Now that we’ve shared our Farmer Cheese Protein Bagels with you, we figured it was our due diligence to share our easy, probiotic Homemade Kefir Cream Cheese for you to top your bagels with. This recipe takes the experience to a whole new level, making your bagels more nutritious and versatile in every way, since you can prepare both bagels and cream cheese at home yourself!
Made with whole milk Lifeway Kefir, this simple recipe doesn’t take much else except for a little patience and preparation ahead of time. To make the homemade kefir cream cheese, all you need to do is strain our kefir in a mesh strainer lined in cheesecloth, and place that over a bowl inside the fridge for 24 hours. As it sits, the liquid portion of the kefir will drain in the bowl underneath, leaving all the solids and cream portion from our kefir in the line mesh strainer.
In 24 hours, you’ll have a delicious, high-protein, probiotic cream cheese that is gut-friendly and free of preservatives and stabilizers found in cream cheese varieties at the store.
After 24 hours, remove the kefir cream cheese from the cheesecloth, place it in a jar with a lid, and you’re ready to enjoy it. It should keep up to 2 weeks in the fridge—if it lasts that long! You can add in any seasonings you want, like green onions and chives, salt and pepper, cinnamon, or whatever else you enjoy in your cream cheese.
Spread this luscious, homemade kefir cream cheese over freshly made bagels, and say goodbye to pricey processed versions for good. Note: For best results, use our whole milk kefir instead of our lowfat versions for a richer flavor and texture, similar to cream cheese.
The Benefits of Cultured Dairy for Better Health:
Research continues to show the importance of eating healthy foods, including cultured dairy such as kefir, for optimal digestion and gut health, a strong immune system, and to support the microbiome. Fermented foods like kefir hold important value in this line of research due to the link between the gut-brain axis and overall health. Specifically, kefir has been shown to help diversify the microbiome, improve digestion, reduce inflammation, support healthier blood sugar levels, and improve satiety since the bioavailable protein it contains triggers the release of GLP-1.
Lifeway Kefir is packed with a variety of vital nutrients important for overall health, including bone and muscle health; these include vitamin D3, K, calcium, and vitamin B12. Along with our probiotic-rich kefir, Lifeway also offers artisan-made Farmer Cheese,a creamy, high-protein cheese made with live and active cultures to support healthy muscles and a healthy microbiome. Lifeway Farmer Cheese is easy to spread, free of gums and thickeners, and contains no added salt or sugar for optimal health benefits.
Prep Time: 24 hours Servings: 4-6Ingredients
Base Recipe:
- 1 32 oz. bottle of Organic Whole Milk Plain Kefir
- or Whole Milk Plain Kefir
Other:
- salt, to taste
- green onions or chives, and any other add-ins you wish (any spices, herbs, etc.)
Directions
- Line a mesh strainer with cheesecloth, then place over a larger bowl to strain. Pour the entire bottle of kefir over the mesh strainer. Set the strainer and bowl in the fridge for 24 hours.
- After time has passed, remove the solids from the cheesecloth—this is your cream cheese. Note: You can discard the liquids in the bowl or reuse them in smoothies or any other ingredients like homemade bread, muffins, etc., since it still contains some probiotics and protein.
- If you're adding in salt and other add-ins, place the kefir cream cheese in a bowl, and stir those in with it to combine. Place your homemade kefir cream cheese in a jar with a lid, and keep it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- Top bagels, muffins, toast, or anything else you wish with it, and enjoy!
- This recipe turns out best with our whole milk kefir vs. lowfat versions.
