What Is Labneh and Is It Good for You?

In some dishes, Najjar says labneh can replace sour cream, heavy cream, mayonnaise, and other ingredients higher in saturated fat. Here are her suggestions for using spreadable labneh, plus a few for labneh balls.

• For breakfast, instead of using cream cheese, spread labneh on a piece of toast and top it with veggies.

• Experiment with adding it to homemade salad dressings, like ranch dressing, in place of cream, yogurt, or mayo.

• Try using it to make a creamy pasta sauce. “I’ll sauté vegetables or some garlic, maybe throw in some tomatoes, and then throw in a scoop of labneh with a little water to make it creamy,” Najjar says.

• Add labneh to lamb or chicken marinades for a hit of tangy flavor.

• In spinach dip recipes, replace half the mayo with labneh to reduce the fat and help prevent the dip from separating when heated.

• Use it as a base for tzatziki with cucumber, dill, and garlic. (It will be less runny than if you use yogurt.)

• Switch out yogurt for labneh in a fruit smoothie.

• For an appetizer, roll labneh balls in sesame seeds or fresh-chopped herbs, drizzle with olive oil, and enjoy with sliced vegetables or pita chips.

• Add labneh balls to a salad instead of goat cheese or another type of cheese.