Go Back
–+ servings
palestinian labneh, palestinian food, lebanese food, labaneh balls

Authentic Labneh Balls

Fatimah
Tickle your taste buds with homemade labneh balls! Try this easy recipe to get an integral part of the Mediterranean culinary heritage.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Total Time 5 days
Course Breakfast, Dip
Cuisine Lebanese, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Palestinian
Servings 30

Ingredients
  

  • 1 64 ounces Arabic-style yogurt tub or 2 32 ounces containers
  • 2½ teaspoons salt
  • Extra Virgin Olive oil lots of it
  • Zaatar, sumac, Aleppo pepper, and dried mint optional

Instructions
 

  • Empty the yogurt into a large mixing bowl and mix in the salt with a whisk until no longer clumpy.
  • Transfer to a cheesecloth and tie tightly.
  • Place into a strainer fitted on top of a bowl to strain the liquid.
  • Since it’s hot, I left mine to drain in the fridge.
  • Leave it to drain for 2-3 whole days. You want to make sure its completely dry, so when it cures in the olive oil it doesn't turn moldy. In between draining, squeeze the whey out of the cheesecloth every so often.
  • Transfer the thick mixture to a bowl, discarding the liquid strained.
  • Start shaping them into little balls.
  • Dip each ball into zaatar, Aleppo pepper, sumac, or dried herbs. This is an optional step but bursts with various earthy flavors.
  • Store balls on top of each other (not squished) in a jar.
  • Immerse the labneh balls completely with olive oil and store the jar in a cool dry place. Labneh balls should be submerged in olive oil. You can store them inb the fridge, but the olive oil will get jelly like.

Notes

  • Let the yogurt drain at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
  • Every few hours, try squeezing extra liquids while twisting the cheesecloth, then leave to strain for the next 2-3 days, repeating the squeezing to get rid of any extra moisture.
  • Use the remaining olive oil in the jars from the labneh balls when making salad dressings or sauces, so it won’t go to waste.
  • If you do not use a clean and sterilized jar, and you do not let the labaneh drain properly for enough time, they might get moldy.
  • If you over stack the labaneh on top of eachother, the olive oil might not be able to get between the crevices. Make sure to store them properly to ensure they remain edible. 

Nutrition

Sodium: 194mgPotassium: 0.04mgCalcium: 0.1mgIron: 0.002mg
Keyword Labneh Balls, Labneh Cheese Balls, Labneh Yogurt Cheese
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!