This traditional Scottish crowdie cheese is so delicious and creamy and spreads really well on Scottish oatcakes, biscuits or even in a sandwich. Its really easy to make and traditionally was a great way to use up excess milk.

This crowdie recipe can also be sweetened instead of going with the savoury method here and used to make cranachan or sweet spreads. I have a few variations of using this traditional Scottish Cheese in the video below.

The video below contains the full instructions for this recipe and soem serving variations at the end too so stay tuned to the end for some delicious ways of eating this crowdie cheese.

This traditional Scottish crowdie cheese was traditionally made by using unpasturised raw milk. It was left to sour for a day at room temperature and the curds naturally seperated from the whey due to the living elements of the milk. You can replicate the separation using modern pasturised milk and lemon juice. If your lucky enough to have your own homestead or small farm you could use natural raw milk but in the UK its not available. I would love to have a supply of fresh raw milk for various purposes but I’m using shop pasturised for this recipe.

The Best Bits about this Recipe

• This recipe is so super easy to make. There are not many steps to this recipe and you can have your own homemade traditional Scottish crowdie cheese in a few hours.
• This is a great recipe to get the kids involved with due to the simplicity of it. You could also turn it into an educational lesson including the simple lessons of cheesemaking.
• If your new to cheese making this traditional Scottish Crowdie cheese is the perfect place to start. Its simple, quick and even a beginner in the kitchen could make this recipe.
• You can use this tradional Scottish crowdie cheese as a base for many recipes. You can eat it savoury or sweet and it works well in a variety of family dishes from fresh garden salads to sweet cranachan style fruit pots. You can eat it for breakfast or for dessert. Its a great cheese to be experimental with and try all kinds of flavours.
• Once you have mastered this recipe you can call yourself a cheesemaker ha ha ha! No really you can! Its that easy and makes an impressive dinner piece with a ring of salad, smoked salmon and some fresh herbs. You can see my variation in the video above.

These traditional Scottish recipes below also work really well with the crowdie cheese. Try serving this traditional Scottish crowdie cheese as a starter to the Scottish beef stew below and perhaps the blackcurrant drizzle cake as a pudding. Oh Yummy!

I would also recommend making your own oatcakes. The link for my oatcake recipe video is below. They are so easy to make and are super delicious with the crowdie cheese especially fresh out of the oven. I can’t think of a more traditional Scottish snack than this delicious creamy crowdie cheese. The oatcakes and crowdie also work really well with home made red currant jelly. I love red currant jelly its the perfect way to use up the summer garden red currants. I love to pull out a jar at Christmas time to serve up with a variety of Scottish cheeses.

My favourite place to purchase Scottish cheese is the Highland Fine Cheeses company in Tain Scotland. They do the most delicious of professionally produce cheese and I particularly love their fat cow cheese, especially the experimental version with honey berries. So if you want to try Crowdie cheese before you make it or don’t have the time to make it then try this company for thier delicious professionally made Crowdie cheese.

Tips for Making Traditional Scottish Crowdie Cheese

1. You want to keep the temperature of the pan very low to medium without any kind of simmer and definitely not a boiling temperature. This helps to ensure that the curds are kept nice and soft for this recipe, as mentioned in the instructional Youtube Video. If you do heat up the milk too much and the curds toughen up, don’t worry you can pop them in a mini blender and add in some extra cream. If you can though try and keep the temperature very low.
2. Use homemade traditional Scottish Oatcakes to serve with the crowdie cheese. They are easy to make and worth the extra effort especially when they are served warm fresh out of finishing off in the oven. I’ve added in a link to the video above.
3. If you can’t make the oatcakes for whatever reason then store bought oatcakes are perfect to serve with this recipe. You could also use any other type of biscuit for cheese for serving up the crowdie cheese.
4. Be patient! Leave the curds in the bag for at least 2hrs to drain. This will ensure you have a properly drained crowdie cheese that is easy to spread and has a nice creamy consistency. It can be tempting to skip the full waiting process but its worth the wait.
5. if you want to turn this into a sweet cream crowdie cheese that you can use for cranachan or other sweet dishes then skip the savoury elements of this recipe like the salt and pepper and fresh garden herbs and add in a teaspoon of lovely Scottish heather honey. You can also thin out your sweet crowdie cheese using a little extra cream. I like my sweet crowdie cheese quite thin for the cranachan dish in the video above.
6. Experiment with different herbs and spices to make different varations and don’t forget to tag me in instagram. I love to see your creations and will happily share them on my stories for all to see.
7. Store in the fridge after making this recipe. That is of course if there is any left because it is pretty delicious and enjoyed by all.
8. This recipe is super flexible and you can vary the quantity very easily by adding in more lemon juice and seasonings to a larger quantity of milk. I’ve suggested a litre and a half but that is just a starting point, feel free to use more milk, lemon and seasonings as required.

You dont need anything fancy to make this delicious traditional Scottish Crowdie cheese but here are a few tips below on equipment that will come in handy:

1. You will need a clean muslin cloth or a jelly bag with stand for this recipe. I prefer the jelly bag because the stand works really well and you can also pop a lid over the top of the bag easily for the dripping duration to prevent any fly or insect contamination. You can source a jelly bag easily from Amazon in the text links above.
2. You will also need a large pan to warm the milk up in and some basic utensils and a knife.

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Crowdie Cheese Recipe

1.5 litres of milk

juice of about 1 lemon

Double cream

Salt & Pepper

Fresh Garden Herbs

Oats for garnishing & oatcakes to serve

Additional ingredients as per the serving suggestions in the video above.

Recipe Instructions:

1. Add the milk to the pan with the squeezed lemon juice and warm gently.
2. Keep the temperature of the milk at a low to medium heat. You don’t want to heat the milk up hot as it will toughen the curds.
3. The milk will slowly start to separate into curds and whey. Leave on the heat until it has completely separated and put aside to cool for a few minutes.
4. Ladle the separated milk into the prepared jelly bag or muslin cloth in a seive.
5. Leave to drain fully for around 2-3hrs and cover to avoid contamination.
6. Remove the cheese ball from the jelly bag or muslin and place in a bowl or plate.
7. Season with salt and pepper and mix through well. Add in the fresh chopped herbs and stir through gently.
8. Add in a splash of cream (about a tbsp or 2) and mix in well. You want to add just enough cream for the cheese to be spreadable. If you are making the sweet version skip the salt and pepper and add in a tsp of honey and the double cream for the desired consistency.
9. Spoon the cheese into a small dish to serve from and enjoy!

Additional serving suggestions in the images below are detailed at the end of the Crowdie Youtube video above.

If your on Pinterest please feel free to pin this cheese to your board to make it another time.

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