Learn how to quickly and easily freeze dozens of foods — saving you time in the kitchen, eliminating extra trips to the grocery store, and reducing wasted food. Win, win, win!
I am passionate about freezer cooking because it’s such a simple way to save time and money in the kitchen (and prevent wasted food!)
Over the last 2 decades, I have diligently kept our deep freezer(s) stocked with full meals and TONS of pre-cooked, pre-portioned foods like:
- shredded chicken
- ground beef
- ground sausage
- roasted veggies
- homemade refried beans
- cooked beans and lentils
- frozen fruits and veggies
- cheese
- baked goods
- and so much more!
While I don’t claim to be a “Freezer Foods Expert”, I have frozen more than my share of foods over the years — I’ve even taught classes on freezing, drying, and canning.
So with that said…
Here’s my LONG list of freezable foods that will save you time and money.
1. Freezable Baked Goods:
Whenever I bake, I make a double batch and set some aside for the freezer.
Not only does it help with portion control, but it also allows us to enjoy a variety of baked goods, and it means I always have treats on hand, even at the last minute.
You can freeze almost all baked goods; here’s how I freeze the following:
Brownies & Cookies: Put them in resealable bags or storage containers with tight-fitting lids, and they’ll last as long as you can resist them.
Cookie Dough Balls: For fresh-from-the-oven cookies any time, freeze balls of cookie dough and store them in zip-top bags. Simply pull out as many as you need and pop them straight into a hot oven for fresh cookies without the mess.
Yeast Breads, Buns, and Rolls: You can double-bag these to prevent freezer burn, and they should be fine for several months. Both homemade and store-bought bread products freeze well — meaning you can stock up when they go on sale.
Tortillas: I’ve gone through seasons where I make and freeze my own tortillas, but store-bought tortillas freeze well too.
Quick Breads and Muffins: These are one of the easiest baked goods to freeze because they defrost so well. I often keep several mini loaves of quick bread in the freezer to give as gifts throughout the year, and muffins are easy to defrost for a quick breakfast or school snack.
Cupcakes & Cake: Yes, you can easily freeze cupcakes and even full cakes! I usually freeze them unfrosted.
Granola & Granola Bars: If you love homemade granola and Granola Bars, make a big batch and freeze it in zip-top bags or food storage containers.
Pies: Want to prep several pies ahead of time to save your sanity over the holidays? Simply freeze them BEFORE you bake them, then bake from frozen (you’ll need to increase the baking time for this — just Google it!)
2. Freezable Baking Supplies:
Along with the finished baked goods, you can also freeze many of your favorite baking supplies in their original packages (so start stocking up when they go on sale).
I use regular old shoe boxes to “stack” bags of chocolate chips, nuts, candies, etc., and keep them from tipping over or getting lost in the back of the freezer.
Chocolate: I store all my baking chocolates in the freezer because they keep for much longer, and I don’t need to worry about them melting in the pantry.
Nuts and Seeds: I store all our extra nuts and seeds in the freezer to keep their oils from going rancid. I first heard this tip from Rachel Ray years ago, and it seems to work well.
Flours, Cornmeal, and Sugars: While it’s not necessary, I often freeze my flour and sugar — especially in the summer when our house is more humid. NOTE: I do not freeze my freshly-milled whole grain flour (just all-purpose) because I’ve read that freezing it will “kill off” many of the nutrients.
Baking Soda: I often keep an extra container of baking soda in the fridge and freezer (opened) — not because it stays fresher, but to absorb any potential odors. I don’t use this baking soda for baking, but just thought I’d throw this tip out there in case anyone is dealing with a smelly fridge or freezer.
3. Freezable Dairy:
Dairy prices are going up (just like everything else), and you can save so much money by purchasing dairy products in bulk when they’re on sale and freezing them for later.
From my experience, most dairy products should keep for at least 6 months.
Butter: No trick here, just stick the entire package in the freezer and remove when you’re ready to use.
