How to Make Cream Cheese (Quick & Easy)

Learn how to make cream cheese at home with 3 simple ingredients and a simple method. Business Insider’s top pick for flavor and texture.

Recipe by Samira Kazan on March 5, 2026

Prep time: PT5M

Cook time: PT5M

Total time: PT20M

Rating

4.88 stars (278 reviews)

Keywords

cream cheese, cream cheese for cheesecake, cream cheese recipe, DIY cream cheese, homemade cream cheese, how to make cream cheese, how to make cream cheese at home, soft cheese

Ingredients

8 cups whole milk (full-fat preferred; lactose-free can work; avoid UHT if possible)
5 Tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt (or more to taste (optional))
1-2 Tablespoons reserved whey (optional, to loosen while blending)

Cuisine

European

Steps

Line a fine-mesh strainer with cheesecloth (or a nut milk bag) and set it over a bowl.
Heat the milk in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat until steaming with small bubbles at the edges (gentle simmer). Do not boil.
Stir in the lemon juice or vinegar until curds form, and the whey begins to separate. Turn off the heat and rest 2–3 minutes
Pour into the lined strainer and drain until the curds are cool enough to handle. Optional: rinse with cold water for a milder flavor, then drain again.
Gather the cloth and squeeze firmly to remove excess whey.
Blend the curds with salt until completely smooth and fluffy. If it seems dry or slightly grainy, keep blending and drizzle in reserved whey a little at a time until creamy.
Taste and adjust salt, then transfer to an airtight container and chill.

Nutitrion

Serving Size: 2 Tablespoons
Calories: 103 kcal
Carbohydrates: 2 g
Protein: 2 g
Fat: 10 g
Saturated Fat: 6 g
Cholesterol: 29 mg
Sodium: 90 mg
Sugar: 1 g
Unsaturated Fat: 3.4 g

Reviews

Joanne Vaccaro on 2026-02-13 (1 stars):
That's ricotta not cream cheese
Frank SirisO on 2026-02-07 (4 stars):
Nice basic recipe. I modified it A LOT though.
Rebecca on 2026-01-08 (5 stars):
This was simple and delicious! I opted for what was on hand and used a small carton (about 3 cups) of 35% whipping cream and then used 1% milk for the other 5 cups. Followed the recipe almost exact otherwise, but did not let it drain for an hour. Squeezed excess liquid out of the curds by hand. And let me tell you...YUM! I can't wait to make this again and use it on some homemade bagels. Wondering how this would taste used in homemade cheesecake or buffalo dip?