Learn how to freeze more than 50 freezable foods to save time in the kitchen, eliminate extra trips to the grocery store, and reduce wasted food.
I am passionate about freezer cooking because it’s such a simple way to save time and money in the kitchen (and save a bunch of otherwise wasted foods!)
Over the last 14+ years, I have diligently kept our deep freezer 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 “Freezable Foods Expert”, I have frozen more than my share of foods over the last decade — 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:
Any time I bake anything, I make a double batch and put some of it in the freezer.
Not only does it help with portion control, it also allows us to enjoy a variety of baked goods, and it means I always have some treats to bring to friends and family!
I have had raving success freezing the baked goods below.
Brownies & Cookies: Yup, I do it all the time. Just 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, I freeze balls of cookie dough and store them in zip-top bags. I can simply pull out as many as I need and bake them fresh in an instant!
Yeast Breads, Buns, and Rolls: Just double-bag them to prevent freezer burn and they should be fine for several months. Even my delicious 100% whole grain bread freezes exceptionally well!
Tortillas: I’ve been making my own tortillas lately, but even before I did this, I always froze store-bought tortillas too.
Quick Breads and Muffins: These are one of my most favorite baked goods to freeze because they defrost so well. I often have several mini loaves of quick bread in the freezer to give as gifts throughout the year.
Cupcakes & Cake: Yes, I’ve frozen cupcakes and even full cakes! You can frost cakes before or after freezing them, but if you use store-bought frosting, you’ll want to wait to frost them until after they defrost…trust me, I know!
Granola: We love homemade granola but if I’m going to make it, I only make a huge batch….and then freeze it in mason jars or zip-top bags.
Pies: I don’t usually freeze pies, but if you do, just make sure to freeze them BEFORE you bake them.
2. Freezable Baking Supplies:
Along with the finished baked goods, I also freeze many of my baking supplies in their original bags, tucked inside shoeboxes in our freezer!
Shoe boxes stack well and allow for ventilation, plus they keep smaller bags of chocolate chips, nuts, candies, etc. from tipping over or getting lost in the back of the freezer for who knows how long (can anyone relate?)
Chocolate: I store all my baking chocolates in the freezer because I think they keep for much longer this way and taste “fresher”. Plus it frees up more space in my cabinets.
Nuts and Seeds: I store all our nuts and seeds in the freezer to keep their oils from going rancid. I first heard this tip from Rachel Ray and it seems to work — so it must be true!
Flour and Sugar: While it’s not necessary, I often freeze my flour and sugar — especially in the summer when our house is more humid.
Baking Soda: I often keep a container of baking soda in the freezer (opened) — not because it stays fresher, but to absorb any potential odors in our freezer!
3. Freezable Dairy:
I save SO much money by purchasing dairy products in bulk 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 whole package in the freezer and remove when you’re ready to use.
Block Cheese: I freeze cheese ALL the time, just remember to slice or shred it before you freeze it, otherwise it will crumble.
Shredded Cheese: this is SO easy — just throw the bags in the freezer (lay flat for easier storage) and pull out whenever you need more cheese.
Feta Cheese: I made this discovery 2 years ago when I purchased a massive amount of feta cheese from Costco due to a crazy good deal. I simply divided it up into quart-size zip-top bags and froze it flat
Cream Cheese: Believe it or not, you can freeze cream cheese. It might be a bit “lumpy” after it defrosts but it still tastes the same.
Milk and Buttermilk: I usually do not have the need to freeze our milk, but I do it whenever we go on vacation. Just remember to pour about 1 cup of milk out before freezing. You might also consider substituting dry milk when you’re in a pinch.
Yogurt: Freeze yogurt for delicious smoothies. I let it defrost a bit before eating so it’s really creamy.
Cottage Cheese: Sometimes the texture is a little runnier after defrosting, but otherwise, the taste is just fine.
4. Freezable Fruits:
Before freezing fruit, make sure it is washed, dried, and divided up into smaller portions. This will make it easy to quickly grab what you need without defrosting the entire batch.
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 really soggy.
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 too brown to eat “fresh”. Then whenever a recipe calls for bananas, I just grab that number of bananas, defrost them overnight (usually on a plate as they get sort of soggy), and bake the next day. I do also freeze peeled bananas for smoothies.
Grapes and Blueberries: Frozen grapes and blueberries are an excellent summer snack. Our kids LOVE them!
