Freeze These Dairy Items to Stretch Your Grocery Budget
Wondering if you can freeze cheese, milk, and eggs to stop food waste and save money? The answer is, YES!
Scored a great deal on cheese, milk, or eggs, but running out of fridge space? 😩 These easy and clever tips will show you how to freeze cheese, milk, eggs, and other dairy products, so they can safely be used at a later date (some for up to a YEAR)!
Plus, these hacks aren’t just convenient; they’re HUGE money savers that’ll minimize your weekly grocery trips!
How to freeze cheese:
Thanks to this freezer hack, you can buy all the cheese you want when it’s on sale, even if you only need a little for the week ahead. Frozen cheese typically lasts up to 6 months.
Cheese freezing tips:
- Shred it before you freeze it. Block-style cheese doesn’t turn out the best in the freezer. 👎
- Store it in a large freezer bag and let out excess air before sealing.
- To avoid sticky, clumpy cheese, add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch for every pound of cheese. Shake it up in the bag, seal, and freeze.
- When ready to use, let thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
- BONUS! Try this reader tip: I grate my cheese in my food pro, then flash freeze it on cookie sheets before bagging it up for the freezer. No corn starch is needed! (Thanks, Hip Reader, Blue!)
How to freeze milk:
Milk is one of those dairy products you always need to have on hand. If you snag a deal on almost-expired milk, just store what you won’t use in the freezer for up to one month and pull it out when you need it!
Milk freezing tips:
- Pour out a little bit of milk from the carton so it doesn’t expand too much before placing it in the freezer.
- When ready for use, move milk to the fridge and let thaw completely so it isn’t watery.
- Once thawed, just shake it up and it’s as good as new! Milk turn yellow? Don’t worry, this is totally normal and safe to drink when thawed properly! It should return back to its white colors as it thaws!
Here are a few more General Do’s & Don’t’s for freezing milk and similar dairy products:
✅ DO – Use your frozen milk within a month after freezing. Although you CAN freeze milk safely for up to 6 months, Healthline recommends using it within 1 month.
❌ DON’T – Freeze sugar-free coffee creamers or lactose-free milk. It turns clumpy when thawed.
✅ DO – Freeze half & half and regular coffee creamers. Just like you freeze milk, be sure to empty out a bit to leave room for expansion.
❌ DON’T – Freeze milk in a paper carton. Pour it into a plastic or glass container before freezing instead.
How to freeze heavy cream and whipping cream:
Heavy cream and whipping cream are often used in small amounts for cooking and baking purposes to make things like soups and sauces. If you’ve got an almost-full container of cream that you don’t need to use for a while, keep it fresh by storing it in your freezer.
Heavy cream and whipping cream freezing tips:
- To freeze small amounts, pour the cream into an ice cube tray and place it in the freezer. Each cube will contain about 2 tablespoons of liquid.
- To freeze large amounts of heavy or whipping cream, simply place the original carton in the freezer. If it’s nearly full, pour out 1-2 inches because it will expand a bit when frozen.
- If you plan on whipping your cream, do so before freezing (frozen, then thawed heavy cream won’t be quite as fluffy as it would be when fresh). Place spoonfuls of the whipped cream on a parchment-lined tray and place it in the freezer. Once completely frozen, transfer the frozen dollops to a freezer bag.
How to freeze eggs:
Believe it or not, eggs are freezer-friendly, too! This comes in handy when you’re baking and realize you only have 1 egg left in the fridge. You can freeze eggs for up to 1 year so stock up when they’re on a good sale!
Egg freezing tips:
- Use an easy-twist ice cube tray to store individual eggs.
- Crack and whisk the eggs before pouring them into the ice cube tray.
- You can also use a muffin tin to freeze larger egg portions and then transfer them to a freezer bag.
- Add desired seasonings to the egg mixture before freezing to minimize prep work later.
- Defrost for 24 hours in the fridge before use.
How to freeze butter:
Buying butter in bulk can save you some serious grocery dollars, but where to put it all? Luckily, you can keep your fridge nice and tidy by storing your butter surplus in the freezer for 6-12 months. And it’s so simple with zero prep work for freezing — just put the sticks of butter still in their package into the freezer! That’s it!
