Low FODMAP Lactose-Free Cream Cheese with Poblano and Lemon
IBS FRIENDLY • GLUTEN-FREE • LACTOSE-FREE • CONTAINS DAIRY
What’s not to love about making your own lactose-free cream cheese? The taste is as fresh as it gets. If your market is out of stock, you can whip up your own batch in about 30 minutes. It requires only 5 ingredients. You choose to add flavors, or serve it plain. And you control the amount of salt.
For the best creamy texture that yields approx. 2 cups, whole lactose-free milk is the way to go. I’ve tried making this with reduced fat and it resulted in a miniscule amount of cream cheese for the effort.
This recipe requires the chile meat of 1/2 to 1 1/2 fresh medium-size poblano peppers, to your taste. They will need roasting and prepping to remove the skins, stems and seeds, so plan accordingly. Tap here for our step-by-step Article on How To Roast and Prep Green Chiles with photos.
Tap here for our YouTube Lactose-Free Cream Cheese Tutorial.
Makes: 2 cups / 470 g
Monash Suggests: 2 AUS tablespoons (8 tsp / 40 g) per serving
INGREDIENTS:
8 cups (1/2 gallon carton) lactose-free whole milk (such as Dairy Pure 100% Lactose Free Whole Milk)
5 Tblsp apple cider vinegar (such as Braggs), or white vinegar
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
Fresh poblano chile meat from 1/2 medium-sized poblano pepper, roasted and prepped to remove the skin, stem and seeds, small diced (see Tips for adding more, to your taste)
Zest of 1/2 lemon, or 1 lemon to your taste
METHOD:
Pour the milk into a large, heavy-bottom saucepan over medium high heat. Stir constantly until it comes to a low boil. Reduce heat to low.
Add 1 Tblsp vinegar at a time, in 1-minute intervals. Add the salt. Stir constantly as the milk curdles into curds and separates from the whey. When the whey is completely liquid and the solids have floated to the top to form curds, it’s ready.
Pour through a fine mesh strainer.
Spoon the curds into a medium mixing bowl and beat on high with a handheld mixer. Use an oven mitt to hold the bowl if it’s hot. Once the cream cheese is smooth, add the poblano and lemon zest. Stir to combine.
When stored in an airtight container, it will keep for 7 days in the refrigerator.
TIPS:
Tablespoons for this recipe are US Standard / Imperial 3 teaspoons = 1 Tblsp
1/2 poblano offers a hint of chile; about 2 tablespoons of diced chile meat. Add the meat of 1 or 1 1/2 medium-sized poblanos for more chile flavor.
If you do not have access to fresh poblano peppers, use 1 can (4-ounce / 133 g) mild, chopped green chiles, drained well, containing no onion, garlic or other high FODMAP ingredients. Canned chiles often contain salt, so be sure to taste before adding the 1/4 tsp salt called for in the recipe as you might not need it.
Taste for lemon zest as well. By increasing the zest to 1 whole lemon, the cream cheese will be fresher and brighter; to your taste of course.
When using Bragg’s apple cider vinegar, the cream cheese will take on a slight ivory color. Use a good white vinegar for a milky white color.
This recipe is excellent for spreading on sandwiches, rice cakes, for charcuterie boards, gluten-free ham grilled cream cheese sandwiches, jalapeno poppers and much more!
Tap here to download the recipe as a black and white PDF (text only no photos)
Tap here for our YouTube Lactose-Free Cream Cheese Tutorial.
Learn More About Green Chiles – Can You Eat The Skins?
Tap here for our step-by-step Article on How To Roast and Prep Green Chiles with photos.
For more information about the Low FODMAP Diet, visit Monash University’s website.