Cherries: We’ve really enjoyed frozen cherries these past few years — I pit them, half them, and flash-freeze them every summer, and then we eat them all year long in our oatmeal, in yogurt, or in smoothies. SO delicious!
Avocados: I peel and seed avocados and freeze them in zip-top bags to make guacamole at a later time — this is perfect if I find a great deal on avocados but know we won’t be able to eat them all before they are too ripe.
Jams and Jellies: I usually can my jam, but my mom and mother-in-law always freeze it. Freezing jam is quicker and easier… if you have the freezer space, here are 20 delicious freezer jam recipes to get you started!
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 … and you can print it for free!
Roasted Veggies: Lately, I’ve been freezing roasted vegetables and then reheating them in my cast iron pans. They are absolutely DELICIOUS and a huge time (and mess) saver because I can roast huge amounts of vegetables at one time!
Spinach and Kale: If I’m ever worried that my spinach or kale is starting to get a little wilted, I immediately shove handfuls of it into quart-size zip-top bags and freeze it. Once frozen, just smash the bags with your hands a bit and it will pulverize the leaves into tiny bits — perfect for adding to soups, smoothies, casseroles, and so much more!
6. Freezable Protein:
Meat: Meat is, by far, the most money-saving, time-saving food I freeze. I stock up when it’s on sale, and freeze many MANY pounds of meat each year (especially now that Dave’s parents gift us with a quarter of a cow every other year)!
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: I freeze almost any type of cooked bean with fantastic results — black, navy, pinto, refried, etc. etc. This is especially handy since beans take a LONG time to soak and cook.
Lentils: I cook full bags of lentils at one time and then portion them out for the freezer. I then use lentils to “bulk up” many of our soups, stews, and casseroles — saving me money on more expensive meats.
7. Freezable Meals:
I’m always making double or triple batches of our favorite foods to store in the freezer.
I often freeze these meals in disposable tinfoil pans so I have the option to give them as food gifts for various people in my life.
Other times, I save them for busy days when we’ll be gone most of the afternoon or if Dave needs to get supper going for whatever reason. I can simply defrost one meal in the morning, and it’s usually ready to go in the oven by mid-afternoon.
Here’s a list of 10 of our family’s favorite freezer meals.
The vast majority of the recipes in My Recipe Box are very freezer-friendly!
Broths: I’ve been making my own bone broth for the past couple of years, and after it’s finished cooking, I divide it up into 2 cup portions and freeze for making soups, stews, and casseroles later on!
Soups and Stews: Speaking of soups and stews, they freeze AMAZINGLY well too! The only soup our family doesn’t love frozen is my cheesy mashed potato soup. Here are some of my favorite soup recipes that DO freeze well.
Casseroles: I’ve frozen everything from lasagna and fajitas, to enchiladas, chicken dishes, and more! Just make sure all the ingredients are fully cooked before you freeze it. When you’re ready to eat it, just defrost and bake as normal.
Pasta Sauce: We usually never go through an entire batch of pasta sauce in one meal so I just pop the leftovers in the freezer for the next time we eat pasta.
Sandwiches: We’ve had great luck freezing sandwiches ahead of time (meat and cheese or PB&J’s). This makes for REALLY quick lunch packing!
I’m sure there are so many other foods I could eventually add to this list, but these are the ones I have personally tried with much success.
Whenever anyone asks me about freezing a certain food, my advice is ALWAYS, “just give it a try and you’ll know for sure” — so that’s my advice for you too!
Just give it a try! What’s the worst that could happen?
Want more Freezable Foods posts, tips, and information?
Here are ALL my freezable foods posts over the history of my blog.
Here’s a post I wrote specifically to address many of the freezable foods questions I’ve gotten over the years.
Click here to access my virtual recipe box (most of which are freezable foods).
Our simple method to 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!
Leanne says
So happy I found this again! I didn’t “pin-it”…..and I’ve been looking. Thanks so much for taking the time to do this….so helpful!!
Mary says
I would like to add that we also freeze chips and crackers….I make a lot of meals in advance because with kids and busy schedules it is much easier, so if our meal needs tortilla chips or crackers, we have them on hand and they stay so fresh!
Elizabeth says
Since my kids are grown and the grandbabies are too young to be dropped off with us for overnight or day visits I found milk would go bad before I used it up. My husband and I don’t drink milk anymore but I do use it in cooking so I freeze it in 1 cup portions in small bottles, (like the kind you get a 6-pack of cranberry juice in), before the “sell by date”. Leave about 1″ at the top of the bottle for expansion. It thaws out quickly in hot water on the counter; just remember to change the water when it gets cold and shake the bottle when all is defrosted to redistribute the watery part of the milk.
