Make this easy homemade cream cheese to spread on bagels, dip veggies in, or add to recipes, like a classic cream cheese frosting. With just three simple ingredients, you’ll never have to buy the store-bought version again. 

a bowl of homemade cream cheese with a spreading knife in it and other food to eat with the cream cheese surrounding it on a white countertop and wooden cutting board

During the times our milk cow is producing, we often have more milk than we know what to do with.

I’ve had to come up with creative ways to use it all up. I’ve made everything from raw milk ice creamyogurtkefirbutter – and the list goes on. 

Some of you may know that I’ve been on a kick of making my own cheese lately, too. I started by experimenting with mozzarella. I’ve even made kefir cheese with my abundance of milk kefir.

There is really nothing more satisfying than enjoying fresh cheese you made yourself. 

Next up? Making my own cream cheese. I honestly don’t know why I didn’t try this sooner. 

With just three simple ingredients, I ended up with something way better than any store-bought cream cheese I’ve ever had.

A half gallon of raw milk (regular whole milk is just fine, too), lemon juice, and salt produced the most delicious cream cheese for spreading on bagels. It has really elevated our usual breakfasts this week. 

What is Cream Cheese?

Unlike hard cheeses, cream cheese is a smooth and creamy spread that consists of non-aged curds that have been drained and blended. Soft cream cheese is used for savory dishes, but it is probably best known for sweet recipes, such as cheesecake and cream cheese frosting. 

It various from ricotta cheese and cottage cheese, which are also not aged. Ricotta is made up of curds that are not drained, while cottage cheese is separated curds and whey together.

An english muffin with homemade cream cheese spread on top with a black bowl of it and a spreading knife and wooden cutting board in the background

Why Youโ€™ll Love This Recipe

Easy to make โ€“ With only 3 ingredients, this recipe takes about 20 minutes to make. It’s so simple to make, and, oh, so creamy!

Great way to use up milk โ€“ This is the best recipe if you find yourself with a half gallon of milk that needs used up.

So much better than store bought โ€“ You may be thinking, “Why do I need to make a homemade version of cream cheese?” Let me tell you – it’s worth it! It is so creamy and fresh. Plus, you don’t have to worry about any extra ingredients or preservatives.

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Tips

  • If you know me, you know I hate to waste anything. This recipe leaves you with a decent amount of whey. Some people like to use it in soups, smoothies, and other various recipes. When using this whey, don’t forget that it was salted, which means you’ll likely want to adjust the salt amount in whatever recipe you are using. 
  • Don’t have lemon juice? You can use lime juice or even white vinegar instead. You simply need the acid to make the whey and curds separate. 
  • Make this your own by adding in your favorite flavor combinations. Add a little honey to make it sweeter or create a savory cream cheese with bacon and scallions. If you like spicy flavors, add a few red pepper flakes. Keeping this plain cream cheese, of course, is also delicious. 

Ingredients

The ingredients for homemade cream cheese, including a lemon cut in half, a glass bowl with salt and a glass measuring cup with whole milk all on a white countertop

Whole milk – Using full fat milk ensures you end up with the creamy consistency you’d expect from cream cheese. You could also use half of another type of milk such as 2% and half heavy cream. Avoid using ultra-pasteurized.

Lemon juice – I prefer to use freshly squeezed lemon juice. 

Salt

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Tools You May Need

Pot

Measuring Cups and Spoons

Wooden Spoon

Fine-Mesh Strainer

Cheesecloth

Blender – You can also use a food processor. 

Close up picture of cream cheese in a black dish with a little knife. Bagels are in the background

How to Make Your Own Homemade Cream Cheese

whole milk in a pot ready to be boiled

Place the milk into a large pot and bring to a boil.

Stir in the lemon juice and turn the heat off. Let sit undisturbed for about 3 minutes.

curds and whey separated in whole milk after begin heated in a gray pot

Strain the liquid from the curd in a mesh strainer. Rinse the curd with cold water, then strain the remaining liquid from the curd with a cheesecloth.

A fine mesh strainer above a bowl straining out the whey from the curds to make homemade cream cheese

Place the drained curds into the blender with the salt and blend until completely smooth.

homemade cream cheese in a blender

Pour into an airtight container in the refrigerator and let chill before serving.

close up of homemade cream cheese in a black bowl on a white countertop

Storage

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. I prefer to use a glass container or jar. 

homemade cream cheese on an english muffin half with a wooden cutting board and spreading knife in the background

How to Serve

The ways to enjoy this homemade cream cheese recipe are endless. 

  • Use it as a spread.
    This is probably the most obvious way to enjoy cream cheese. We love it slathered on to a homemade sourdough bagel. 
  • Make a savory or sweet dip. 
    Cream cheese is so versatile. It can be made savory by adding things like green onions, bacon, herbs, etc. it can also be made into a sweet dip by adding a little honey or fruit. For savory dips, I like to use veggies or sourdough crackers. For sweet dips, try using my sourdough graham crackers
  • Add it to your favorite recipes. 
    Homemade cream cheese an be add to any of your cream cheese recipes. One of my favorites that I make quite often at the farmhouse is my sourdough cinnamon rolls with cream cheese icing.

    Of course, it is almost strawberry season here in the midwest. It’s the perfect time to make my strawberry cheesecake ice cream or strawberry cream cheese cobbler with sourdough. 

