A roasted garlic labneh video shows you exactly how to turn thick strained yogurt into a smooth, tangy cheese-like spread and fold in sweet roasted garlic. This recipe walks through the straining, roasting, and mixing steps so you get a dip with a mellow garlic note and a texture closer to cream cheese than sour cream. You can use the finished labneh as a spread, a bowl base, or a sauce component.
Labneh is made by draining plain yogurt until most of the whey is gone, which concentrates the protein and gives it body. Roasting the garlic softens the raw bite and brings out a nutty, almost caramelized sweetness that balances the yogurt’s tartness. The roasted garlic labneh video format helps because you can see the doneness of the garlic cloves and the final consistency. If you enjoyed this, our prawn pil pil is worth trying next.
Why You’ll Love These Roasted Garlic Labneh Video
- Straining yogurt needs almost no active work and yields a thick, scoopable spread.
- Roasting tames harsh garlic into a sweet, spreadable paste without any frying.
- The finished dip keeps well and works as breakfast, snack, or appetizer.
- You control the salt and garlic level better than with store-bought flavored yogurt.
- The roasted garlic labneh video makes each timing cue easy to follow visually.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- 4 cups plain full-fat yogurt (around 900 g) — full fat strains to a firmer labneh than low fat.
- 2 whole garlic heads — roasted whole so the cloves stay moist and sweet.
- 3 tablespoons olive oil — used to coat the garlic before roasting and to loosen the dip.
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt — added to the yogurt before straining to firm and season it.
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice — brightens the finished labneh without making it thin.
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves — optional, stirred in at the end for a herbal note.
Ingredient Substitutions
Plain full-fat yogurt: Replace with an equal weight of Greek yogurt if you want to skip the straining step entirely. Greek yogurt is already thick, so the labneh will be denser and slightly less tangy than strained regular yogurt. You lose the slow-drip texture control shown in the roasted garlic labneh video, but the prep drops to about 5 minutes.
Olive oil: Use an equal amount of avocado oil if you prefer a more neutral flavor on the roasted garlic. Avocado oil has a higher smoke point, so the cloves brown a little faster at the same oven temperature. The dip will taste cleaner rather than grassy, which suits a plain cracker serving. Making this roasted garlic labneh video at home is surprisingly straightforward once you know the key steps.
Fresh thyme leaves: Swap for 1 teaspoon dried oregano if you don’t have fresh herbs on hand. Dried oregano is more pungent, so use half the volume you would of fresh to avoid a dusty flavor. Stir it in with the lemon juice so it rehydrates before serving.
Lemon juice: Replace with the same amount of white wine vinegar for a sharper, less fruity acid. Vinegar tightens the labneh slightly and pushes the flavor more savory than bright. Avoid bottled concentrate, which tastes metallic next to roasted garlic.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Line a fine mesh strainer with two layers of cheesecloth and set it over a bowl. Whisk the 1 teaspoon fine sea salt into the 4 cups yogurt, then pour it into the cloth. Cover and refrigerate 24 hours so the whey drips out and the yogurt firms to a thick paste.
- Heat the oven to 180°C / 350°F. Slice the top quarter off each garlic head, place them cut-side up on foil, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and wrap tightly. Roast 40 minutes until the cloves are soft and golden when squeezed.
- Unwrap the garlic and let it cool 10 minutes so you can handle it. Squeeze the roasted cloves from the skins into a small bowl and mash with a fork into a rough paste.
- Scrape the strained labneh into a mixing bowl. Add the mashed garlic, lemon juice, remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, and thyme if using. Stir until evenly combined and no white streaks remain.
- Spoon the labneh into a serving dish, smooth the top, and drizzle with any leftover oil from the foil. Serve at room temperature for the best flavor spread.
Pro Tips
Use a yogurt with live cultures and no stabilizers so the whey separates cleanly during straining. Stabilizers like modified starch leave you with a gummy lump instead of a clean labneh.
Roast two garlic heads even if the recipe uses one, then freeze the extra cloves in a small jar. You’ll have roasted garlic ready for mashed potatoes without another oven session.
When you season the yogurt, undersalt slightly because the roasted garlic concentrates as it cools. You can always add a pinch at the end after a taste test.
For a silkier finish, pass the mixed labneh through a fine sieve once before plating. This step is shown briefly in the straining technique reference and removes any thyme stem bits.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Using low-fat yogurt leads to a thin, watery result because there isn’t enough fat to hold the structure after whey removal. Stick with full fat or the dip won’t hold a peak on a knife.
Peeling garlic before roasting dries the cloves out and makes them bitter at the edges. Roast them in the skin and squeeze later for a soft and golden center.
Rushing the strain time under 18 hours leaves excess whey, so the labneh weeps on the plate within minutes. Plan a full day of drain time before you expect to serve.
