Homemade Cream Cheese Recipe – How to Make Cream Cheese from Yogurt and Sour Cream

Discover how to make soft cream cheese at home using sour cream and yogurt. In just 12 hours, you’ll have a delicious spread that can be enjoyed at breakfast, used as a base for sauces or salad dressings, and incorporated into a variety of desserts.

As this was my first experience making soft cheese, I decided to document the process. As expected, I encountered some difficulties, but the final result was quite satisfying. This recipe emerged from my experimentation.

I had guests coming over in the evening and planned to bake my favorite carrot cake, which I can share the recipe for later. However, no carrot cake is complete without the cream cheese icing, and unfortunately, I didn’t have any on hand.

I started wondering if I could make it at home. Initially, I came across recipes that required milk as the main ingredient, but they suggested waiting about 12 hours or overnight for the soft cheese to develop. As a result, my guests had to enjoy carrot cake without the white frosting. Still, I decided to go ahead and make cream cheese anyway, hoping to have it ready by the next day if there was any leftover cake.

Another obstacle arose—I realized I didn’t have any milk. I continued my search until I finally found a perfect recipe that used sour cream or yogurt instead. I combined both to achieve the desired amount of cheese.

I hope you appreciate this recipe as much as I do; the cream cheese turned out to be tastier than I ever expected. It has a tender texture with a slightly tangy flavor. This recipe would be perfect for making cream cheese for cheesecake, for example.

Here are some other recipes that were born because of an experiment:

• Apple Strudel Recipe with Soft Flatbread
• Easy Pate Recipe with Chicken Liver
• 3-ingredient Coconut Cookies

Homemade Cream Cheese Ingredients:

• 200 g sour cream;
• 500 ml plain yogurt (preferably drinkable);
• ½ tsp. lemon juice;
• 1/3 tsp. salt;
• Sieve, butter muslin, or a thick fabric.

How to make cream cheese at home with three main ingredients:

• I started by placing a cheesecloth in three layers. Unfortunately, I did not have a butter muslin (a finer type of cheesecloth). And, in the end, decided that it was still too coarse to use for draining soft cheese. So, I took a thick fabric and layered it over the gauze. You can avoid all this trouble simply by acquiring a sheet of butter muslin in advance.

• Pour yogurt into the bowl. I will once again emphasize that it should be plain with no added sugar and supplements.

• Add sour cream to yogurt.

• Whisk sour cream and yogurt to combine. Make sure to avoid any lumps in the mixture.

• Add mentioned amount of salt to the mix and lemon juice (preferably freshly squeezed).

• Wrap up the ends of the cloth to cover the mixture.

• Place some weight on the top. I used a carafe filled with water placed on a plate.

• Put the bowl into the fridge for 12 hours. When cheese is ready, get rid of the weight, transfer soft cheese to the desired dish, and serve. As a result, you will get 350 g of soft, delicious cream cheese. Enjoy!

If you enjoyed my Homemade Cream Cheese recipe, I would greatly appreciate it if you could share it on Pinterest or give it a star rating!

You can use either homemade or store-bought cream cheese for your recipe. However, this recipe is beneficial if you’ve forgotten to purchase cream cheese at the store and need it for a dish the following day.

Our Homemade Cream Cheese Recipe turns basic ingredients into a delightful treat. Making cream cheese from yogurt and sour cream is a simple and rewarding process. Enhance your culinary creations with this homemade goodness and enjoy the creamy richness in every spread or dish!

If you have any questions about the recipe, please feel free to leave them in the comment section below. I hope you enjoy the taste of the cream cheese made from this recipe!