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Homemade Labneh Balls (With Herbs & Spices!)
Labneh balls are a delicious, creamy and tangy Middle Eastern dish made from strained yogurt. Thick labneh is typically rolled into bite-sized balls, rolled in herbs and spices and preserved in olive oil. They are perfect as part of a mezze spread, or simply smeared onto pita or toast. They’re very easy to make at home, and actually very impressive to serve!
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How to serve labneh if you want to show off
If you are familiar with labneh, you are familiar with how creamy, tangy and utterly delicious it is. It’s lovely smeared all over a plate and topped with za’atar, olive oil, or whatever you like. But… if I want to show off, I make these labneh balls.
Labneh balls take the regular straining process and extend it, to get an even thicker, richer and creamier consistency. The thick labneh can then be rolled into balls.
I love rolling them in my favourite spices or seeds, like za’atar, Aleppo pepper, sumac, or sesame seeds. You really can use whatever you have. They get gently piled into a glass jar and topped off with olive oil.
The olive oil preserves them – so they can even be placed on the counter (which is how our grandmas did it back then). Me? I pop them into the fridge regardless. It’s just how I operate. 😉
FUN FACT: Labneh originates in the Levant region (Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Palestine). It was a practical solution for preserving yogurt before the introduction of refrigeration.
Labneh Straining Times & Other Recipe Testing Notes
You can start with either making homemade labneh with whole milk or greek yogurt or you can buy store bought labneh. Based on what you start with, you’ll need more or less straining time and get more or less yield.
Below is a summary from my recipe testing. Note that these straining times are specifically for labneh balls, which requires an extra thick labneh. If you’re going to use labneh as a dip, you can strain it for a shorter period.
| Type of Yogurt/Labneh | Straining Time for Labneh Balls | Yield |
| Whole milk yogurt (750 ml) | 2-3 days | about 10 balls (less than greek yogurt) |
| Greek yogurt (750 ml) | 1-2 days | about 15-20 (more than whole milk) |
| Store bought labneh (approx. 550 ml) | 1 day (depending on amount) | about 12-15 |
Ingredient Notes
Other than thick labneh, you have options for the toppings, depending on what you have on hand.
My go-to are usually za’atar, Aleppo pepper, and sumac since I always have them in my pantry. But you can also use dried mint, or toasted sesame seeds and nigella seeds.
The key note for the toppings is that they need to be dry. Fresh herbs don’t maintain their freshness and can contaminate the jar.
Let’s Get Rolling
Once you have the labneh ready, the rest is a quick process. I like to use gloves for this step because it can be a little messy. Oil your hands, take 2 to 3 tablespoons of the labneh, roll until you get a ball shape. Carefully place on a plate or tray and continue with the rest.
Place the toppings in small shallow balls, then roll the labneh balls in each of the toppings until fully covered. Place on a plate or tray while you continue with the rest.
If you are serving them right away, go ahead and enjoy them! If not, we need to preserve them in order to maintain their freshness. In a clean jar, carefully place them inside. Take a good quality olive oil and pour on top to fully cover them.
This is super important, if they are peaking through, there is a higher chance of them going bad. I refrigerate them to be on the safe side and would recommend that you do as well. The olive oil will solidify in the fridge but take it out about 1 hour before serving.
Serve the labneh balls as part of an appetizer spread alongside other dips like hummus or baba ghanoush and accompanied by fresh pita bread, olives, and crunchy vegetables.
Important Notes on Storage
Since the labneh balls are covered in olive oil – technically they can stay on the counter. The olive oil creates a seal around the labneh and prevents any air from spoiling it. However… I prefer to keep them in the fridge just to be safe (you know – we all have a fridge!).
Note that the olive oil will solidify, but taking them out for an hour or so before serving will get it back to it’s liquid state. They should keep in the fridge, fully covered in olive oil, for 3-6 weeks.
If you tried these recipes, please consider leaving a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page – I’d love to hear from you! You can also hop on over to Instagram and say hello!
Homemade Labneh Balls (With Herbs & Spices!)
Ingredients
If Using Whole Milk Yogurt
- 1 recipe labneh, as written
If Using Greek Yogurt
- 1 recipe labneh, replace whole milk with greek yogurt
If Using Store Bought Labneh
- 550 ml labneh, container size may vary
Toppings
- 1 tablespoon za'atar
- 1 tablespoon sumac
- 1 tablespoon Aleppo pepper, (use chilli flakes if you like a lot of heat)
- 1 tablespoon dried mint
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds and nigella seeds
- olive oil, extra virgin, as needed
Instructions
If Using Whole Milk
Prepare labneh according to recipe directions. Extend the straining time to 3-4 days. You can test on day 3 and see if it is thick enough to roll.
If Using Greek Yogurt
- Prepare labneh according to recipe directions. Straining time will be 2-3 days. You can test on day 2 to see if it is thick enough to roll.
If Using Store Bought Labneh
- Strain the labneh in a paper towel or cheese cloth lined mesh strainer over a large bowl. Allow it to strain for 1 day in the fridge. You will likely not have much liquid release but this helps to dry out the labneh to make it easier to roll.
Rolling
Once it is ready to roll, with gloved hands (it gets messy!) roll 2-3 tablespoons of your prepared labneh into a smooth ball sized shape. Place on a clean plate or tray and continue with the rest.- Place your desired toppings in separate plates. Roll the balls into the toppings one at a time, ensuring they are completely covered. Place on a clean plate or tray.
- If you are leaving them plain, go ahead and place them straight into a clean jar. Place the ones rolled in toppings into the clean jar, carefully stacking them on top of each other.
- Pour over a good quality olive oil until they are fully submerged. Cover with an air tight lid and place in the fridge.
- Keep in the fridge for 3-6 weeks, make sure they are fully covered by olive oil at all times. Take out 1 hour before serving to allow the olive oil to liquify (it will solidify in the fridge).
- Serve as an appetizer with other dips and warm pita or spread on toasted bread or crackers.
I made this the first time I followed you. They were just like ones I had at a friends house, loved it and wil be making them again!
Hi Sawsan! So lovely to hear you loved the labneh balls, thanks for leaving us a review! 🙂