BARB says
if you use a foodsaver, food literally stay good for YEARS, especially meat, cooked or raw. for soft foods like breads or fruit, simply freeze first then vacuum pack. it really last a very long time, i have tested so many foods that have been frozen 5-6 years & they have’nt lost flavor or texture. i will never be without my foodsaver, i’m not good at rotating food in freezer, so this is perfect for me & has saved me SO much money!!!
Rebecca says
Hi! We used to freeze breakfast sandwiches when I was in school. We would cook scrambled eggs and sausage/bacon in bulk, pile them onto biscuits or english muffins, wrap them individually and then freeze! In the morning we would just grab one out of the freezer, microwave and enjoy. It was a great, quick breakfast for us kids in the morning.
Also my dad was big on sales, so we would freeze lunch meat and cheeses in bulk. I am now a mother and trying to learn the same techniques (saving money and storing food) and this blog was really helpful. Thank you!
Jennifer says
I freeze chips of any kind all the time…they are always running sales on various kinds. I learned this from one of my precious older church ladies because of all the left over chips from youth events that never went to waste because she froze them and drug them back out the next time they had an event!
Jane says
I put all my chips and crackers in the freezer. Started doing this when we would be gone for a long time but now just keep them in there all the time. Never any stale chips or crackers in this house
Lois says
I’m curious if avocados are a potential freezable vegetable. We always buy a bag and are never able to finish in time! Any experience with that? Thanks 🙂
Deb B says
Avocados, with the proper preparation, pureed avocados can be frozen and used in guacamole dips, dressings and spread on sandwiches.
Whole, cut, diced or mashed avocados do not have as desirable of a result when frozen. Guacamole can often contain other ingredients that do not freeze well so we do not recommend freezing guacamole.
Frozen avocado puree must be used within four to five months of freezing.
Wendy says
What about potatoes? My roommates froze some a couple weeks ago after baking and apparently the texture wasn’t so good. Are those just a no-no?
Rose says
I’ve been buying blueberries from Michigan for years and have always been advised by the growers NOT to wash them before you freeze them. (Tried it both ways and they are right) It causes them to break down and stick together. If you wait until you take the fruit from the freezer, a quick wash thaws them and they taste as if you had just picked them. If you must wash them then make sure they are perfectly dry when you bag them for the freezer.
Debbie says
That’s weird because I’ve always washed my blueberries first and they turn out fabulous. I freeze them on cookie sheets and transfer them to bags once they’re frozen. My 19 month old son is actually eating some for breakfast right now…they’re his favourite, hands down. 🙂
Katie Swain says
You can freeze blocks of cheese without it becoming crumbly if you let it thaw completely before putting it in the fridge. I freeze 5 pound blocks all the time. I take them out of the freezer before I go to bed at night and let them thaw all night. In the morning I just stick them in the fridge.
Heidi says
This really only works with processed cheeses since the entire block is guaranteed to be homogeneous. This is greatly convenient for quick lunches or snacks packed ahead of time. Fresh or specialty cheeses are not recommended for freezing as it will destroy the structural integrity & you will end up getting a totally different, degraded product once thawed. I’ve worked for a year in the Specialty Dept at Whole Foods & we see this happen often! If you are buying something special for a wine tasting or get-together, it’s best to pick it up fresh no longer than the night before.
Deli cuts (meat & cheese), on the other hand, are fresher than pre-cut packages (which contain preservatives) & freezable up to six months. So when that sale hits, buy big and store in 1/2 lb increments 🙂
Cheers!
Michelle says
Oh, I also freeze sandwiches. I pack a lunch for my son everyday, so it really speeds things up to pull a sandwich straight from the freezer, and it’s thawed by lunch time. It also helps keep the meat cold. I do PB& Jelly or Honey, or any deli meat and a slice of cheese. You can freeze butter or mustard but not the mayo, lettuce or tomato. Those can always be packed separately if desired, or added in the morning. This also allows me to stock up on bread, deli meat or cheese on sale,
Shiann says
Michelle, how does the bread do in the lunch? I would think it would be gummy. Yes? No?
Thanks!
Katie says
Bread freezes wonderfully, as a general rule.
Michelle says
I’ve had good luck freezing mashed potatoes! Some recipes say to beat in an egg, or cream cheese before freezing. It doesn’t look great when it comes out, it is all watery, but after reheating in the microwave it still beats instant! I love pulling out a meatloaf ready to cook, and a side of mashed potatoes.
