This homemade cheese recipe only calls for 4 simple ingredients. It’s super versatile, can be used for everything from grilled cheeses to charcuterie boards.
Who knew cheesemaking could be so easy? This old-world recipe is so simple to put together, you’ll get addicted to having a cheese wheel in your fridge at all times. Similar in taste to paneer cheese from India, it’s simple, ultra creamy, and slightly firm. What’s better? You get to skip out on all the preservatives that come in store-bought varieties.
Love making your own cheese at home? Try your hand at making our easy farmer’s cheese recipe while you’re at it.
4 Simple Ingredients for Homemade Cheese
All you need to make this simple cheese is four ingredients you likely already have hanging out in your fridge. No need for any special enzymes, starter cultures, rennet, or a cheese making kit!
- Whole Milk: Full-fat, traditional pasteurized whole milk will do the trick
- Eggs: Eggs might seem a little out of left field, but my family has been making cheese this way for decades.
- Sour Cream: Sour cream provides the necessary bacteria to help coagulate the milk and curdle it.
- Salt: A little salt goes along way in making this homemade cheese have an irresistible flavor.
Making Homemade Cheese from Scratch
Preparing homemade cheese only takes about an hour. However, you’ll need to let it set for around five hours – so make sure to account for that!
- Bring the Milk to a Boil: First, bring the milk to a slow boil in a large pot over medium heat, stirring it every so often with a spatula or wooden spoon to prevent sticking.
- Prepare the Coagulant: Next, whisk the eggs with the salt in a large bowl, followed by the sour cream.
- Coagulate the Milk: Next, pour the egg mixture into the boiling milk. Let the mixture cook for seven minutes, stirring it every so often as the curdling takes place.
- Strain the Cheese Out: Next, line a colander with cheesecloth. Pour the mixture through and strain out the liquid.
- Squeeze the Whey Out: Gather the cheesecloth around the cheese and ring out the whey.
- Press the Cheese: Place the cheesecloth-wrapped cheese on a plate and weigh it down with something heavy at room temperature for several hours.
- Refrigerate the Cheese: Refrigerate the cheese until you’re ready to use it. Enjoy!
Hot Tip: Add in spices like fresh ground black pepper or red pepper flakes or fresh herbs like chives, dill, or basil into the cheese curds before your press them for extra flavor.
3 Helpful Tips for Making Your Own Cheese
A couple of helpful tips will help you make homemade cheese like a pro.
- Opt for whole milk. Pasteurized whole milk is your best bet for making homemade cheese. It yields the most creaminess, while also containing the least amount of harmful bacteria.
- Drain out as much of the whey as humanly possible. To get the best possible texture, strain out as much of the whey from the cheese curds as possible. Ring the cheese cloth several times with all your might!
- Press the cheese for at least 5 hours. For the firmest wheel of cheese possible, press the curds for at least five hours with something heavy. We love using a Dutch oven!
Different Ways to Use Homemade Cheese
There are a million and one different ways to use homemade cheese. Here you’ll find a couple of ideas to inspire you…
- Sandwiches: Whip up an air fryer grilled cheese or garlic bread sandwich with thick slices of homemade cheese.
- Salads: Dice up the cheese into small cubes and toss it into your favorite salad. You can swap it in for the mozzarella cheese in an arugula caprese salad or Italian pasta salad.
- Charcuterie Boards: Serve the cheese alongside homemade apricot jam, sourdough crackers, cured meat, marinated mushrooms, and other goodies on a snacking board.
- Pizza: Swap the homemade cheese in for shredded cheese on a perfect pepperoni pizza or a margherita flatbread pizza.
Storing & Freezing Homemade Cheese
Whether you have some leftovers to stow away or you’d like to freeze an entire wheel for later, find best practices for storing your homemade cheese here.
- Storing: To keep the cheese on hand for up to a week, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This will keep the cheese fresh and will prevent it from drying out.
- Freezing: To freeze the cheese, wrap it in plastic wrap and pop it into a plastic storage bag. Next, pop it in the freezer for up to 2 months. To thaw, place it in the fridge overnight.
FAQ
Is homemade cheese less unhealthy than store-bought?
Homemade cheese is less unhealthy than store-bought cheese because it doesn’t have the same level of preservatives and additives. That said, it will spoil more quickly, so only make as much as you can eat in 5 days.
Can you use non-fat milk to make homemade cheese?
You can use non-fat milk to make homemade cheese, but it won’t be anywhere as creamy as it would if you used whole milk. You’ll also get less cheese in general since there will be less fat to coagulate.
How do you make the milk coagulate for homemade cheese without rennet?
There are several different coagulant options that you have to make homemade cheese in lieu of rennet. These include lemon juice, white vinegar, and, in this case, sour cream.
Is homemade cheese safe?
Yes, making homemade cheese is perfectly safe. So long as you follow the instructions and refrigerate the cheese properly, you’ll be golden.
Why is it important that you heat the milk when making homemade cheese?
It’s important that you bring the milk to a slow boil as the first step in the process of making homemade cheese. This sets the stage for the bacteria to be able to thrive and curdle once you add in the sour cream.
Can you use the leftover whey from homemade cheese for anything?
