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4.8 from 66 votes

Jewel Box Labneh Balls

Jewel Box Labneh Balls ~ these little gems are made with homemade yogurt cheese rolled in colorful herbs and spices.  Serve with a fresh sliced baguette, then let everyone have fun choosing their favorites and spreading them onto the bread...it's the perfect way to get your next party started! 

Prep Time
15 mins
Total Time
15 mins
Servings: 20 labneh balls
Calories: 20 kcal
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Ingredients

  • Labneh balls recipe for homemade labneh here
assorted coatings such as:
seeds
  • sesame seeds
  • cumin seeds
  • poppy seeds
  • nigella seeds black sesame seeds
herbs
  • dried mint
  • dried cilantro
  • dried parsley
  • dried thyme
  • dried dill
  • za'atar
spices
  • red pepper flakes
  • Aleppo pepper
  • sumac
  • ground cumin
  • black pepper
  • white pepper
nuts
  • ground pistachios
  • ground almonds
  • ground wlanuts
floral
  • lavender
  • rose petals

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Roll each labneh ball in the coating of your choice. If the coatings don't adhere well, lightly coat your hands in olive oil and roll the cheese between your palms to leave a thin film of oil behind. The herbs and spices will stick to the cheese more easily.
  2. Serve the cheese with fresh crusty bread or crackers. You can also serve the balls as a part of a cheese or mezze platter, or on top of a salad.
  3. To store, put the cheese in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Best used within 24 hours, but the plain cheese will last a week or so.

Notes

  • Make them ahead ~ the coated balls will keep nicely in the fridge for a day, well wrapped. Put them in a single layer so nothing gets squished.
  • Make one large ball or log shape ~ just like an old fashioned cheese ball, you can form the whole batch of labneh into one ball, or a log shape, and coat it as you like. A coating of fresh pomegranate seeds would be nice for the holidays.
  • Mix and match the coatings together to make blends, like red pepper and dill, or sesame and sumac.
  • Make this with fresh herbs like dill, cilantro, parsley, and chive, very finely chopped (a small food processor comes in handy for this.)  In this case plan to serve them asap.
  • Make it with goat cheese or cream cheese ~ just roll and coat in the same way.

Nutrition Information

Calories 20kcal (1%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 20labneh balls

Amount Per Serving

Calories 20

% Daily Value*

Calories 20kcal 1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.