Block Cheese: Block cheese freezes well; however, if you plan to use it sliced, you’ll want to slice it before you freeze it, otherwise it will crumble.
Shredded Cheese: Shredded and sliced cheeses freeze so well, just throw the packages in the freezer (lay flat for easier storage) and pull out whenever you need more cheese.
Feta Cheese: Yes, you can buy the giant containers of Feta from Costco and divide it up into quart-size zip-top bags. It tastes perfectly fresh when you pull it out of the freezer.
Cream Cheese: Believe it or not, you can freeze cream cheese. It might be a bit “lumpier” after it defrosts, but it tastes the same.
Milk and Buttermilk: I usually don’t need to freeze our milk, but I do it whenever we go on vacation. Just pop the milk jugs in the freezer (the “indentations” on the sides will expand when the milk freezes). NOTE: If you’re nursing, breastmilk freezes well too (use these bags).
Yogurt: You can freeze small cups of yogurt with popsicle sticks in them for easy yogurt pops in hot weather. You can also freeze yogurt in ice cube trays to use in delicious smoothies.
Cottage Cheese: It’s freezable, but sometimes the texture is a little runnier after defrosting. The taste is the same, though.
4. Freezable Fruits:
Before freezing fruit, make sure it is washed, dried, and divided into smaller portions. This will make it easier to quickly grab what you need without defrosting the entire batch if it’s all stuck together.
Fruits should keep for up to a year if properly sealed.
All Fruits: You can pretty much freeze any fruit you plan to use in smoothies because it will get mashed up anyway. However, don’t plan on freezing fruit simply for eating — it will be quite soggy.
Apples: Frozen apple slices are delicious in pies, oatmeal, baked french toast, smoothies, or even to make applesauce in the middle of winter.
Berries: I freeze all kinds of berries for pancakes and smoothies. I also keep 2-cup containers of crushed berries to use for making jam, ice cream toppings, or for berry shortcake.
Bananas: I put whole, unpeeled bananas in the freezer any time they start to get brown. Then whenever a recipe calls for bananas, I grab that number of bananas, defrost them overnight (usually on a plate as they get sort of soggy), and bake the next day. I also freeze peeled bananas for smoothies.
Grapes and Blueberries: Frozen grapes and blueberries are an excellent summer snack. Our kids LOVE them!
Cherries: Frozen cherries are a yummy treat in oatmeal, yogurt, or smoothies. Just make sure you pit them before freezing. I use this cherry pitter to make things super quick.
Peaches: These are also great for oatmeal, yogurts, and smoothies. You’ll obviously want to peel and slice them first. Then freeze in zip-top bags, laid flat to save space.
Avocados: If you find a good deal on avocados, or if yours are getting too ripe, simply peel and slice them into zip-top bags and pop them in the freezer. You can use them to make guacamole any time as they defrost quickly.
Jams and Jellies: I usually can my own jam, but my mom and mother-in-law always freeze it. Freezing jam is quicker and easier… if you have the freezer space. That said, you can also freeze your berries to can jam whenever it’s convenient for you (I always do it in the winter months).
5. Freezable Herbs & Vegetables:
Herbs: I freeze fresh herbs in ice-cube trays filled with water to use for soups, stews, and casseroles later in the year. Here’s a free Herb Reference Sheet that explains how you can use and preserve different herbs.
All Veggies: To save some time — here is a link to my Vegetable Freezing Worksheet. It’s a list of 20 different vegetables and how to freeze them … you may print it for free.
Roasted Veggies: Lately, I’ve been freezing roasted vegetables and then reheating them in my cast iron pans. They are delicious and a huge time-saver because I can roast huge amounts of vegetables at one time.
Spinach and Kale: These can go south quickly if left unused in the fridge. However, they can also easily be frozen in zip-top bags and used for soups, smoothies, casserols, pasta dishes, and more. NOTE: Once frozen, I squeeze the bags with my hands to “pulverize” the leaves into tiny bits — this eliminates the need to chop it up!
