My Cookbook: Souk to Table 
Labneh balls
Labneh balls are a delicious, creamy and tangy Middle Eastern dish made from strained yogurt. Thick labneh is typically rolled into bite-sized balls, seasoned with herbs and spices and preserved in olive oil. They are perfect as part of a mezze spread, or simply smeared onto pita or toast. With only a few ingredients, they’re very easy to make right at home.
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Elevating Homemade Labneh
If you are familiar with labneh, you are familiar with how creamy, tangy and utterly delicious it is. Labneh is essentially strained yogurt that resembles a tangy cream cheese, typically served for breakfast with za’atar, olive oil and pita. Labneh balls take that straining process and extend it, to get an even thicker, richer and creamier consistency.
The thick labneh can then be rolled into balls and rolled into middle eastern dried herbs and spices for an extra burst of flavour, then preserved in a jar with olive oil. The balls can be spread onto bread and enjoyed for breakfast or as a snack.
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.
So we have options here, based on convenience and time. 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 more or less yield.
Labneh Straining Times & Other Recipe Testing Notes
Below is a summary from my recipe testing. Note that these straining times are specifically for labneh balls, which required 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 (750 ml) | 3-4 days | about 10 balls (less than greek yogurt) |
| Greek yogurt (750 ml) | 2-3 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.
Here are the classic middle eastern herbs and spices that are used for labneh balls.
- Za’atar: Its classic, herby, nutty taste complements the tanginess of the labneh balls perfectly.
- Sumac: I love the tanginess of the sumac, it goes so well with the creaminess of the dish.
- Dried Mint: So fresh and minty tasting, it’s another popular one to roll them in.
- Toasted Sesame Seeds and Nigella Seeds: I love the nuttiness of the tasted sesame seeds and the fragrant burst of flavour from the nigella seeds, as well as the crunch factor from the seeds.
- Aleppo Pepper: Possibly my favourite! It has a delicious spiciness and smokiness, and looks beautiful too. You can get varying levels of spice so choose your favourite. If you really want it spicy, use chilli flakes!
- Labneh: Choose your preferred starting point here. I use my labneh recipe with whole milk as written but with an extended straining time. You can also use greek yogurt to cut down on the straining time. Ready made labneh is also available but I suggest some straining in order to ensure its thick enough to roll.
- Olive oil: Olive oil is used to preserve the labneh in the jar. Make sure to use a good quality olive oil here. You want something that you would dip bread into as you will get the taste of the olive oil when eating them.
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. 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.
How to Serve Labneh Balls
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. They also make the perfect addition to salads (try them on top of this Kale salad or my Freekeh salad) or serve them with warm flatbreads for a simple yet flavourful snack.
Important Notes on Storage
Make sure to fully cover and submerge them in olive oil in order to maintain their freshness. Some people say that the olive oil allow for them to stay on the counter but that makes me a bit nervous.
I prefer to keep them in the fridge, 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.
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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.
