Labneh
Or Cheese Making 101
Quick answerMakes 8-10 servings, ready in 8-10 hours, Mediterranean cuisine.
Labneh is a Middle Eastern / Arab cheese made from yogurt. It's sour, it's salty, and it's heavenly when fresh — but it can also keep for a long time in olive oil.
Above all, it's so easy to make! All you need is basically some kind of creamy Greek yogurt and salt. Then you just let it sit in a cheesecloth and time does the rest...
The best way to serve it is in a bowl with olive oil drizzled around it. If you have Za'atar, that adds a lot — but it's not essential.
Tips For Success:
- Greek yogurt — any creamy yogurt will do. Whole milk is probably better.
- Cheesecloth — you must get one, but any cotton muslin will work.
- The best way to preserve it is to roll the cheese into small balls. Put them in a jar and cover with olive oil.
Method
- 1
Making The Mixture· 3 Min
In a bowl, mix the yogurt and salt. combine well!
- 2
Letting Time Work!· 8-10 Hours
Pour the yogurt to the cheesecloth. Tie all the sides to make it nice and tight. Now the yogurt needs to rest and let time and gravity work. The best would be to hang the cheesecloth over the kitchen faucet. If not you can just out it above a colander. After 8 hours you have cheese! The yogurt will loose all the liquids thank to the salt and voila! Labneh! Eat immediately with olive oil and za'atar or preserve in olive oil.
Recipe by
Jaron Kimhi
Jaron Kimhi — self-taught home cook from Tel Aviv, writing and cooking every recipe on this site himself. 20+ years of tinkering in the kitchen, leaning toward slow cooking, classic technique, and honest ingredients.
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Questions & answers
Can I use regular yogurt instead of Greek yogurt?
Stick with Greek yogurt — it's already thicker, so straining works way better. Regular yogurt has a lot more liquid and will take much longer to get to that creamy cheese texture.
What if I don't have cheesecloth?
Use a clean, thin kitchen towel or a few layers of paper towels — they do the same job. Just make sure it's tight so the yogurt doesn't slip through.
Can I let it strain for longer than 8 hours?
Yes, and you actually should if you want it firmer — the longer it hangs, the denser your labneh gets. Overnight in the fridge works great.
How do I preserve it in olive oil?
Roll the labneh into small balls, pack them into a jar, and cover completely with olive oil. This way it keeps longer and you've got a ready-to-go appetizer sitting in your fridge.
Can I double or halve this recipe?
Totally — the ratio is dead simple, just keep it at roughly 1 tsp salt per 2 lbs of yogurt and scale from there. More yogurt just means a bigger cheesecloth and a longer hang time.