FAQ

homemade cream cheese in a black bowl surrounded by bread, scallions, and a spreading knife
Is homemade cream cheese better than store bought?

This is really a personal preference, but in my opinion, yes! I think it tastes so much more fresh. Plus, I know what ingredients are in the homemade version. There are no extra add-ins or preservatives.ย 

How long does homemade cream cheese last?

Stored properly in an airtight container in the fridge, homemade cream cheese should last up to a week.ย 

Why is my homemade cream cheese grainy?

If your cream cheese seems grainy after blending, you can add a little more whey into the mixture to help make it smooth.ย 

What is the best substitute for cream cheese?

If you don’t have cream cheese or any of the three ingredients to make your own, you can use sour cream or Greek yogurt when in a pinch. You can actually make Greek yogurt cream cheese, too.ย Learn how to do it at home here.ย 

Can you freeze cream cheese?

If you don’t think you can use your cream cheese before it goes bad, you can freeze it for a couple of months. It may not have quite the same texture, but the taste should be the same. Thaw it out in the fridge the night before you plan to use it.ย 

More From Scratch Recipes 

If you try this recipe and love it, I would love if you could come back and give it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone

Homemade Cream Cheese

4.25 from 8 votes
Make this soft homemade cream cheese to spread on bagels, dip veggies in, or add to recipes, like a classic cream cheese frosting. With just three simple ingredients, you'll never have to buy the store-bought version again.ย 
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Servings: 8 ounces
close up of homemade cream cheese in a black bowl on a white countertop
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Equipment

  • 1 Large Pot
  • 1 Fine Mesh Strainer

Ingredients 

  • 8 cups whole milk
  • ยผ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • ยฝ teaspoon salt

Instructions 

  • Place the milk into a large pot and bring to a boil.
  • Stir in the lemon juice and turn the heat off. Let sit undisturbed for about 3 minutes.
  • Strain the liquid from the curd in a mesh strainer. Rinse the curd with cold water, then strain the remaining liquid from the curd with a cheesecloth.
  • Place the strained curd into the blender with the salt and blend until completely smooth.
  • Pour into an airtight container in the refrigerator and let chill before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1ounce | Calories: 148kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 238mg | Potassium: 374mg | Fiber: 0.02g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 396IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 301mg | Iron: 0.01mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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4.25 from 8 votes (1 rating without comment)

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Recipe Rating




57 Comments

  1. Amy Mills says:

    Awesome can’t wait to give it a try I use cream cheese for alot of things an store bout isn’t usually enough unless you buy a dozen an that can get expensive an homemade is better

  2. Tiffany says:

    How long does it last?

    1. Lisa Bass says:

      1-2 weeks.

  3. Emily says:

    I am not sure I did it right. A whole gallon to make a small Oui yogurt jar of cream cheese? Did I do something wrong? The milk did boil over accidently and then I added the lemon juice and let it sit for the 3 minutes but I don’t feel I got much yield out of it.

    1. Lisa Bass says:

      There should be more yield out of it. I don’t have an exact measurement because it comes out a bit differently every time, but it will definitely serve 8 people.

  4. Erika says:

    Is all the strained liquid from the recipe considered whey? Not sure if I should save what was strained from the mesh strainer, the cheesecloth or both? Thank you!

    1. Lisa Bass says:

      Yes, that is considered whey.

      1. Lisa says:

        Can you use whey from boiled raw milk in lacto fermentation recipes or is it dead as far as cult go? Thx!

        1. Lisa Bass says:

          Yes, unfortunately the culture is then considered dead.

  5. Amy says:

    5 stars
    this is so fun and easy to make! Lisa, what do you do with the whey that is leftover from making cream cheese?

    1. Lisa Bass says:

      You can use the whey to make my lemon probiotic carbonated drink!

      1. Hรฉlรจne says:

        If the milk is boiled how are there active cultures in the whey to make a probiotic drink?

  6. Karen says:

    Very interesting! Does this mean there isn’t such a thing as “raw milk cream cheese” since the milk needs to be boiled, at least in this recipe?

    1. Lisa Bass says:

      Yes, essentially.

  7. Anonymous says:

    Is this possible to make in the Instapot under the yogurt setting?

    1. Lisa Bass says:

      It should come out close. I’m not exactly sure what temperature the Instant Pot heats to during the temperature setting.

  8. Candice says:

    This looks doable, and I love cream cheese.
    I have bought it in bulk, at times, froze it by wrapping in wax paper portions, putting in a zip baggie without air. the water pulls out and baggie gets kind of messy, but it works great. freezing messes with texture of dairy, fortunately cream cheese comes out like a champ if you stir it up till smooth, add back that water in Tbsps, at a time, (this is a little work) till you like the consistency.
    Thank you Lisa for this recipe, now to find a local that has fresh milk for sale.
    I would love to know if this could be done raw? I am doubtful though.

  9. Nadine says:

    4 stars
    How many ounces does the 1/2 gallon of milk yeild?

    1. Kate says:

      Iโ€™m curious as well.

    2. Clarissa says:

      I used 8 cups of 2% milk and got about 9oz (just over one brick) of cream cheese.

      1. Hรฉlรจne says:

        TY so much! So a gal of milk makes a lb of cream cheeseโ€”roughly.

  10. Macaila says:

    5 stars
    Hey Lisa, would this work with raw milk that is just starting to curdle/sour? Would love to try this recipe

    1. Lisa Bass says:

      That should be just fine!