You can use the leftover whey from homemade cheese as the base for homemade bread recipes instead of water. That said, it adds a very particular, tangy flavor so it’s not for everyone.
More Fun Things to Make Homemade
- Homemade Kielbasa Sausage Recipe – Hand-cased sausage
- Sourdough Bread – Delicious with butter, or homemade cheese
- How to Make Homemade Pasta – Simple, fresh pasta noodles
- The Best Overnight Pizza Recipe – Classic pizza dough
- Homemade Gnocchi Recipe – Italian potato dumplings
Recipe
Instructions
- In a large pot, bring the milk to a boil over medium-heat. Stir the milk occasionally so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the salt. Whisk in the sour cream until the mixture is smooth and even.
- As you continuously stir, pour the egg mixture into the boiling milk. Let the mixture cook for 7 minutes, stirring it every so often to prevent sticking. Cook until curls up. Allow it to cool to a room temperature.
- Line a colander with cheesecloth and pour the mixture through.
- Gather the cloth around the cheese and squeeze out as much of the milk as you can. Place the cheesecloth-wrapped cheese on a plate and place something heavy on top to weigh it down. Allow it to sit for at least 5 hours.
- Refrigerate the cheese until you're ready to use it. Enjoy!
Can I use yogurt instead of sour cream
Hi Rose, I have not tried but I think Greek yogurt should work. Enjoy it, nothing like homemade cheese. 🙂
Very nice recipe chef 👍👌👏. Thank you for your effort 🌹🌞😎.
Hi Jasson, thank you so much for sharing your feedback with me. Enjoy!
Can I use 18% cream instead of whole milk?
Hi Monty- since this recipe only uses a few ingredients, I wouldn't recommend subbing the whole milk. I'm not sure how the higher fat cream would affect the texture or end result of the cheese. I hope you are still able to give the recipe a try with whole milk!
It sounds delish. I used to make cheese uses rennent and cultures. But this sounds so much easier.
Hi Carol, Oh yeah, You definitely went all out making cheese! That is really impressive! I hope you enjoy making this recipe.
I can't believe how easy it is to make cheese!! I want to put this on everything!! SO creamy & delicious!
Hi Kristyn, Thanks so much for your feedback! Enjoy!
I never thought that I would be able to make my own cheese, so thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Hi Jess! Its actually very simple! You're very welcome!
I had no clue how easy this was to make, thank you! So yummy too.
Hi Diane! Thanks for trying our recipe! Enjoy
Is there a name for this cheese
Hi Don- I don't have a name for it, it's just a soft cheese!
Do you really mean boil? As in a roiling boil?
Hi there - A light boil will do the trick. Milk burns easily, so a rolling boil is not necessary. Hope this helps!
What do the eggs do?
There is an egg protein that allows for growth of bacteria necessary for slow aging. Most aged cheese like grana padano and parmesano reggiano have eggs in it. The age process takes from 12 to 24 months. Imitation of these cheeses don't have eggs and fake bacteria is added to produce a hard cheese very fast.
Hey dear, I am not 100% sure, this is just the recipe our family used. Sorry, I don't have the best answer. 🙂
they act as a tthickening agent
Honestly one of the best fresh cheeses I've ever made. Though it odd with the eggs but it works great! Pinned to my favouites. I'm wonder would this work fine toasted in a sandwich press? I'm going to try it tonight anyhow. All on it's own it's wonderful 🙂 Thanks.
Hey Sue, I do think it should work great but not 100% sure. Enjoy
Hey and thanks for this wonderful post! Could the leftover milk be used for anything or is it just better to pour out...?
The whey can be used as a base in bread recipes, instead of water. personally I just get rid of it because I dont like the flavor it adds.
Is this farmers cheese?
No, this is regular cheese that you can enjoy with some tea or a sandwich.
Does the milk mixture have to cool before you pour it into the cheese cloth or no?
As long as you don't burn your self, you can pour the mixture right away. It is best to put it in a cheese cloth while it's still warm.
you doing this on low ?when i have to remove from heat?
It cooks on a medium heat the whole time. Ass soon as you add sour cream mixture cook for about 7 minutes (step 3). Hope this helps 🙂
how much % does the milk contain?
I used whole milk, I believe it's 4%
Hi for how long you have to stir ? milk should be warm then pour egg mixture?
Stir as you pour egg mixture. Yes, milk should be warm.
Any idea on the caloric content?
I can't tell you exact because I never looked into it. But if you were to add sour-cream, egg and milk calories that's what it would be. It's definitely less than most store bough cheese and no preservatives.
Is this cheese called brindza? In Russian
No, this cheese texture is a little different. Closer towards "plavleniy" cheese.
Why at least 5 hours? Does it taste better when left pressed for a longer time?
At least 5 hours to create firm cheese and get rid of whey. I don't think it would be any different if you keep it pressed for a longer time.
can this be made with 2 per cent milk?
Yes, I have tried 2% milk, but the results are better with whole milk.
Do you need to temper the egg mixture first?
You don't need to temper the eggs, you just need to stir the milk while pouring.
do you have to chill this when it sets?
Not necessary but refrigerate after all whey is pressed out.
Thank you!