallons on plain yogurt recently, and I was looking for a way to preserve it. Can labneh be made a little drier (like a crumbly cheese) to store it longer?
Great question! I have made the labneh that way…drained it longer for a drier texture…and have to say I didn’t enjoy it quite as much. That may have just been a personal opinion though. I found myself adding a lot of olive oil drizzled over the top to add more moisture. I’d love to hear how you made out and your thoughts!
Can I use alluminium foil instead of parchment paper?
No, Ingela, please don’t use aluminum foil. It will not react well with the acidity from the yogurt. Parchment is really the best wrap.
Hi there… thank you for this recipe. I have just had a Greek food fest and used my yogurt to make tzatziki sauce. I plan to add some spices, similar to Boursin cheese (I have a Paula Deen copycat) and use it to stuff campari tomatoes… I will post when done =)
That sounds wonderful, Valerie! I’d love to see your creations!
Can’t really tell the consistency of yours, I use restroom type paper towels to line the mesh strainer. After @12 hours I tilt to @75d slope twice. Lose @75% of volume, quite a bit thicker than brick cream cheese, taste close to cream cheese minus the sweetness. I’m quite curious what the nutritional value is. I put the whey in the compost, have read tomatoes particularly like it.
I love when it gets thick like that, Ron. That sounds perfect! And I agree…it tastes so much like cream cheese! I have been trying to get nutritional information on this recipe as well. The calculators that I use aren’t able to factor in eliminating the whey. If I ever do figure that out, I will definitely post that here. Thanks for that great question!
Would love to hear nutrient numbers on 0% Greek yogurt vs when sieved
That’s a great question, Starlet! I don’t feel qualified to be able to accurately provide that information, sorry. Draining the whey does complicate making those calculations.
Hi
This Greek Yoghurt “cheese” has a name- it’s called labneh. It’s an Arabic cheese and has so many applications. Use it as a base for Roasted Meditteranean veggies or top with honey, toasted walnuts and a sprinkle of cardamom. Use it as a dip for crudités or flavour with herbs and a hint of chili and use it as a spread for wraps etc. I like to make it into balls, roll in nibbed, toasted almonds and use these small balls to decorate my salads and provide a creamy texture to the crunchy veggies of my salads . Its just such an amazing cheese and tastes delicious no matter how you use it!
Munira, I would not call it Arabic cheese. If you want to get technical, than call it levantine cheese. Otherwise you’re not distinguishing Eastern mediterranean cuisine from Arab Gulf cuisine.
Munira: This is exactly what I needed. Make my own yogurt with whole milk in a crockpot. Messed up yesterday because didn’t pay attention to the heat. I thought it wasw off but was not so when I checked later it was overcooked & looked really odd. So I drained the whey as usual and this morning discovered a cheese liek yogurt ball. I look forward to learning how to make labneh. Sounds delicious. Thanks
Very cool that you made your own yogurt, Sue! I hope this was a great way to use it!
how about the nutrition facts?
how many calories does it have?
I do not provide nutritional data at the moment. There are some great online calculators you could use though.
Do not throw the whey away. It is loaded with nutrients and you can use it for soups and in your smoothies. Rich, rich in nutrients. Best part of the yogurt.
Hi, I was wondering if you knew the nutritional information of the final product? I am wondering because I have to track everything I eat as well as nutritional restrictions to consider after a recent surgery of the stomach.
Hi Arisu! I wish I could provide the nutritional information and I know it’s frustrating when you need to track food, but it all depends on which yogurt you are starting with and how much whey you end up removing. I can tell you that the end product will be higher in protein, fat and calories compared to the nutritional information on the yogurt container you use. The whey that you remove will contain a good amount of the lactose, or milk sugar that is in the yogurt. Hope that helps a bit and wishing you the best of health.
