Homemade Cream Cheese (2024)

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If you’ve ever thought Homemade Cream Cheese was too difficult to make, this post is proof that it couldn’t be easier! You need four simple ingredients! Homemade Cream Cheese is fluffy, fresh and so utterly delicious. Use this for these Bagel Sandwiches and serve them with horchata coffee.

If it’s one thing I love, it’s breakfast at home. Let’s all agree that it’s absolutely breakfast at home > brunch out. Who needs overpriced, mediocre brunch when you can make it at home for a fraction of the price and so much more delicious! I love making everything from my Breakfast Burritos, Breakfast Tacos to the best Blueberry Muffins.

If you ever want to make a bagel spread, this homemade cream cheese is an absolute must. It couldn’t be more simple to make; it’ll surprise you, for sure! Let’s get into it.

Supplies You’ll Need to Make Homemade Cream Cheese

Most of the supplies you’ll need to make homemade cream cheese are easy to find, especially on Amazon. Here is what you’ll need:

• Vegetable Rennet
• Glass Bowl
• Cheesecloth

What’s the Difference Between Homemade and Store Bought Cream Cheese?

There are plenty of things that I think are silly to make homemade. Cream cheese IS NOT ONE OF THEM. Its texture is a million times better than the cream cheese you buy at the grocery store. It’s so much smoother, lighter, creamier. The main difference is that store-bought cream cheese usually has a gum listed in the ingredients (guar gum, xanthm gum, etc.) which mean it’s a lot thicker and denser.

It’s so good, that I probably won’t ever go back to store-bought cream cheese ever again.

Ingredients for Homemade Cream Cheese

1. Dairy – We need heavy cream, whole milk and buttermilk.
2. Rennet – You can use vegetable or animal rennet.
3. Salt – I like to use kosher salt. That’s it!

How to Make Homemade Cream Cheese

1. Combine the milks. In a big pot, add the heavy cream, whole milk, buttermilk and salt.
2. Warm to 75 degrees F. Heat the milk mixture to this temperature.
3. Mix in the rennet. Add the rennet and mix throughout. This is going to make it so the solids separate from the whey.
4. Allow to stand at room temperature in a warm place. In order for this to actually work, the temperature has to be nice and warm.
5. After 14 Hours, strain it. This takes about 14 hours for the whey and solids to separate. Line a sieve or strainer with a few layers of cheesecloth. Nestle it over a large bowl. Pour the mixture into the cheesecloth.
6. Allow it to drain. This should take about 4 hours for it strain.

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*This post was originally published on June 24th, 2015 but it has since been updated with new copy and new photos!