Melanie says
I make double batches of baked oatmeal, eat one that week, and then I eat the other batch later! It’s never stayed around long enough to see how long it’s good for. Also just made my own Egg McMuffins recently and froze them. Another thing I like to freeze for a side is brown rice. I found a recipe online for baking a big batch of it in the oven and then freezing it in portion sizes. Sprinkle some water before putting it in the microwave to keep it moist.
Lynn says
You can also freeze canned biscuits (whompem type), crescent rolls, pizza dough..etc. right in the tube. It doesn’t pop open like I thought it would. There are always coupons out there for them cooinciding with sales, so I stock up and through them in the freezer.
Andrea says
Seriously! This is a new one…. Even for me !! Thanks 🙂
laura says
Hi – I have heard that I need to blanch my veges before freezing (and you too have a great cheat sheet for doing so). But what is the point? Can’t I just slice squash or puree tomatoes and freeze.
I feel the blanching process would destroy much of the nutrients.
Laura
Katie says
Blanching preserves the color of the vegetables. If you want your broccoli, spinach, or green beans to look their bright green color instead of brownish and sickly when you defrost them, blanch them first. If you don’t care how they look, then just freeze them as they are!
Amber Baker says
I love your website, especially the freezer part, so many great ideas. I would like to recommend Tupperware Freezer containers for your freezing needs, they would protect from freezer burn and are reusable. If you are ever interested you may order them on-line from my website http://www.my2.tupperware.com/abaker2009
Thanks
Amber Baker
Christina says
I am always confused at how long thawed food are good. For instance cheese frozen for 3 months – how long once I thawed?
Rachelle says
Yes! This is my question, too!
Rebeka says
When you freeze a casserole or enchiladas Can you freeze them right in the baking dish? And just cover with tin foil?
Andrea says
Yup… I just cover them with foil and then with plastic wrap. I take them out of the freezer the morning I’m going to bake them… And then put them in the oven about 45 min before we are ready to eat.
Rene says
WHen you freeze casseroles, enchiladas and the like do you cook them before you freeze them or after?
Andrea says
Yes, I freeze them before I bake them in the oven… But all the ingredients are already cooked before I put the casseroles together.
Sheena says
omg you are going to save me so much time!
Sam says
Found this via Pinterest…thanks for the great info!
susan says
I freeze-dry noodles, chips, flour, cereal, tortillas, chocolate chips, diced onions, bulk grated cheese, hamburger that I cook and put in baggies so it can be put in spaghetti sauce or tacos for a quick meal, rotisserie chicken that I de-bone and freeze so it is ready to throw in chicken noodle soup or enchaladas, I even form a meatloaf and freeze it raw so it is ready to just put in the slow cooker (frozen) for an easy dinner. I use almost everything frozen and let it thaw as it cooks except hamburger and chicken I microwave to thaw before putting it in the recipe. I love the freezer!!!!
jamie says
You can freeze tomato paste!! Do it now!! You know how you only ever use one tablespoon out of the whole can, well, put the rest in a little sandwich bag, flatten it out in the freezer, and when you need a tablespoon, just break off a piece and throw it into whatever you are cooking! It saves so much money, and the paste lasts forever!!!
Jessica says
If you freeze milk, how long after the milk is defrosted should you drink it?
Andrea says
I think the milk would probably be good for at least a week… But I’m sure you’ll smell it if it starts going bad sooner!
MamaK says
Thanks so much for posting this! I’ve been working on my own list of freezer foods so I can stock up for this summer when I will be going back to school. This will help so much.
sherry says
Eggs freeze!! Who would have thought? Crack the eggs in a ziplock bag, however many you want and freeze. Let thaw out in refrigerator and use as you normaly would. This time of year eggs usually are fairly cheap for Easter and it would be a great time to try this
Kristie says
Can you freeze sour cream?
Emily says
Same here regarding thawing and defrosting …. I freeze fearlessly, then have no clue how to use some of this stuff after (like cheese … Do you just put it in the fridge the day before you’ll use it?)
Leslie says
Can you do a post about defrosting or thawing out? I can freeze anything, but I struggle with the thawing out. If I put meat in the fridge the morning I want to make it, it will still be frozen at dinner time. I’ve tried the water bath, but that also seems to take a while. I try to leave it on the counter, but have heard that is bad because it’s not good to leave it at room temperature for that long.