It tastes like marscapone and is identical in texture, so I bet it would be awesome in tira misu and strawberry shortcake and all kinds of wonderful foods! Thank you for introducing me to such a great alternative… And so cheap as I make yoghurt :-)
How long will the whey stay good? Perhaps to use in a smoothie etc
Great question, Jeana! I really don’t know the answer to that. Personally, I’d refrigerate it and keep it for up to two weeks. That’s how long the yogurt itself will stay fresh after opening the container. Thanks for stopping in!
having goats, we make this very often. i make various cheesecake with it as well, especially if i think it needs using up, the baking gives it another few days. i have used white stevia , lemon rind,and l.juice as flavour. (top with lemon curd,mmm) i’ve thickened the cheese with a few tbl spoons of sweet rice flour or unbleached flour,per cake.
i don’t put in as much sweetener as in usual recipes, of course. organic sugar, honey, or maple, to taste.
eggs are optional. one can beat the egg-whites (in most recipes as well,) and fold them in last, right before baking, for added lightness. we like it fine dense. i’ve chopped sweet peppers etc, fried onions, and made a savory cheesecake, very rich tasting, definately needs salad with it.
i’ve not added oil to the cheese, other than butter being part of some recipes.
we try to stay as local as is reasonable to us, which still includes occasional chocolate & coffee,maybe vanilla& lemons!
: ) v.
also “spani/veggiecopita” with filo pastry. i add salt to the cheese, and sometimes lemon juice. lots of mint with the veggies, &most often use kale. put the veggie/egg/mint/seasoned mixture onto the pastry, add a dollop of cheese, or spread the cheese on first, wrap and bake.
yogurt cheese makes great thick taziki sauce,(grated cucumber,herbs..)
Thanks so much for all of your great tips, Vandi! I’m working on a cheesecake recipe now using this cheese. It’s wonderful, but I’m still tweaking it. I love that you are able to use so many fresh local ingredients! I’d love to eat in your kitchen! :)
Hi, I have a doubt … Can I add salt and olive oil in the firts stage? Or I only have to do it seconds before eating?
Great recipe!
I like to add the salt and olive oil at the end for a few reasons, Daniela. It’s easier to judge the amount of salt to your liking on the finished product and as far as the olive oil, I find that the flavor gets lost a bit if added too early. Hope that helps and that you love it!
It was very healpful, thank you so much!
I´ll try to do it, hope it turns out like the one on the photo!!
Greetings from Chile
You can also use Greek Yogurt “cheese” as a dip for pita. Spread the yogurt on a plate. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with oregano, fresh lemon zest, and/or roasted garlic bits.
I am on a low-fat diet and had to cut real cheese out of my diet. This looks like a way for me to get my cheese fix but still stay true to my diet. I am so excited to try this. Going to start it this weekend! Thank you for the great recipe idea.
I think you are going to love this, Tania! It’s such a satisfying alternative to regular cheese. I’d love to hear how you liked it!
Wow! I was looking at different recipes for yogurt cheese and I found your blog and I am so glad that I did! The recipes featured are the way I love to eat everyday so I will definitely be a regular visitor here. I have some yogurt cheese processing in the fridge right now. I love the idea of roll in herbs like goat cheese. I grow my own herbs so I see lots of possibilities here. I also plan to roll the cheese into balls and submerge in olive oil and herbs. Yum!
I’m so glad you found me, Rose! I hope you enjoy the recipes! I love your idea of rolling the cheese into balls and bathing them in some olive oil! Oooh…I may try that this weekend! Thanks for brightening my day!
I just made this cheese and now don’t know what kind of herbs to use with it, could you recommend any dry herbs to use? The cheese turned out just beautiful
I’m so happy to hear it turned out so well, Fynette! As far as herbs, it all depends on what you like personally. Play around with some different herbs to see what you like best. I like fresh herbs in this, but if using dried, I would allow some time for the cheese and herbs to sit to soften the texture of the dried herbs.
hi i just found out by accident the easy way to seperated whey without strainer,muslin,cheese cloth,here’s how:just put the yoghurt in the jar,and pour boiling water into insulated thermos,put in the yoghurt jar until 2/3 of the yoghurt jar summerged into the boiling water,close your insulated thermos,then leave for 3 hour,after that u can just easily pour the whey :) i found out when i accidentally pour boiling water to make my yoghurt more firm but i end up with yoghurt cheese..so i share this cos its easier and fast(sorry my english not good,english is not my mother languages )
oh i was using an easiyo jar as an insulated thermos
Thanks for sharing, Junny. That’s an interesting method, but I can’t recommend it. I’d have to caution anyone using boiling water and non-tempered glass jars for fear of shattering the glass. Also, heating yogurt will kill off the yogurt’s beneficial bacteria. I would stick to straining with the method above.
coffee filters work great for removing the whey. I use an old Mellitta (sp) drip basket. Once the whey starts to drain you can fold over the top and add the weight to force out more moisture.
