BasedKeto is a minimalist keto blog focused on foundational, gut-friendly eating. No gimmicks, no substitutes—just real food, clean fats, and recipes built to sustain.

Cream cheese is a rich, versatile keto staple. Use it to enrich yogurt, make keto cheesecake, or pair it with celery, cucumbers, eggs, or smoked salmon. Store-bought cream cheese gets expensive fast at high intake levels, so here is a simple homemade cultured cream cheese recipe for a 1 gallon (3.8 l) batch!

Ingredients

• 7½ pints (3.5 l) heavy cream
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) live cultured cream cheese starter (I use Green Valley Creamery)
• 3 tbsp (45 g) salt, or roughly a generous handful (I use pink Himalayan + optional potassium salt)

Equipment

• 1 clean and sanitized gallon glass jar with lid
• Mixing bowl
• Spoon or whisk
• Oven or warm fermentation space (~100°F / 38°C)

Instructions

1. In a bowl, mix 1 tbsp of the starter culture with a small amount of heavy cream. Stir until mostly smooth and evenly distributed.

Simple, low-effort ribeye: dry-brined in the fridge, then reverse-seared. You get a crispy crust, buttery, reddish interior, zero carbs, and maximum flavor from minimal ingredients. With a final knob of butter, the fat-to-protein ratio exceeds 1.5:1.

Ingredients

• 1 ribeye steak, 1.5 inches thick

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 2 tbsp avocado oil

• Butter (or herbed compound butter), for serving

Instructions

1. Fridge “Dry-Age”

   • Pat the steak very dry with paper towels.