This Labne Breakfast Bowl with Fruit is my current breakfast obsession. Labne (also called labneh) provides more protein than yogurt; mixed with fruit coming from my garden this is a breakfast win!

labne breakfast bowl with apple blackberries blueberries cherries sliced almonds latte in a white mug honey cocoa powder mint leaf sliced avocado to garnish

A Labne Breakfast Bowl with Fruit is a blank slate of breakfast possibilities. In this breakfast bowl recipe, you can add any fruit that is in season, in abundance, or simply, that is your favorite.

The way I have developed my garden on my property is so there is always some fruit in season. For example: my garden has apples that are early to late season apples. I have 10 different varieties of blueberries ripening at various times throughout the summer. Four different varieties of blackberries start in June and end in late October to early November. In addition to blackberries, there are three varieties of everbearing raspberries in the garden. Also, three different varieties of cherries, and so on with other fruits.

What about fruit during the winter months? Well, persimmons produce until December and January most years. In December, my citrus trees are in full swing of production. I will get Satsuma Mandarins from December through February. Then there are the Meyer Lemon Trees that will Produce all winter long and even give me a large summer crop. (Basically, Meyer Lemons produce all year in my garden.) Then there are the grapefruits… And oh my are they fabulous. Grapefruits produce winter to late spring taking me right up to early plums and berries. Finally, back to the start of the summer fruit growing all over again.

Therefore, the labne is a great start to a protein-packed breakfast with whatever fruit and add-ins I can find in the pantry or in my garden. See my recipe for Grilled Grapefruit or Grapefruit Brûlée and Coconut Flake and Cocoa Nib Granola. Grilled grapefruit and granola on the labne is another one of my favorite way to eat a Labne Breakfast Bowl.

What is Labne or Labneh?

Unquestionably, labne is amazing. However, what is it really? Labne, labneh is a thick yogurt originating from the middle eats. It is yogurt that has been strained again or longer. Thus removing more liquid or whey. The additional straining of the yogurt and removal of additional liquid produce a thicker, creamier more flavorful product. I have also heard of labne being referred to as yogurt cheese. I would say that labne/labneh is the perfect marriage of cream cheese and Greek yogurt.

You will see it spelled differently from time to time. I went with Labne in this recipe bost because the brand of labneh I purchased says Labne on the container. You can read more about the different spellings here.

Why Labneh/Labne over Greek Yogurt?

For me, it is because labneh is perfect as it is straight out to the container. What do I mean by this?

When I buy plain Greek yogurt I generally need to add something to it to make it palatable. For example, I generally add honey or a homemade fruit jam. With labne/labneh, I do not need to add any sweetener. Labneh is perfect straight out of the container to my bowl with no extra mixing or stirring. This means it is a faster breakfast option that ultimately has less sugar.

Not needing to add sweetener to the labne/labneh means the ingredients that I add to the top of my Labne Breakfast Bowl can shine.

Labne/labneh has higher protein and a higher fat content than Greek yogurt. Having higher protein and higher fat keeps me fuller longer. For me, the fat content helps me to be satiated faster as a result, I eat less quantity of labne I would than Greek yogurt. That stretches my product and saves me money in the long run–I get more breakfasts out of labne than I do out of Greek yogurt. Also, I try to achieve a daily protein goal and the labne helps me to reach my protein goal faster than Greek yogurt.

Substitutions:

If you can’t find Labne or Labneh you can use Greek Yogurt and strain it through cheesecloth to produce your own labne.
You can just use Greek yogurt
You can add whatever toppings you like.

Add-ins and Toppings:

Sweet:
- Your favorite fresh or dried fruit
- Granola
Savory
- Eggs with chili oil
- Avocado with chili oil
- Avocado and eggs with chili oil
- Eggs and sausage with chili oil

Ingredients:

Labne: Labne is double-stained Greek yogurt or yogurt cheese. If you can’t find the labne, you can substitute the labne with Greek Yogurt.

Apple: available year-round and provides fiber to your diet.

Blueberries: available year-round and have many health benefits.

Blackberries: come in many varieties; my favorite blackberries are triple crown and tayberries.

Cherries: in this recipe I used Lapins Cherries from my tree but my favorite are Bing Cherries.

Sliced Almonds: I love these untoasted sliced almonds. Any of your favorite nuts will do or no nuts are equally as good in this recipe.

Cocoa Powder: this is totally optional, I added a pinch here because I wanted to add it to my latte. Also, I added it because the sharpness of the unsweetened cocoa adds great contrast to the cherries, apples, and berries. Similar to having dark chocolate with wine.

How to make Labne Breakfast Bowl with Fruit:

Ingredients:

Labne 2 ounces to 4 ounces per bowl.
Fruit of Choice: apple, blueberries, blackberries cherries
- I used about half of an apple, 2 tablespoons of each type of berry per bowl, and a couple of cherries in this picture.
Sliced Almonds 1 TBSP
Pinch of Cocoa Powder

Step by Step Instructions:

Wash and dry fruit.

Cut the apple into thin slices.

Next, spoon 2 ounces to 4 ounces of Labne into a bowl.

Then, arrange fruit on top of the Labne.

Add sliced almonds (optional).

Finally, garnish with a pinch of cocoa powder (optional).

Enjoy!