Butter freezing tips:
- Avoid storing unsalted butter for more than 1 month, as it loses its flavor faster than salted butter. (Although many readers say they’ve frozen unsalted butter for months without problems!)
- Keep butter in the original packaging (wrapper and box).
- If storing without original packaging, wrap it in aluminum foil and place it in a freezer bag.
- To thaw for immediate use, place in the microwave and turn over every 10 seconds until it reaches the desired softness.
- Did you know? Frozen butter is the best for grating and making homemade biscuits! (Thanks, Hip Reader, GAmommyof4)
How to freeze yogurt for smoothies:
Yogurt is an essential smoothie ingredient, but it doesn’t last forever in the fridge. When frozen, you don’t have to worry about using it all up before the expiration date. Freezing also extends the life of your yogurt by 3-4 months.
Yogurt freezing tips:
- To freeze perfect yogurt portions for a smoothie, place the desired amount in a muffin tin and then place it in the freezer for 2-3 hours. Once frozen, transfer the yogurt molds to a freezer bag to save space and place back in the freezer.
- You can also scoop dollops onto a parchment-lined tray, leaving about an inch in between the scoops. After the scoops have completely frozen, move them to a freezer bag.
- Freezing Go-Gurt or other yogurt tubes? Stash the tubes as-is in the freezer, and enjoy them like a popsicle when ready to eat! These tubes double as ice packs in their lunch boxes too and will be nice and thawed come lunchtime at school!
- Try this! I’ve been mixing Dannon light and fit with chopped up fresh strawberries or a can of crushed pineapple and have been freezing them in small glad and tupperware containers. It is so good and refreshing on a hot day! It’s like eating an icy! My daughter and I love it! (Thanks, Hip Reader, Kristy)
*Keep in mind that these freezer hacks are primarily for smoothies. Thawed, frozen yogurt may not be as good if you plan on eating it by itself.
How to freeze sour cream, ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, & similar dairy products:
Cottage cheese can be another essential smoothie ingredient, and all that expensive ricotta can be saved for the next time you whip up some yummy lasagna.
Sour cream, ricotta cheese, etc. freezing tips:
- For small portions, such as dollops for smoothies or lasagna, place the desired amount in a muffin tin or on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 2-3 hours in the freezer.
- Once frozen, transfer to a freezer bag or airtight container.
Too much sour cream? Use your leftovers to make Lina’s heavenly Coconut Cake! 😋
How to freeze cream cheese:
Whether in block form or as a spread, don’t we all love that creamy goodness?! You can freeze cream cheese, much like the other dairy-based products listed above. The key to fresh cream cheese once frozen is to allow plenty of time to properly thaw, typically overnight.
Cream cheese freezing tips:
- When freezing a block of cream cheese, it’s best to first wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container.
- Be sure to let thaw overnight when ready to use, and whisk or stir up to revive its consistency
- Attention, bakers! You can also make batches of cream cheese icing, and then it is ready when you bake a cake. I just put mine in freezer bags, and they thaw quickly for cake decorating. (Thanks, Hip Reader, Penny)
Now that you know how to freeze a few essential dairy products, make some room in your freezer and keep an eye out for grocery deals like price drops on milk and BOGO sales on butter and cheese.
Got a lot of cheese on hand? Time to make this easy Baked Ziti!
This is the kind of helpful post that has me clicking
on here every day! Thanks for the info. And to the
super H2S team for all your hard work helping us
save money!
Aww, How sweet! You’re SO very welcome, Dara! Thank YOU for the kind words! We sure appreciate you stopping by each day! ❤️🤗 I’ll be sure to pass this along to the team!
Very helpful information for both large families and those who cook for 1-2 people. Saving money vs wasting money is for everyone, thank you for another great post!
You’re welcome, Nancy! Glad you’re loving these tips! Thanks so much for the sweet feedback!
Can you shred your cheese and vacuum seal it before you freeze?
Yes! That is actually a great way to preserve it! It will also work better than freezing a block of cheese since it will thaw faster and more evenly. 🧀🙌
I’ve been freezing Coffee-Mate for years! But, I’ve found International Delight does not freeze well.
Interesting! Thanks or sharing the creamer brand that seems to freeze the best for you, Samantha!