Homemade Labneh
Updated Jul 21, 2025
Homemade labneh, a tangy Mediterranean-style yogurt cheese made with two ingredients, full fat yogurt and salt. It takes a little waiting, but worth it.
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Labneh is so good!
Labneh is a staple in my house, and honestly, it’s so easy to make. You take some yogurt, make sure it’s the whole milk kind for that creamy richness, sprinkle in a little salt, and let it hang out in a cheesecloth. That’s it. My family’s labneh recipe is just this simple. I’ve seen my mom do it a hundred times. It’s less about skill and more about waiting for that yogurt to get nice and thick in the fridge. We eat it with everything. Spread it on homemade pita, add a scoop to a plate of mujadara, or just eat it with some crisp veggies. A sprinkle of za’atar, a generous pour of olive oil, and you’ve got yourself something that’s so good!
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Labneh Ingredients
- Whole milk yogurt: I like to use full-fat, whole-milk, plain, unsweetened yogurt for the thickest, creamiest labneh. You can start with plain Greek yogurt, too.
- Salt: I usually go for flaky sea salt but any salt will work.
- Garnishes: I like to drizzle my labneh with good olive oil and a sprinkling of za’atar when serving, but you can also garnish with fresh herbs like mint or thyme.
How to Make Labneh
Making good homemade labneh is even easier than making good hummus! You’ll just need a good, sturdy cheesecloth (or maybe even a pillowcase, like my grandma uses in Lebanon) in addition to the recipe ingredients. With just 2 ingredients and only 5 minutes prep time, the hardest thing about making homemade labneh is waiting for it to set in the fridge!
Homemade Labneh Recipe
Ingredients
- 32 ounces plain whole milk yogurt
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- Za’atar for serving
- Extra virgin olive oil for serving
Instructions
- Line a fine strainer with a thick cheesecloth and set over a bowl.
- Place the yogurt into the cheesecloth carefully and sprinkle it with salt. Stir to incorporate. Tie the cheesecloth on the top to prevent any air from entering into the yogurt.
- Set aside the yogurt in the cheesecloth-lined strainer on the counter or in the refrigerator for 24-72 hours, depending on your desired thickness.
- Remove the strained labneh from cheesecloth, and transfer it to a serving dish or bowl. Use the back of a spoon to make a swirly pattern on top of the labneh.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
If you try this Homemade Labneh recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, please rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe.
Recipe Tips
- Allow at least 24 hours for your labneh to thicken. After 24 hours it will be good and creamy, but if you leave it for another 24 hours, you’ll get a thicker, more cheese-like dip.
- Strain your labneh through a fine mesh sieve over a bowl. If I don’t have a sieve around, I’ll just hang it from my faucet and let it drain into the sink.
- No cheesecloth? That’s totally fine! I’ll often use coffee filters, a thin cotton dishtowel, or any clean, thin cotton fabric, instead.
Serving Ideas
- Eat with crudité. I like to eat my labneh with fresh sliced cucumbers and tomatoes…or a full crudité board with whatever’s in season.
- Dip bread or chips. Crispy pita chips are my favorite for labneh-dipping, but my easy flatbread or homemade pita are tasty too.
- Make a whole mezze board. If I’m in the mood for all of the above, I’ll plate my labneh with fresh crudité, bread, and a few of my favorite dips (like hummus and baba ghanoush) for a full mezze board.
More Dip Recipes
- Creamy Feta Dip
- Homemade Muhammara Dip
- Spinach Dip
- Homemade Ranch Dip
- Baked Feta Dip
- 7 Layer Mediterranean Dip
- Authentic Hummus
- Pink Beet Hummus
- Baba Ghanoush
- Lebanese Tabbouleh Dip
This Labneh recipe was originally published on March 2, 2020, and has recently been updated with new photography, tips, and a step-by-step collage to help you better make the recipe. The recipe has stayed the same.
Comments
Mix in salt?
Yes, you can sprinkle in salt after adding the yogurt to the cheesecloth. Enjoy!!
Thank you for the recipe! Is the nutritional info based on a single serving?
You’re welcome, Emily! Yes, the nutrition facts are for one serving. Hope that helps!!
My friend Mural who is from Lebanon taught me a kind of shortcut for when she runs out of Toum that involves just adding crushed (via pestle) garlic to the labneh with salt and lemon. I’ve tasted both varieties and the Labneh version is really good too. Is she the only one who does this? I know I’m not a big fan of the mayonnaise variety.
I’ve never heard of that before but it sounds like a delicious combination! I prefer making toum from just garlic, lemon, oil, and salt. It’s pretty easy and my recipe makes a lot that will last for a while! Here it is, if you’re interested: Lebanese Garlic Sauce (Toum)
I second that. Toum with mayo sounds horrendous. Just garlic, lemon, oil, and salt. So easy and goes great on a grilled cheese. Love this recipe, too!
Thank you so much, Kat!!
Squeezing the salted yogurt made a lot of white yogurt expel out of the cheesecloth. I had to stop or I would have squeezed it all out. What did I do wrong?
Hi Danny, you don’t squeeze the yogurt out of the cheesecloth. Rather, you let it sit in the cheesecloth-lined strainer on the counter or in the fridge for 24-72 hours. Once the liquid strains out and the labneh reaches your desired thickness, you scoop it out of the cheesecloth. Hope that helps!
Can I use whole milk Greek yogurt? 🙂
Yes, absolutely!
Simply and so delicious. It’s a favourite now!
Yay, so happy to hear that! Thanks, Esmeralda!
I want to try this after having tried it at a nearby restaurant ~ any recommendations on which cheesecloths you recommend? Thank you.
Do you stir the salt in or just sprinkle? Can you tell me approximately how much salt to what size of yogurt? Thank you in advance:) Have a blessed Easter.
You stir the salt in after sprinkling it on top. The full recipe with measurements is at the bottom of the page, you can click “jump to recipe” to navigate directly to it.
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