6. Freezable Protein:
Meat: Meat is the most money-saving, time-saving freezer food. Stock up when it’s on sale or save even more by purchasing a quarter of a cow or half a cow (you’ll need lots of freezer space for this).
All meat freezes well — raw meat, cooked meat, deli meat, ground meat, shredded meat, “whole” meat, etc. I once had a whole turkey in the freezer for about 18 months, and it was absolutely delicious when we cooked it!
NOTE: Here’s my post about Safely Freezing, Defrosting, and Re-Freezing Meat.
Beans: You can freeze almost any type of cooked bean with fantastic results — black, navy, pinto, refried, etc. This is especially handy since beans take a LONG time to soak and cook.
Lentils: Cook full bags of lentils at one time and then portion them out for the freezer. Then use lentils to “bulk up” your soups, stews, and casseroles — saving money on more expensive meats.
7. Freezable Meals:
If you have the freezer space, it’s really not that much extra work to make a double or triple batches of your favorite meals. You could even make a goal to do this once per week.
Freezer meals are great for busy days or even to give to friends or family.
Here’s a list of our family’s favorite freezer meals. Also, the majority of recipes in my online recipe box are freezer-friendly!
Broths: Making homemade bone broth is a huge savings over buying it (plus, you can control the salt). After it’s finished cooking, simply divide it up into 2-cup portions and freeze for making soups, stews, and casseroles.
Soups and Stews: Speaking of soups and stews, they freeze amazingly well too. The only soup I don’t freeze are potato-based soups because the texture is weird for us. Here are some of my favorite soup recipes.
Casseroles: These are so easy to freeze because all the components are already cooked. We freeze lasagna, fajitas, enchiladas, chicken dishes, and more. Defrost it in the fridge the day before and bake as normal.
Pasta Sauce: If you struggle to use up a full jar or batch of pasta sauce in one meal, pop the leftovers in the freezer for the next time you make pasta.
Sandwiches: Expedite your school lunch packing by freezing bulk sandwiches on the weekend. We’ve had great luck with both meat and cheese or PB&Js.
The possibilities are nearly endless when it comes to freezable foods… but these are the ones I have personally tried with much success.
If you’re wondering about a specific food, not on my list above, just give it a try with a small amount of the food… and then you’ll know.
Want more Freezable Foods posts, tips, and information?
- Here are ALL my freezer foods posts over the history of my blog.
- Here’s a post I wrote specifically to address many of the frozen foods questions I’ve gotten over the years.
- Click here to access my virtual recipe box (most of which are freezable foods).
- And this is how I defrost our deep freezer.
What are your favorite freezable foods?
I’m always looking for more foods to freeze, so if you know of any foods I missed, please share your suggestions in the comments below!
Pin it for later!
Melissa says
We freeze pasta sauce in muffin tins–perfect single-serving size. We also freeze chicken stock, etc. in ice cube trays so that you can defrost as much or as little as you need depending on the recipe. This was a carryover from making baby food for my son…works for grown ups too!
We also make cookie dough (i.e., gingerbread), shape it into a cylinder, and freeze it wrapped in foil. Voila…homemade slice-and-bake cookies that look like they’re fresh out of the oven.
Anna says
Does anyone else use just ziploc containers for freezing ?
realtorbeck says
I use only ziploc. Freeze veggies and fruit but I NEVER wash my blueberries or they loose their integrity when they freeze. Wash them afterwards.
Danette D says
Fresh cored pineapple freezes very well. I dice it up or leave it in spears. We pull it out to use in fruit salads. It keeps almost the same consistency
as fresh. It is then also great to use in smoothies.
Julie says
When I freeze shredded cheese (I always do my own from the cheaper big block) I had a table spoon or so of cornstarch or flour to my bag and shake it around this prevents it from clumping when it thaws.
