Homemade Cream Cheese | 3 Ingredients + No Hidden Extras
A simple, budget-friendly cream cheese made from just a few basic ingredients. Smooth, fresh, and perfect for spreading, baking, or everyday cooking.
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Ingredients
- 2 litres full-fat milk
- 4 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- few pinches of salt to taste
Instructions
- Pour the milk into a large saucepan. Gently heat it over medium/high heat. Stir often so the milk doesn't catch. Bring it just to a boil. Reduce the heat to the lowest temperature.
- Reduce the heat and slowly stir in the lemon juice. The milk should split into curds and whey. If it doesn’t, add another teaspoon of lemon juice.
- Line a sieve with muslin or a clean tea towel and strain the mixture, catching the curds. Let it drain for a couple of minutes
- Add the curds to a food processor with a few pinches of salt. Blend 1–2 minutes until smooth and creamy, adding a splash of whey or cream if needed. Continue to whip until you get a smooth consistency you require.
- Transfer to a container and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to firm up.
Notes
Stacey's Kitchen Tips
- Fresh lemon juice gives the best curdling results.
- Save your whey! It’s beautiful in smoothies, pancakes, soups, or bread.
- For a firmer cream cheese, allow the curds to drain longer.
- Add a teaspoon of whey or cream while whipping for extra silkiness and to get the great consistency.
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