Introduction: Cream Cheese in Oil - Breakfast in a Jar
Cream Cheese can also be made with yogurt. This simple recipe can be changed to your taste by using the ingredients you like.
I turned my cheese balls over in black and white sesame seeds. MMMMMM... they are so good!
Serve them for breakfast with crisp fresh bread, or on a cheese platter with boiled potatoes, or mix them with grilled vegetables!
Believe me, you will get addicted to this cheese!
Step 1:
For 2 Jars:
500 g Nature Yogurt
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp dried Parsley
1 tsp dried Rosemary
4 Bay-leaves
1 tsp Peppercorn
2-3 Twigs fresh Rosemary
You can also add some Lemon leaves
black and white Sesame Seeds
approx 400 ml Olive Oil
Step 2:
Season the yogurt with the salt and dried parsley, then pour it into a muslin cloth, tie it together and place it into a sieve over a bowl. Put it into the fridge to drip off the liquid for at least 24 hours. I left mine dripping for 48 hours! The longer you let it drip, the more compact the cheese will be.
Step 3:
Now form small balls of the size of ping-pong balls. I made approx 20 of them. Mix the sesame seeds in a small bowl and turn the cheese balls over in them.
Step 4:
Pour some of the olive oil into two clean jars and add 2 bay-leaves, half of the peppercorns and half of the dried rosemary to each jar. Then fill it up with olive oil, until the cheese balls are covered. Add the fresh rosemary and the lemon leaves too.
Store in the fridge!
Step 5:
Tips:
- turn the cheese balls over in crushed peppercorns or cumin seeds
- serve them as breakfast with fresh crusty bread
- mix it with grilled vegetables
- you can actually also serve the cheese balls fresh, without preserving them in oil. I would then turn them over in paprika or curry powder, in dried parsley or basil.

Runner Up in the
Canning and Pickling Contest 2016
1 Person Made This Project!
- 3DWulf made it!
19 Comments
6 years ago
Citrus doesn't grow here. I have no access to fresh lemon leaves. Is there any other type of leaf I can use?
Reply 6 years ago
You can usually get fresh lime leaves from asian-ethic stores. We have a store ran by Hmong immigrants and i live in a very small town in Arkansas.
Reply 6 years ago
Verbena leaves are good, or even mint, or some lemon peel... just be creative.
6 years ago
I'm back. This is such an impressive project. A definite conversation piece in the kitchen. You've got my vote!
6 years ago
Looks great, how long does the cheese last in the oil?
Reply 6 years ago
I would not keep them too long. I would say up to one month
Reply 6 years ago
Actually it should be less than 4 days to avoid botulism. I would kindly ask you to change the picture of your entry to avoid people having to go to hospital, as any food above the oil without heating, alcohol, acidification, lots of salt or sugar, it can be contagious with bacterial spores producing toxins.
6 years ago
Wow, this is so cool! Thank you for sharing this Instructable.
6 years ago
These look delicious!
I will definetly give this a try.
6 years ago
What do you do with all the oil after all the cheese is gone?
Reply 6 years ago
As it might be "dirty" with sesame seeds, parts of cheese and herbs I would not reuse it for new cheese, but you could strain it through a sieve and use it for cooking.
6 years ago
I did it, it was great
Reply 6 years ago
Thanks!!
6 years ago
What is Nature Yogurt?? is it Greek Yogurt??
Reply 6 years ago
You can use pretty much any kind of plain yogurt. Fat free is really not very good as there isn't much flavour. Two percent yogurt is the lowest that I would go.
Reply 6 years ago
Thank you
6 years ago
Looks, great! I am going to try them out. How soon are they ready after you put in oil in fridge?
Reply 6 years ago
Right away.
This has been done for years in the Middle East. I used to make these with my grandmother; she made the yogurt from scratch. Having one of the balls on toast was one of my favourite things as a kid.
Reply 6 years ago
I would let them sit for 3-5 days.