I also dice my onions if I can’t get them used before they will go bad they work great in soups and cassaroles. etc.
Crissy says
I’m assuming that its ok to freeze, but what about chocolate chip cookie dough? Whats the best way to freeze it?
Ann says
recently, I’ve made Toll House chocolate chip cookie dough, spooned it onto cookie sheets and stuck them in the freezer (before baking). Then I popped them off the pans when they were frozen solid and stored them in a zip lock bag. When we wanted a few cookies, we just baked the number we needed straight from the freezer, just adding 1 minute or 2 to the cook time. turned out great!
Teri says
I love freezing leftovers for nights when I’m home alone or my husband is so we can have a nice meal without a lot of effort being spent on one. Also, my daughter is pregnant and hasn’t felt much like cooking but sure needs to have nutritious and tasty meals. When I’m making a meal that I know will work I make sure to have enough left to freeze for she and her husband. When I’m heading to visit her (I live a couple hours away) I just load them in the cooler with plenty of ice, labeled, and deliver them to her with love. She has appreciated it so much. This would also be great for elderly parents.
Jessica Houde says
I always freeze leftover tomato paste – I usually just stick it in a zip top bag and freeze it for the next time. I’ve also done this with canned/diced tomatoes if I didn’t need a whole lot for a recipe.
A lot of great info was here – I love to know what’s available for freezing!
Thank you!
Melissa says
I have four children and they love cold cereal. I have always taken the last part of the box, the last of the cereal that is not enough for a bowl and put it in a gallon size freezer bag. I keep adding to it every time the kids finish a box, no matter what kind of cereal it is. Before long i have a bag of all kinds of mixed cereal and the kids love it.
kim says
I found your blog via pinterest and love all the tips! Some I already knew and some I didn’t. Thanks for sharing!!
Kelley Wilson says
Here are 25 other things you can freeze
http://www.missinformationblog.com/2012/01/25-things-you-can-freeze.html
Question, whenever I freeze bread type stuff and thaw it out it seems like it gets a stale texture any suggestions
Andrea says
I would try double bagging the bread… mine always comes out fine that way. Another thought, if you are using a “frost-free” or self defrosting freezer, your bread will get stale quicker. We use a manual defrost deep freezer which prevents almost all freezer burn and “staleness”!
Holly says
Can you freeze cucumbers, tomatoes and lemons? If so, what is the process? Thanks!
Leanne says
I have been wondering for a while if you can freeze soups with cream or milk in them. I’m finding mixed information on the web. Can anyone tell me what kind of luck they’ve had with that?
Andrea says
Leanne,
I freeze soups with milk/cream ALL the time and I’ve honestly never had a bad result. The only soup that didn’t defrost perfectly was a cheese potato soup… but that was the because of the potatoes, not the milk. I think I cooked the potatoes too long and they basically turned to mush in the freezer. The soup’s flavor was still great, just not the texture!! Milk and cream are fine to freeze {at least in my opinion!}
Carol Vix says
One more thing about freezing milk…we do it all the time as well. We buy 1/2 gal. or quarts of milk in cardboard cartons, let thaw, and then SHAKE WELL before opening, to make sure any solids are remixed. Tastes wonderful.
Shelly says
I just recently learned that I can freeze spaghetti. I used to throw out the leftovers but now I freeze individual size portions in a baggie. Be sure to squeeze out the air and get the bag as flat as possible. Then, when you are ready just run hot water over it for a few minutes and it’s ready! It’s great for when one of my kids doesn’t like what we are having for dinner.
Diane says
can I freeze commercial chocolate milk?
Sheri D. says
Have you ever frozen the Laughing Cow cheese? If so, is there a specific way to defrost it so that it won’t mess with the consistency of the cheese?
kim says
I’ve froze Laughing Cow cheese and never had a problem with the defrost process. I just pop them into the frig and let them thaw there.
