Update: Ever since I made this recipe, it has been my go to recipe for all cream cheese based dishes. But recently, I tried one more recipe which I can say that is the best I have made till date. it is so creamy and turns out beautiful in all recipes including frostings. If you are keen on making the perfect cream cheese, please take a look at that post also before deciding on which one to make. Here goes the new Cream Cheese Recipe. https://gayathriscookspot.com/2016/11/the-best-homemade-cream-cheese-recipe/. You can also click on the image to take you to the post.
I have made a video demonstrating the making of cream cheese. Take a look. And if you like it, please like and share it. Also subscribe to my channel on you tube. And read the post. I have shared my experiences with step wise photos too.
And here comes my next post in the Baking Basics Series. When I first heard of cheese cakes and cream cheese, I was so sad that I couldn’t find it in our super market shelves. But then I came across recipes to make it at home and tried it first for the no bake mango cheese cake recipe. Ever since, I do it often and have come to a recipe which gives smooth cream cheese. I have heard that home made cream cheese makes the cheese cake grainy but I have not encountered it. I will discuss some tips and tricks to get a smooth cream cheese at home. Though I can tell you one thing that you cannot compare it to the creaminess of store bought cream cheese. But it is better than the store bought variety as you know what goes into it and is also very cheap. Some of them who tried this recipe gave me the feed back that it is tangy. If you are using fresh curd, then it wouldn’t turn tangy. So make sure that the ingredients are fresh. I make it on the day I set curd so that I can use the most fresh curd to make the cheese.
Most of the recipes I saw online use cottage cheese with just two tablespoons of curd but I prefer to use equal amount of curd and cottage cheese. I make cottage cheese with citric acid. Making it with curd can also give you a smooth cheese. While making the cheese, you need to remove the milk once you add the citric acid. Keeping it longer on flame will surely cook the cheese which will in turn make it grainy. Then while draining the cheese from whey do not drain the whey completely. When you squeeze the cheese, there should be a little whey oozing from it. Very dry cheese will result in grainy cream cheese. Next step is grinding it along with curd. Make sure to grind it to a smooth mixture to get creamy cheese. 
Boil 2 litres of milk in a heavy bottomed pan.
Mix 1/2 tsp of citric acid to 3 tbs of water. Allow it to dissolve.
Once the milk boils, remove from flame and add the citric acid to it.
The milk will curdle immediately. Mix with a spoon until the whey is clear and not cloudy.
Line a sieve with a cotton cloth and pour the cheese into it.
Tie the cloth and let it hang so that the whey drains.
After 25-30 minutes, remove the cheese from the cloth. When you squeeze there should be little whey oozing from it.
Now add the cheese along with equal amount of thick curd or yogurt in a mixer jar.
Grind it to a smooth mixture.
Now once again line a sieve with a cotton cloth and pour the mixture into it.
Once again let the cloth hang to drain the whey.
After 4 hours, you need to refrigerate the cheese so that it doesn’t go sour. Let the cloth hang inside a bowl without touching the floor of the bowl. You need to make sure that the water which gets drained doesn’t go back into the cheese.
Let it sit in the fridge overnight. The next day remove the cheese from the cloth.
Creamy cream cheese is ready to be used in cheese cakes.
I used it in this Eggless No Bake Mango Cheese Cake Recipe.
And also in this Baked Eggless New York Cheese Cake recipe ( recipe coming next month)
My other posts in the Baking Basics Series:
wow wonderful and am going to make this because mango sesaon came now.want to make some cheesecakes for hubby
hi….I had a doubt…can v substitute citric acid with lime juice…if yes, how much would u recommend?… Also hw much curd hve u used?
For a litre of milk you can use juice from one lemon. And for the quantity of curd, use the same as paneer. Measure paneer and add equal amount of curd.
What is curd? You say to add equal amount of curd to cheese, what is curd? Thanks
Curd is yogurt.
so well explained Gayathri!!! beautiful recipe… should try this..
Hi for the curd can we use amul or mother dairy one or a home made curd… coz some time homemade curd is either very flowy or of its stiff it becomes tangy..
Yes, you can use any thick store bought variety. They work great.
very very useful post…
hi ….what else can these cream cheese be used as mangoes are still to come & I am eager to try them with other form.
You can use strawberries..
Hey how much cream cheese does this yield?
It would make 1 1/2 cups to 2 cups of cheese..
Do we need full fat milk for preparing paneer
Andcan we prepare thick curd by hanging method….
Hello want to ask one question shld we weight cheese to add equal weight of curd or its else plz let me know
Measure it in a cup and add equal amount of curd.
Hello mam….can we use…this cream cheese for red velvet cakes frosting??
Yes, you can.
the recipe is same as paneer! just that u are not compressing the cheese to make paneer and u r leaving it loose making it cottage cheese?
Paneer is also called as cottage cheese..
Hello ma’am can I use this cream cheese recipe for frosting too?
Yes, you can.
gayatriji, thank you for making cooking and kitchen life simple, quick, economical and if course interesting
Can i use this recipe for strawberry creamcheese icecream?
Yes, you can use it ..
How long can this be stored for (in the fridge)?
Also, how much would this yield in grams? Thanks 🙂
You can store this upto a week in fridge. I think it yields nearly 200 gm.
which cheese ur saying to add ? normal one amul one
I mentioned cottage cheese or paneer. If you make it at home, the result is great than the store bought one.
Hello Gayathri g. I really like your recipes videos. I want to try make cream cheese to make a cheese cake. I have just seen your video to make cream cheese in that you added yogurt in it , isn’t yogurt will make a bit bitter or sour taste instead sweet taste in the cream cheese.
Please clearfiey this . As I am new to this cooking thing.
My self I use to live in NZ and I love all the western food and I am now living back in India now so I miss that western food. So I want to make it here my self the only bad thing is sometimes it’s very hard to find the ingredient .
Thank you
Reg Kamal
Hi Kamal, thank you for following all my videos. The cream cheese will have a sour taste. But use very fresh yogurt and let the cheese drain in fridge so that the sour taste is not so prominent. But I think cream cheese is supposed to be slightly sour. Happy baking!!
Hello mam can we use this creamecheese for baking….or is it no bake recipe
You can use it in any recipe which asks for cream cheese including baking..
why does the link to the cream cheese with rennet does not work.
I guess it is working now. Please check.
Ma’am can I use ready made paneer for this recipe? It’s work?
It would be too gritty. Using homemade paneer will get you nice creamy cheese.
should we whip it to frost or pipe on our cakes?? Or can it be directly piped ??
Please check my post on cream cheese frosting. I have given three recipes. It includes a video too.
Hey!:) My creamcheese remains grainy how much ever long I try to blend it. I discared the whey water too, so couldn’t add it to blend. Is there any other way to fix it?
Cream cheese made by this method is usually a little grainy because of paneer we add. If you want the creamiest one, you need to check out my rennet version in making cream cheese. It is the best method.
Love all ur receipies