Homemade Cream Cheese

Did you know you can make your own cream cheese? It's true! You can have easy homemade cream cheese in just 30 minutes!

Prep time: PT10M

Cook time: PT15M

Rating

4.45 stars (20 reviews)

Keywords

Bagels, Cream Cheese, Cream Cheese Recipe, Easy Cream Cheese, Flavored Cream Cheese, Homemade Cream Cheese, Schmear, Breakfast, Dairy, Sauces & Dips, Shavuot

Ingredients

2 cups full-fat milk
2 cups heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt to taste

Cuisine

Jewish

Steps

Set aside a large heat-proof bowl with a cheesecloth-lined strainer ready for straining.
In a large heavy-bottomed sauce plan, bring the milk and the cream to a simmer (not a boil) stirring constantly. Make sure to use full-fat milk here or it won't curdle. You can also use all milk.
Reduce the heat to medium and gradually add the lemon juice while stirring until the curds separate from the liquid like magic!
Pour the mixture through the cheesecloth and let drain for 15 minutes.
Process the curds in a food processor for a few minutes until smooth, adding a little of the whey liquid or cream if it's too thick. Season with salt to taste or add the flavors of your choice! You can use it right away or refrigerate until ready to serve- the cream cheese will thicker in the refrigerator. The cream cheese will keep refrigerated for 7-10 days.

Reviews

Julia on 2026-06-18 (1 stars):
Followed instructions exactly and it did not curdle. Should have looked at the comments before making, sounds like others had similar issues. Waste of ingredients :(
Denise luber on 2024-08-31 (5 stars):
Super easy, quick and delicious. Thank you!?
Ren on 2023-03-15 (1 stars):
Mine would not curdle. I used full-fat milk and cream, simmered it, added the lemon juice, and got hot buttermilk. You need non-ultra pasteurized milk and rennet to make a proper cream cheese at home consistently.