Homemade Cream Cheese

5 from 5 votes

Homemade cream cheese requires NO heat or any crazy gadgets! A starter culture, 2 ingredients, some cheesecloth to set it in to drip out of, and a pinch of salt later...you have cream cheese!

Prep Time2

Additional Time1

Total Time1 2

Course: Condiment

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 239kcal

Author: Mariana

Ingredients

2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 packet cream cheese starter culture
Generous pinch of salt

Instructions

Combine your heavy cream, milk, and starter culture in a large bowl or glass jar.
Place on the counter and loosely cover with a lid or a tea towel for 12 hours.
After 12 hours, transfer it to some cheesecloth.
In a new bowl or jar, use a wooden spoon to hold the tied-up cheesecloth over the bottom to allow it to drip.
Allow it to drip for 12 hours.
Carefully remove the wooden spoon with the cheesecloth.
Transfer to a new bowl and add your generous pinch of salt to the cream cheese.
Mix it up to incorporate the salt.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Notes

I like to get everything ready first thing in the morning (for example: 6 am) so that it cultures for 12 hours during the day, I can transfer it to drip for another 12 hours overnight, and complete the recipe at 6 am the next day before breakfast!

I used fine-ground Himalayan pink salt but you can use whatever fine-ground salt you prefer!

Nutrition