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how to make homemade whey and cream cheese from yogurt at home
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How to Make Whey & Cream Cheese

Katie WellsMay 10, 2011Updated: Jan 3, 2020
Reading Time: 2 min

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Wellness Mama » Blog » Recipes » Condiment Recipes » How to Make Whey & Cream Cheese

I’ve talked a lot about fermented foods and drinks lately, from my favorite water kefir, to homemade sauerkraut. Lately, I’ve been enjoying trying things like fermented condiments, salsas, and more.

Most of these recipes use whey to speed the lacto-fermentation process and for a long time, I avoided these recipes because I simply didn’t have and didn’t know how to make whey.

A friend and lacto-fermenting veteran shared an easy way to make whey, and I couldn’t believe I hadn’t started doing this sooner! The best part is, you can make whey at home in any kitchen with ingredients available at any grocery store.

how to make homemade whey and cream cheese from yogurt at home

Whey and Cream Cheese Recipe

Katie Wells
How to make whey for fermenting vegetables and other foods and get probiotic cream cheese!
4.43 from 19 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 mins
Total Time 1 d 5 mins
Course Fermented
Servings 4 +
Calories 4 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 32 oz full fat organic plain yogurt
  • cheesecloth or thin dish towel

Instructions
 

  • Pour the desired amount of yogurt into a cheesecloth or thin towel.
  • Pull the ends of the towel up and secure with string or a rubber band.
  • Tie the towel with yogurt in it to a cabinet handle and position a medium size bowl underneath.
  • Leave it alone overnight to drip. The dripping liquid is whey.
  • In the morning, if the dripping has stopped, pour the whey in the bowl into a glass jar and store in the refrigerator for up to six months.
  • The yogurt left in the towel is actually cream cheese now. Put it in its own container and use as you would store-bought cream cheese.

Notes

  • Make sure the towel is thin, as it will absorb too much of the whey if it is a very absorbent towel.
  • Use the whey for homemade salsas, sauerkraut, fermented veggies or pickles and more.

Nutrition

Serving: 1TBSPCalories: 4kcalCarbohydrates: 0.8gProtein: 0.1gSodium: 7mgSugar: 0.8g
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Category: Condiment Recipes, Recipes

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About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a wife and mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

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Reader Interactions

Discussion (158 Comments)

  1. Kelly Killeen

    April 11, 2013 at 1:42 PM

    I see the whey lasts for about 6 months. About how long does the cream cheese last? Or would it be about the same date that’s on the package of yogurt?

    Reply
    • Kay

      February 8, 2015 at 9:25 PM

      Not very long, as it is really good and doesn’t last long before you have to make more. Yum! I know this is an old post, but just couldn’t help but answer.

      Reply
  2. Deborah De Block

    September 14, 2012 at 9:51 PM

    Doesn’t pasteurized yogurt age differently than if it was from raw milk?

    Reply
    • Wellness Mama

      September 14, 2012 at 9:55 PM

      It does, but even pasteurized yogurt contains the live bacteria needed to lactoferment. Raw milk yogurt (or when) would produce a faster ferment and a wider variety of probiotics.

      Reply
  3. Keesha Doss

    August 30, 2012 at 7:27 PM

    Hi! Loved the post! Thank you!
    I just made my first attempt at whey & sour cream. I would love some feedback/tips from those more experienced than I. I’m just a newbie. 😉

    Reply
  4. Kristin Friesen

    June 22, 2012 at 12:00 AM

    Is it ok to leave this out on the counter overnight, or does it need to be refrigerated? Seems like dairy left out all night will have gone bad by morning…?

    Reply
    • Wellness Mama

      June 22, 2012 at 9:24 AM

      I’ve never had any trouble with it. It just sours more since it is a living fermented food rather than rotting, but you can just leave it out long enough to drain and then put it in right away.

      Reply
    • Tom

      September 8, 2016 at 4:02 PM

      In making yoghurt, one adds the culture to milk and keeps it warm to allow the bacilli to multiply. You cover it to keep competing bacteria out. Once the milk has been completely colonized, it is more difficult for competing bacteria to take hold, though it can happen. As the yoghurt ages, the food source for the bacilli diminishes, and there is a die-off of the living organism, and bacteria will begin to colonize, which is why your fresh, newly-opened yoghurt does not spoil quickly, but partially eaten older yoghurt will begin showing mold around the edges. (Also, by opening and putting nonsterile impliments in the container, or putting your mouth or fingers on it, or leaving it for house flies to land on, foreign bacteria are introduced.)

      So, home made yoghurt, or fresh yoghurt, can be left out for different lengths depending on conditions, the main one being temperature. Older yoghurt can spoil more quickly.

      Reply
  5. Mel

    June 18, 2012 at 4:20 PM

    My dad is Turkish and claims the Turks invented yoghurt! He makes his own every week and strains it in a cheesecloth to make ‘Greek’ yoghurt. But he pours away the whey! He dies make his own pickles but I think he uses vinegar. Must tell him to start using the way instead of wasting it.

    Reply
  6. Jess

    February 9, 2012 at 2:03 PM

    Do you think I could use coconut yogurt and get the same results (I am allergic to whey)? 

