Cultured dairy products obtained without a whey separation step

Disclosed is a cultured cream cheese product which is prepared without a whey separation step and has reduced levels of cultured dairy materials. The process utilizes a first mixture of dairy ingredients which is homogenized and pasteurized, then cooled to about 68 to about 104 deg F. A lactic acid-producing bacterial culture is then added to the cooled first mixture and the mixture is cultured at a temperature and for a time sufficient to obtain a pH-stable mixture, wherein the stable pH is in the range of about 3.5 to about 5.5. A second mixture of dairy ingredients having dairy protein, salts, and gums is then added to the pH-stable cultured first mixture and the resulting third mixture is heated and homogenized at a temperature and for a time sufficient to obtain a cultured dairy product containing cultured and non-cultured dairy ingredients. The first amount of dairy protein is about 10 to about 40 percent and the second amount of dairy protein is about 60 to about 90 percent, based on the total amount of dairy protein, the cultured dairy product has a whey protein to casein ratio of greater than about 60:40, and the process does not include a whey-separation step.