Andrea says
Leslie, I usually try to remember to take the food out a couple days in advance… If I forget then I just let it sit out or even pop it in the microwave!
Ann says
Leslie, I usually find that I need to pull meat out of the freezer at least the night before, like when I go to bed and am thinking about the next day’s meals. This seems necessary for at least beef and pork. Microwaving can work well too, just be sure to watch that you don’t do it too long as the meat can start to cook. I usually have a better/easier time using a cold water bath with chicken and fish, as those usually are smaller pieces. It could take 30 minutes or even more, but that’s better than nothing if I forgot to put it in the fridge the night before. Or lots of time I’ll use a water bath to get the defrosting started before I add meat to the crockpot in the morning.
Janine says
Oh and how about sandwiches,specifically those that will go in a panini press or grilled cheese? Just think that that would be an excellent time saver 🙂
Janine says
I was reading about the hashbrowns,but is that the same as just regular potatoes,as well like for oven fries,or even for baked potatoes,are there any tricks or just cut and freeze.I’m new @ this but with a growing family,and trying to stay healthy it is a great idea.
Kari says
You can freeze juices. Just have to open and take some out to allow for expansion. I usually take out 8 ounces for every half gallon. I don’t throw it away, we drink it. This is really good to do when it goes on sale and you can stock up or find it at a discount grocery store cheap. I just got Minute Maid OJ for $0.99/half gallon in date and Minute Maid Berry Punch for $0.50/half gallon in date as well. So I bought 8 of each and will be freeze this week. Both are still good until March.
I personally haven’t done it, but my mom does it all the time. She freezes Milk. Do the same thing as with the juice. This is awesome when you can get free milk from stores. Our local grocery stores run deals like buy 4 boxes of this brand cereal and get Free milk. Well if you have enough coupons you can not only stock up on cereal dirt cheap but on Milk for free.
Susan Hawthorne says
Hi Andrea – Thanks for this info, it’s great! I do have a question: I’ve read that you should never freeze chocolate because the cocoa comes out leaving the chocolate dry and looking “white” and degrading the flavor. Your chocolate comes out of the freezer ok? Do you wrap it a special way?
And to Emily – freezing flour is great and not only because it can become rancid but because it will prevent it from getting bugs in it.
And to Paula – re: Potato chips, cereal and crackers – if they’re in their unopened pkgs wouldn’t they stay fresh anyway? I’ve never bought those things in bulk so don’t know. I have had crackers in my cupboard for a loooong time and the ones in the unopened sleeves are fine when opened? 🙂
To Anna: Yes, I do use the ziplock freezer bags to freeze things. We put our leftover spaghetti sauce in one and freeze it (always make double batch) and it comes out just like new.
Paula says
I freeze potatoe chips, cereal and crackers. I buy in bulk when they are on sale and just pop them in the freezer. they are as fresh as the day I buy them when I take them out.
realtorbeck says
Never thought of the chips. I will have to try that. Thanks. I freeze everything that has flour or corn powder in it in case there are any creatures or creature eggs that have contaminated them. Freezing kills them and then you can store without the worry of an infestation of your cabinet. In the South, that has happened only twice in 20 yrs but each time I lost the entire cabinet of food.
michelle says
Just curious about freezing potatoes…say if i could make hasbrowns from scratch and freeze them? I dont know if i can..just want to stop throwing them away and figured i could search for help and came across your site. thanks
judy says
i have frozen both raw and cooked hash browns. you lose a little in texture but frying them is just fine.
Emily says
There isn’t any reason to freeze sugar, but freezing flour is good because it goes rancid, just like nuts, if you use whole wheat or other whole grain flours. There is oil in the germ and that’s what goes bad.
Denise says
Can you freeze leftover canned vegis? I was thinking of trying to save money by buying the big cans of foods like sauces, vegis, and pickles and stuff, but there are only 3 of us so I was thinking of freezing the canned leftovers. Not in the can, but in freezer bags. Would this be safe? Thanks.
Andrea says
Yes, you can freeze canned veggies — but they might be a little “mushier” than when they are straight from the can.
Cheri says
I like to use those little bits of leftover veggies and keep adding them to a gallon bag. When a cool day comes by, add a little tomato juice or broth and meat and you have an easy stew.
realtorbeck says
I do the same for my soups. Wonderful!
Jessica Ponder says
I love all of this information. Thanks. However, one of my fears about freezing food is how to defrost it. How do you defrost bread, baked goods, and granola, without them changing texture?