Such a great tip, Chris! Thanks for sharing!
I have a favorite recipe which has breaded goat cheese that has been fried in olive oil in the salad. Do you think you could fry this?
I love goat cheese that way, Alicia! I’ve personally never tried preparing this yogurt cheese that way, but another reader, Judy H, has tried a few times (you can find her comments below). It sounds like it does well when only cooked very quickly. If you do try it, I’d love to hear your results. I would try to use a really hot pan to crisp up the outer coating quickly.
what brand of greek yogurt do you recomend… I bought yoplait but it is too liquid, and in the picture I see is more solid, or how do you obtained that consistency? thank you
Alexandra, even if the yogurt is a bit more watery, all of that will drain as the yogurt sits in the sieve. I love Fage yogurt, but I’ve made this with several brands. You may want to experiment and see which you prefer because they all vary quite a bit in taste. Some are much more tangy than others. To test the consistency, just push a finger into the wrapped cheese after two to three days. It should be about the same as goat cheese. Good luck!
Don’t discard the whey. I understand that it’s loaded with protein. We use it for baking, in place of milk. Great in pancakes and muffins.
Great advice, Thomas! Thanks for sharing. I need to start doing that!
We also put a couple of tbsp in the puppers food. I’ve got 3 pints in the fridge as I type this from one successful yogurt making venture and 1 failed. I made cheese instead of yogurt. Now I am trying to see what I should do with this quart of cheese to utilize it best.
Wow! Can’t wait to try this. Do you think this would work as a sweet version by substituting honey for the olive oil? Would love to have options with this fabulous sounding cheese.
Thanks, Jeanie! Absolutely, I think the honey would work well. I’d love to hear how that turns out!
Can I freeze this?
Good question, Tamar. I’ve never frozen this, but I do know if yogurt is frozen, the texture will change and become grainy. I would not recommend freezing this.
Hi Caroline ,I have finally made this lovely cheese,I am actually in Greece on holiday with family,who live here,so was lucky enough to make it with real Greek yogourt,it has turned out wonderfully :-), I have scooped out half of it after just one day & left the rest for the next three days,can’t believe how easy it was to do,will definatly be making this a lot :-).
Can you tell me please,how long does it last for ? & Can you leave it for more than 4 days to make a harder cheese,also have you ever made cheesecake with this as I would love the recipe if you have one,many thanks from Alethea
Alethea, how dreamy to be able to make this in Greece with their delicious yogurt! I’m so happy you like it so much! I’ve sneaked some from the top too! I’m impatient! I have tried to drain the yogurt longer and will say, possibly because I use non-fat yogurt, it becomes quite dry and not as palatable. I’ve never tested that out with a full fat yogurt, but that may work a bit better. If you give it a shot, I’d love to hear your thoughts. As far as how long to keep the cheese, I keep it wrapped up and refrigerated for up to two weeks. It’s funny you ask about cheesecake! I’ve been working on a recipe for one! It seems like it may work, but needs some tweaking. Keep an eye out for it at some point!
I will let you know how it goes Caroline,we have the cream cheese tonight, flavoured with dried herbs & sumac :-),tastes yummy,look forward to seeing the cheesecake recipe,thanks from Alethea
Oooh…sounds delicious. Sumac is brilliant! Enjoy!
Wow,I’m def going to try making this,when you say 1 T .of extra virgin olive oil,is that a teaspoon or tablespoon ?
I’m so glad you’ll be making this, Alethea! Yes, the “T” is a tablespoon…so sorry for the confusion! I need to update that!
Thanks for the reply Caroline :-).
Can the leftover whey be used to start another batch of homemade yogurt to then make this cheese?
Great question, Terry! My Mom used to make yogurt that way many years ago, but in all honesty, I’ve not tried that. If you give it a go, I’d love to hear how that worked out for you!
Be sure to save the whey and use it to make lacto fermented veggies or toss it in smoothies for added probiotics!
I haven’t given up cooking with this completely! I found that if I cook an omelet, sprinkle cheese on half and fold it over, heating just long enough for the cheese to warm, it does very well. It’s delicious, in fact!
I think the secret is to not cook it so long that the oil leaves the cheese.
