Labneh (also labne, labaneh) is yogurt strained until it’s thick enough to spread – somewhere between Greek yogurt and cream cheese. It’s often called “labneh cheese”, but no rennet is involved: it’s simply fermented milk with much of the whey drained off. In the Levant it’s eaten at breakfast spread on a plate with olive oil and za’atar or dried mint, with bread, and firmer labneh is rolled into balls and kept under oil.
Homemade vs Store-Bought Labneh
Commercial labneh is a broader category than the homemade kind. In a 2024 survey of labneh sold in the United Arab Emirates, products were made in different ways – acid or acid-plus-enzyme coagulation, with or without heat treatment after fermentation – and about two-thirds contained additives such as stabilizers, emulsifiers or preservatives. All the multinational brands were heat-treated after fermentation, which kills the cultures; only 7% of the smaller producers’ labneh was (Bhaskaracharya et al., 2024). If you want live cultures, make it from live yogurt or read the label.
At the other end is labneh Ambaris, a traditional Lebanese goat’s-milk labneh made over at least two months in earthenware jars, with milk and coarse salt added regularly while the whey drains. In 20 samples, the pH was mostly below 4 and Lactobacillus species dominated, with Geotrichum and Pichia the main fungi (Abi Khalil et al., 2023). Dried, spiced labneh balls are the basis of shanklish.
Making It: Start With Good Yogurt, Strain in the Fridge
Use plain, pasteurized yogurt with live cultures and no added starches or gums (they hold on to the whey). Full-fat gives the creamiest labneh. Or make your own yogurt first. Stir in a little salt, spoon it into a cloth-lined sieve and let it drain in the refrigerator (recipe card below):
- 12 hours: soft, spreadable labneh.
- 24 hours: thick, holds its shape.
- 36–48 hours: firm enough to roll into balls.
Straining in the fridge matters. In one study, Listeria added to finished labneh survived up to 15 days at 6°C, while Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 died out within about 4 days (Issa & Ryser, 2000) – the acid helps, but it isn’t a guarantee, so start from pasteurized yogurt and keep everything cold and clean. The drained whey can go into bread dough or smoothies; refrigerate it and use it within a few days.
How Long Does Labneh Last?
Temperature decides it. Lebanese researchers stored cloth-strained labneh and found a shelf life – before yeasts and flavor changes set in – of about 8.5–10.5 days at 5°C, 4.7–5.8 days at 15°C and only 2.3–2.7 days at 25°C (Al-Kadamany et al., 2002). Keep it in a closed container in the fridge, use a clean spoon, and plan on about a week to ten days. A film of olive oil on top keeps the surface from drying out; it doesn’t make labneh keep at room temperature.
Labneh Balls in Oil – Safely
Oil keeps out air, but that’s exactly why it must be handled carefully: garlic and fresh herbs stored in oil have caused botulism, including outbreaks from home-made garlic in oil, and peeled garlic in oil should be kept in the fridge for no more than 4 days (UC ANR); the CDC lists chopped garlic in oil among foods linked to botulism (CDC). So:
- Roll balls from well-strained labneh with clean hands or two spoons, and chill them uncovered for a few hours to firm the surface.
- Cover with olive oil in a clean jar and keep the jar in the fridge (the oil will cloud and set; it melts again at room temperature).
- Flavor them with dried herbs, za’atar, dried chili or spices – not raw garlic cloves or fresh herb sprigs.
- Lift balls out with a clean spoon, keep them submerged, and eat them within about two weeks.
For other Middle Eastern fermented dairy, see kishk, made from yogurt and bulgur, and yogurt drinks like ayran and doogh.