Cheryl says
Can you freeze homemade buttercream frosting? I made way too much for my daughter’s birthday but don’t want to throw it out!
Megan says
I freeze homemade buttercream all the time….it’s like gold around here, so throwing it out isn’t an option! Just whip it up a little after it thaws.
Sara says
absolutely! I bake and decorate cakes and keep batches made up so I don’t have to make it every time I do a cake.It’s wonderful. I just let it thaw in the fridge, whip it up and color/decorate as if it were just made.
Sephia says
We pre-cook ground hamburger unseasoned and the portion it out for meals. This way we only have to cook the hamburger meat one day, which equals one pot. When we need hamburger for say, shepherds pie, sloppy joes, tacos, or whatever, we pull it out of the freezer add the seasoning and then microwave it. It’s usually done within 3 minutes for any dish. 1min 30sec if it’s going to be baked and doesn’t need to be thawed all the way, or for crock pot meals like chili we can throw it in frozen. Makes for cooking quick meals even quicker. I don’t have to think about defrosting hamburger and then cooking it.
Caitlin says
Why do the meals and pies have to be fully cooked before frozen? I cooked a pumpkin cheesecake and then froze it and it was fine
janet says
cheesecake is not pie, thats why!
cATHY says
My son freezes uncooked fruit pies and they come out great.
Heather says
Anything with a doughy crust should be frozen uncooked, in my experience. Cooking it after thawing it makes the crust soggy.
Jaynann says
We freeze chips! I buy them on sales and then pull them out as needed.
Will probably be stocking up soon as they will be on sale for Super Bowl!
Ruth says
Do you mean POTATO chips? Do they have the same consistency when thawed? That seems impossible!
Lauren says
My parents used to buy chips (potato and corn) and cereal when it went on sale and stick it in the freezer. I don’t mainly because store bought chips are a special treat here and we don’t eat enough cold cereal to worry about. I never remember the cereal or chips having any off taste or texture when taken out of deep freeze. Remeber, these are very low moisture foods. Chip are almost 100% dehydrated so there is no water content to freeze and spoil the texture.
Andrea says
Yes Lauren, I agree with that too! I’ve never frozen chips before, but we freeze crackers, cereal, and cookies all the time. They come out perfectly fresh every time!
kim says
My parents continue to freeze chips to this day and you can’t tell a difference at all (ranging from potato chips, to cheetos, to doritos, anything!)
Danette says
Frozen Chips taste better than not frozen. Eat them straight from the freezer, they are crisper and the flavours pop.
Elisa says
I usually buy a big piece of Parmigian (the good stuff imported from Italy, since that’s where I’m from), grate the entire thing in my food processor and freeze it in a Ziploc bag. It keeps for months and I just have to open the bag and scoop out a couple of tablespoons when I need it.
I also freeze all kinds of homemade dough –pizza dough, focaccia dough, pie crust– shaped in a ball and wrapped in saran wrap.
Ellen says
I do that too!! I have a large bag in my freezer and I fill up a small container to keep in the fridge. I will NEVER buy a green can of ‘fake’ parmesan again!
Luz Vankirk says
Wow, great post.Really thank you! Really Cool.
Dana says
Great info! I did not read all the “older comments” so please forgive me if this is redundant. You can freeze cows milk. That little indentation on the side pops out to allow it to expand. When the good organic milk goes on “managers special” I grab several and freeze them. However, you cannot freeze carton coconut milk. It separates.
Dana says
SORRY!! I missed the milk on the first reading! I’m a goof 🙂
-Dana
Epiphius says
We freeze a lot as well. We’ve found that using the dehydrator trays works magically, especially for fruit. A perforated baking sheet also does the job well for baked goods.
Shanna says
Just to let you know, another great reason to freeze your flour is you will never get weevil. It kills the eggs.
Debbi Wade says
I also keep all of my flour/starch products in the fridge (cake mixes, bisquick, rice, etc.) to avoid weevils…Guess I could freeze them as well as long as they have reached room temp before I use them?
nathy says
Very good tips thank You!!!