Serving Suggestions
Spread the labneh on warm flatbread and top with a pinch of za’atar for a quick mezze plate. The creamy base also pairs with roasted carrots as a cool counter to the sweet vegetables.
Use it as a sandwich layer under sliced cucumber and tomato instead of mayonnaise. For a larger spread, set it beside tomato pasta so guests can dip bread in both.
Storage and Reheating
Keep the labneh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days since the strained yogurt and roasted garlic are both low-risk once cold. Always use a clean spoon to avoid introducing mold spores.
This dip is served cold or at room temperature, so reheating isn’t needed and will split the yogurt. If it firms too much, stir in a few drops of olive oil to loosen it before plating.
You can freeze the plain strained labneh for up to 2 months, but freeze it before adding garlic for the best texture. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then fold in fresh roasted garlic.
Recipe Variations
Smoked Version
Add 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika to the labneh with the garlic for a campfire edge. The paprika deepens the color to a soft tan and pairs well with grilled vegetables. Skip the thyme so the smoke reads clearly.
Herb Heavy
Double the thyme and add 1 tablespoon chopped dill for a greener, sharper dip. These herbs raise the moisture slightly, so strain the yogurt an extra 2 hours. The result tastes brighter and works with sheet pan dinners.
Spicy Fold
Stir in 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes with the lemon juice for a slow warmth behind the garlic. The heat builds after a few bites, so start small and taste. This version is good with garlic noodles on the side.
Caramel Garlic
Roast the garlic an extra 10 minutes until the cloves are deep amber for a sweeter, almost candy-like note. Watch closely because past that point they turn acrid. The dip loses some savory edge and reads more like a cheese spread.
Roasted Garlic Labneh Video
Description
Roasted garlic labneh is a thick, cream-cheese-like strained yogurt spread folded with sweet, mellow roasted garlic. It works as a dip, spread, or bowl base and keeps well in the fridge for quick snacks or appetizers.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Line strainer and salt yogurt
Line a fine mesh strainer with two layers of cheesecloth and set it over a bowl that can catch the dripping whey. Whisk the 1 teaspoon fine sea salt into the 4 cups yogurt until evenly dissolved, then pour the mixture into the cloth-lined strainer. This salting step firms and seasons the yogurt before the long drain.
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Refrigerate to strain
Cover the strainer and bowl with a lid or wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours so the whey drips out slowly. The yogurt should firm to a thick paste with no loose liquid pooling in the bowl beneath. Plan a full day of drain time so the labneh will not weep on the plate later.
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Heat oven and prep garlic
Heat the oven to 180°C / 350°F and let it come fully to temperature before roasting. Slice the top quarter off each garlic head to expose the cloves, place them cut-side up on a sheet of foil, and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Roasting them in the skin keeps the cloves moist and prevents bitter dried edges.
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Wrap and roast garlic
Wrap the oiled garlic heads tightly in the foil so no steam escapes during cooking. Roast at 180°C / 350°F for 40 minutes until the cloves are soft and golden when gently squeezed through the foil. The cloves should feel like a soft paste inside with no raw bite remaining.
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Cool and mash garlic
Unwrap the garlic and let it cool for 10 minutes so you can handle the heads without burning your fingers. Squeeze the roasted cloves from their skins into a small bowl and mash with a fork into a rough paste. Discard the skins and any hard bits before moving to mixing.
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Combine labneh and flavors
Scrape the strained labneh into a mixing bowl and add the mashed garlic, lemon juice, remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, and thyme if using. Stir until evenly combined and no white streaks of plain labneh remain visible. Taste and add a pinch more salt only if needed since the garlic concentrates as it cools.
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Spoon and drizzle serving
Spoon the labneh into a serving dish and smooth the top with the back of a spoon for a clean finish. Drizzle with any leftover oil from the roasting foil to add sheen and flavor. Serve at room temperature so the spread is soft and the garlic aroma is most present.
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Optional sieve finish
For a silkier finish, pass the mixed labneh through a fine sieve once before plating to remove any thyme stem bits. Press it gently with a spatula so it goes through without losing too much volume. This step is optional but gives a restaurant-style smooth texture.
Nutrition Facts
Servings 4
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 250kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 18g28%
- Saturated Fat 8g40%
- Cholesterol 30mg10%
- Sodium 480mg20%
- Total Carbohydrate 12g4%
- Dietary Fiber 1g4%
- Sugars 8g
- Protein 10g20%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Note
- Storage: Keep the labneh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days and always use a clean spoon to avoid mold; reheat is not needed and will split the yogurt.
- Make ahead: Roast two garlic heads and freeze the extra cloves in a small jar, as shown in our maple roasted carrots pairing idea, so you have roasted garlic ready later.
- Pro tip: Use yogurt with live cultures and no stabilizers so the whey separates cleanly during the 24-hour strain.
- Undersalt: Season the yogurt slightly under final taste because the roasted garlic concentrates as it cools and can become too salty.