    Reply
    • Jackie

      May 7, 2014 at 2:22 AM

      You can use young fresh coconut water. In a jug combine coconut water and water kefir grains and leave covered on bench for 1 to 2 days. When cloudy and some bubbles it is ready, strain out and bottle then refrigerate for a minimum of one day. Keep 1/4 cup to transfer to next batch.

      Reply
      • Maxine Hamilton

        May 20, 2016 at 6:56 AM

        Im interested in the coconut yogurt as well..Q. cant buy young fresh coconut water all year round??

        Reply
        • Tom

          September 8, 2016 at 3:47 PM

          Young coconuts are found in Asian markets, the only way I would buy it. They are available year round. I suppose there are many places without Asian markets, but try the American supermarket. The coconuts are white, not stripped down to the hard shell, but just the outer skin cut off, leaving the fibrous interior you can cut away to get at the hard shell. These coconuts come wrapped in plastic, and are kept refrigerated. Once you experience young coconuts, you won’t go back to the canned version. There is also the canned coconut milk sold for Thai cooking, which is different.

          Reply
  7. Stef

    September 14, 2011 at 1:43 AM

    Question – what happens if you make this with Greek yogurt? That was the only organic yogurt I could find when I went to get some for this recipe. I have fermented my lemonade for 2 days now, and am now wondering if using Greek yogurt would affect how this works/doesn’t work. What say you? Thanks!!

    Reply
    • Wellness Mama

      September 14, 2011 at 9:39 PM

      I haven’t tried it with greek yogurt, but as long as you got some liquid off, it should work for fermenting.

      Reply
      • Stef

        September 16, 2011 at 3:04 AM

        Thanks! I am drinking it right now. It turned out great! Just a bit tart, the way I like it. I used half lemons and limes. Yum! I also followed Laura’s suggestion that she linked above, and did the extra draining. I got about half a cup from half a carton of Greek yogurt. We’ll see how this helps over the next couple of days. 

        Reply
      • Erik

        July 31, 2014 at 4:22 PM

        Isn’t draining the whey how you make Greek yogurt from regular yogurt?

        Reply
        • Wellness Mama

          August 3, 2014 at 7:23 PM

          Yep!

          Reply
          • Kate Kobylarz

            September 15, 2014 at 11:16 AM

            Nope. Greek yoghurt has additional bacteria added. It is time to read labels again.

          • Liz

            February 19, 2015 at 3:54 AM

            5 stars
            Kate, traditional Greek yogurt recipes do not have additional bacteria added.
            It is the commercial varieties which have additional bacteria added and list these on the label.
            Wellness Mama is right in saying “Yep!”

      • Nina

        March 13, 2016 at 8:56 PM

        You could bring milk to a rolling boil, take it off the burner and add some acid like apple cider vinegar. When the curds form strain the mixture saving the liquid. Now you have whey as well as ricotta cheese. Fastest and easiest step to get whey. Really good cheese as well.

        Reply
        • Sally

          March 29, 2016 at 12:39 AM

          The cheese left here is Paneer I think, not ricotta

          Reply
          • Steve K

            May 9, 2016 at 8:40 PM

            I think it is ricotta. Paneer is ricotta that has then been pressed to make it drier. At least that’s what I read on some websites.

      • David

        September 18, 2016 at 2:20 PM

        Is it possible to use the whey from Kefir?

        Reply
  8. Todd

    June 28, 2011 at 5:17 PM

    Thanks for posting this! I may have to give this shot. I will soon make awesome foods like this as I have the time to make fermented foods.

    Reply
  9. Rebekah

    May 11, 2011 at 1:31 PM

    I make a homemade yogurt, a gallon at a time, and always strain a quart or two. I just line a sieve with a coffee filter, put it over a bowl, and pour the yogurt in; let it drain for as long as you want, the longer the thicker. My husband loves strained yogurt (it’s like Greek yogurt, really creamy) and I also love having the whey.

    Reply
    • TRACEY GINTER

      September 15, 2012 at 8:58 PM

      It does become Greek yogurt. That’s what Greek yogurt is, regular yogurt that has less of the whey in it.

      Reply
    • Lynn

      June 5, 2014 at 10:31 AM

      This is called lebany. In the middle east it is a staple food.

      We add a bit of pink or sea salt to it. We cut scallions (the entire thing), grape tomatoes (1/2’d or 1/4’d) marinate them in olive oil and white balsamic vinegar. Mound the very thick creamy lebany in the middle of a serving plate. strain (reserve a spoon full) the veggies and heap in a ring around the lebany. dribble a small bit of reserved liquid over the mounded lebany. It is so pretty. Scoop veggies and lebany onto your favorite read or cracker.

      Reply
      • Hil

        January 18, 2016 at 6:39 PM

        5 stars
        Yum! Thank you very much for sharing this!

        Reply
  10. Laura Sohn

    May 10, 2011 at 2:47 PM

    I use why for fermenting, but also love to add it to other foods I am eating, especially smoothies!

    Reply
    • CID

      August 1, 2015 at 3:53 PM

      I READ YOUR LINK, BUT IM NOT SEEING ANOTHER STEP. IT LOOKS LIKE YOU’RE PRETTY MUCH DOING THE SAME THING, JUST LETTING IT GO A LITTLE LONGER…. AM I MISSING SOMETHING?

      Reply
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