You are awesome, Judy! This is so great to know! I’m intrigued! I’ll have to try it in my Sunday omelet! Thanks for being my own personal recipe tester! ;)
Thank you for this recipe! I’m making some now, and I can hardly wait for it to be done!
I was wondering if you’d ever tried cooking with this cheese.
I often like to put goat cheese on pizza or stuff chicken breasts with a mixture of goat cheese and spinach.
Do you know if this cheese will cook well?
I hope you loved it, Judy! That’s a great question! I’ve never tried using this in cooking, but now I’m intrigued to give it a try! If I do, I’ll let you know! Thanks so much!
I DO love it!! I just got it out of the refrigerator and stirred in the olive oil and salt. I could sit down and eat it all! I added a little more olive oil to achieve the consistency and taste I wanted, but otherwise followed your directions completely. On Friday I plan to use some for stuffed jalapenos on the grill, so I’ll let you know how that works out! I’d better wrap it up and put it away now, or they won’t be any left by Friday!
Oh, that’s awesome! So glad you love it, Judy! I know what you mean…I could polish it off myself too! I can’t wait to hear how this works in the jalapeños! Sounds amazing! Thanks so much for keeping us posted!
They looked great and tasted good, but the general consensus was that we should use cream cheese next time. The yogurt cheese solidified in the peppers and lost most of its flavor. I was afraid it would melt, but instead it got firmer.
Oh well! Now I know! I’m glad I still have some of the uncooked cheese to nibble on! I’ll definitely make it again! I bet it would be wonderful on crusty bread with tomato jam! :)
Thanks so much for testing that out, Judy! I’ll stick to eating this as-is too.
This looks fantastic. I’ve tried making ‘yogurt’ cheese before, but I haven’t tried it with Greek yogurt. I bet it’s ten times better than with regular yogurt. Thanks for sharing this.
Wow this looks really good and i want to make it today. I just have one question, since I am currently on a low carb diet, and am trying to limit carbs. (medical reason)
If i make this cheese, will the original carbohydrate count of the yogurt be lowered in the end result?
Cheese usually has a very low carb count (around 1-2 carbs) and yogurt is much higher depending on the brand you buy (8-9 carbs), so if i were to make this recipe, do u think by draining the whey it somehow affects the carb count, so that the final product will be lower in carbs?
Thanks for your reply in advance, i really enjoy your site!
I am a latecomer to this, but the reason you mistakenly believe that yogurt has a high carbohydrate content is because most yogurts are sweetened. You’d use a plain yogurt for this, which still has the same carbohydrate panel as milk, but plain Greek yogurts are nutritionally similar to a cottage cheese. Removing the whey from the yogurt is going to reduce the carbohydrate panels even further, and it will also reduce some of the calcium/phosphorous content.
Thanks so much for that info, Alice. I have to say, I just asked a few of my blogger friends and found that the carb content is reduced when the whey is strained. Great to know!
I wanted to say actually that due to the lower lactose content in yogurts and other fermented milk products, this would actually be even lower in carbs than milk.
I just saw this post, thank you so much for the kind words. I’m glad you enjoy the oil! This recipe looks wonderful and right up my alley. I am definitely going to make this one.!
I can’t tell you how in love I am with your olive oil, Mike! It is truly the most delicious olive oil I’ve ever tasted. Thank you for your generosity! I think you’ll love this recipe! The combination of the tangy yogurt and your fruity, rich olive oil is wonderful!
How long will these stay good? I’m thinking I might only make it with 16 oz. since it makes 2 logs and the 2nd log could go bad.
You could absolutely do that Kathleen. Yogurt is usually good for about two weeks after it’s been opened, so in my opinion, I think it would stay fresh wrapped in the parchment for about 7 to 10 days. Honestly, both logs don’t even last that long in our house! ;) Good luck with it and let me know how you like it!
Never heard of this but it makes perfect sense. Love goat cheese so perhaps I need to try this. Your pics are lovely. Just found your blog so will be checking in! Thanks Caroline.
I hope you do try it, Lori! I think you’ll love it! Thanks so much for your sweet compliments! So glad you found me!
I’ve had labneh that was already pre-strained before but I’ve never made it myself! You make it look so easy…and luscious. I need some of those olive oil rivers in my life.
Joanne, it’s so super easy! Try it and let me know how you like it! And yes…you do need those rivers! Pour it on! :)