Adriene says
Laura, cool the leftover soup completely and as quickly as possible, then transfer to a freezer-friendly container, leaving about 1 cup of empty space for expansion during freezing. The night before eating, move the container to the fridge to thaw safely and then reheat and serve. That works best for us!
Mary Cracchiolo says
very informative… ty
Laura says
Ok, I would like some clarification on the potatoes. A creamy loaded baked potato soap; how should leftovers be stored and thawed?
amy says
In my experience, anytime I freeze soup with potatoes in it, they get mushy. It is better to make only enough potato soup for a couple days, so no freezing is necessary. Now my father in law always puts his potato soup in the blender, I do not like it that way, but it freezes well and my daughter requests it each time she goes over there!
Aimee says
Just found your site on Pinterest and love all the ideas. I received a FoodSaver for Christmas and have gone crazy freezing everything I can think of. One thing I didnt see mentioned listed is juices. We had gallons of juice left over from the holidays (mixers for cocktails) so I made juice cubes and then vaccuum sealed them. Just this weekend we had friends over and used some of the juice cubes instead of ice. Keeps drinks cold and doesnt water them down! My favorite, champagne with apple cider ice cubes!!! We were all laughing at how ridiculously logical it was to do this yet none of us had ever thought of it before.
Andrea says
Thanks Aimee — yes, I should have mentioned juice because we also freeze juice. I do somewhat of the same thing you do… but I actually freeze it in round molds and then use it in a punch bowl!
Tammy says
Freezing Corn on the cob is actually possable. Just cook it as soon as you take it out of the freezer. Do not allow it to thaw. That’s when it gets all mushy and gross. I just through a bunch or ears into a brown paper bag, husk and all. I take out so many at a time, husk it in a sink full of water and bbq or boil it. My daughters favorite food is corn on the cob and she is a very very picky eater. If the taste was altered at all, she;d be the first to call me out on it.
aquacel says
I really love this post I will visit again to read your post in a very short time and I hope you will make more posts like this.
Gale says
Thanks for this! I noticed that you had “here’s my favorite soup recipes” but though it was bolded it didn’t link to anywhere. Should it?
Amber says
Can you freeze scrambled eggs, or oven baked eggs??
Andrea says
yes… I actually just figured out that you can freeze eggs {by accident!} They can be a bit watery after you defrost them, but we ate an egg casserole from the freezer this past weekend.
Tammy says
I separate my eggs before freezing.
Candi Clevinger says
I have not yet tried this but found it in a book once. If you find yourself with a lot of eggs, break eggs open and put each one in an icecube tray to freeze. Once frozen you can get them out of the tray and place them in a freezer bag. Take out what you need for baking recipes. It was not recommended for fixing individually, just within a recipe.
Kellie says
Can you freeze marshmellows
Andrea says
Yes, you should be able to freeze open packages of marshmallows… But I wouldn’t waste freezer space with unopened packages because those will be fine in the pantry.
Kate says
Love this list. I never thought of potatoes or cheese. We frequently freeze many different types of food. I’ve found cooking up ground beef in large batches and then storing in smaller size freezer bags really makes life easier.
A few things not on your list i found you could freeze are tomato paste and tomato sauce, Leftover Broths and wine. I find these incrediably helpful to freeze instead of wasting opened containers and easily can be frozen in icecube or muffin tin trays and then transfered to ziplock bags or other freezer containers when completely frozen. The wine obviously wouldn’t be for drinking but works great for recipes that call for wine for flavouring.
One other thing we do is make soapnut detergent and freeze the liquid in icecube trays. Makes it incrediably easy to store and snag 1-2 cubes when you need it for laundry.
Jami says
can you freeze sliced cheese, like the kind you put on sandwiches in the plastic wrap?
Ladina says
We have frozen the sliced cheese before and had no problem with it when unthawed.