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!
Alea says
I freeze onions.chop them up, put in a zip lock bag.Freeze then use a handfull at a time as needed
Stephen K. Stewart says
Thank you for this list. Have you, or anyone, come across a similar list of things not to freeze?
Beth says
Thank you for this article
Lani says
I came looking for just one thing but am walking away with lots of other information I didn’t know – Thank You!!!
Lani
Tom Muench says
Can German potato salad be frozen?
Andrea says
I’ve never tried it — but I’d say no because potatoes don’t defrost well in my opinion.
ML says
after cooking any meal and before storing them in the freezer, it is important to leave the food to rest out on the counter to decrease food temperature, this will prevent food contamination or bacteria growth.
Bryan Smith says
If you freeze tomatoes, you first have to dip the whole tomato in boiling water for about a minute or two, then cold water. The skin slides right off. Then dice them and put in ice trays to freeze separately. When frozen you can take them out of the ice tray and put them in a freezer bag (still frozen) and put them back in the freezer. They can last up to 6 months frozen, and you can take out as many as you think you will need to make sauces or to add to other ingredients after thawing.
Ria Stone says
Love this article about freezing foods. Beautiful layout and great info. Thanks.
Frances says
Hi!
I hate celery, but I love to use it in soups and casseroles. The taste improves miraculously! When I buy it, I use very little and the rest goes bad. Can I chop and freeze celery for later use?
Andrea says
yes, celergy freezes wonderfully if you chop it up before freezing it!
Amanda Lewis says
You mention that
“Breads, Buns, Muffins, and Rolls: Just double-bag them to prevent freezer burn and they should be fine for several months”
Can bread wrappers be used for freezing? If yes , can you suggest what best bread wrappers to use, to make the bread last for several months.
Natalie says
Hi,
I’m a student do planning on cooking a load of meals in bulk for quick and cheap dinners.
I’m following the slimming world recipes and making things like chicken curry, burgers, Turkey pizza, and other chicken dishes and I was just wondering how I will cook it all? Does it need defrosting or do I just put them in the microwave?
Janie says
Can you freeze bread dough and thaw it and bake bread?
Andrea says
I’ve never done this before, but I do buy frozen bread dough all the time 🙂
Rebecca Johnson says
I was looking at the reference sheet on freezing herbs but I don’t see if you need to add water to the ice cube trays or not. Any advice would be great
Andrea says
yes, you definitely need to add water to form the cubes 🙂
Sandra says
A note about the pies… I am the only one in my house who eats pecan pie, so I bake the pie, then freeze individual slices. Works great! I haven’t tried it with other pies, though.
Thelma Laurel says
I freeze juice from limes and lemons in ice trays. Also, I freeze the entire Meyer lemon ,peeling and all in ziplock bags. When I’m ready to use (in ice tea) I just take it out , thaw, and use it.
Lee Greenstein says
My dad use to freezes Oranges for us in summer they were a great treat after school he would cup them in half then put the two faces back together and wrap In cling wrap but these day you could put baking paper between the two halves and then wrap in cling wrap and freeze then suck on then on a hot day very refreshing
Laura Pride says
Hey I live alone and I’m fed up of my fresh veg and fruit going funny before I’ve had chance to eat it. I felt like I was wasting money so thank you for this. Also I learnt a while ago I would never finish a pint of milk before I had to throw it out. So I was constantly either making a coffee in the morning to find my milk had gone off, or not having any at all. My solution to this was to pour my fresh milk into ice cube trays and then whenever I make a cup of tea. I can just pop one or two out into my mug and they melt immediately for the perfect cuppa 🙂 and it cools it down that tiny bit so it’s ready to drink.
Barb says
Can I freeze a macaroni salad that has mayo in it?
Kathy says
Andrea, I always make big batches of fruit pies and bske them and freeze them. My mother has always done this, so if it worked for her it had to be right! Lol I have used fresh fruit as well as fruit that had been frozen, never any family complaints. Thaw on counter or on low heat in oven , for that fresh baked taste.
Kathy
Rachelle says
I often freeze the remaining portion of tomato sauce, tomato paste and diced tomatoes. Especially with the paste, I never use the whole can, so I just dump the rest into a freezer bag and smash it flat. Then you can whack it on the counter if you just need a little for a soup or something.
cherie says
you can freeze the tomato paste in ice cube trays- just line the tray with plastic wrap- poking down each cube area- put the paste in and freeze-when it’s frozen cut the wrap and put into a freezer bag
Jess says
I’m curious about how you thaw some of these items. specifically the casserole type dishes. it might seem like a silly question but i really don’t know much about this.
Andrea says
Jess, if you click on the link at the end of the post — it will take you to another post I wrote with all these FAQ’s. Here’s the link again.
Ruth says
You can freeze cooked rice and pasta and just run hot water over them frozen. They will thaw out, be hot and taste great. You can also freeze fresh tomatoes. Just toss them in the bag after you have washed them. No need to core or peel. When they thaw out, the skin just slips off and they are ready for cooking. The same goes for chilis or peppers.
MIRANDA says
chips….crackers…..nuts…cereal
Tara says
I freeze chicken broth if I didn’t use it all and buttermilk in ice cube trays that are about 2tbsp. The buttermilk separates a bit but it tastes fine when used in baking 🙂
Pat says
I have been gifted with many many mandarin oranges. I love them, and would like to preserve them……………is there any way to freeze them??
Andrea says
Hey Pat — I’ve never frozen oranges before, but I did ask your question on my facebook page and there were a few helpful responses. You can read those here.
katie says
Yes I have frozen mandarin orange s just put the whole box in the freezer and take out one or two at a time, only thing you have to eat when thawed works great
Nancy says
Can you freeze Velveeta cheese mixed with Rotel? When I make a batch for just my husband and myself, it’s always too much.
Andrea says
I’ve never done it before — but it certainly wouldn’t hurt to try. I freeze other types of cheese all the time.
Amie says
I make dips such as velveeta mixed with Rotel (and black beans) all of the time with no problem. I’ve also make and freeze popper dip and buffalo chicken dip. I thaw in fridge and pop in microwave to reheat.
Melissa says
Can you freeze your fruits in a vacuume seal bag with a processer or just throw in a reg freezer bag
Andrea says
a regular freezer bag is fine 🙂
Mar says
But a vacuum sealer bag is better! 🙂
Carrie says
Could you freeze homemade tortilla shells?
Danielle says
I freeze all bread products in a box @ the bottom of my freezer helps prevent freezer burn. Saves me alot of time and money.
Shelly Scott says
Can you freeze Bok Choy and other sorted vegetables used in stir fries. I live alone just hate buying things then have to throw them away later because I did not use them all.
amanda says
Do you have a list of certain things you always have on hand on the pantry/freezer etc?
Chantelle says
Dont know if this has already been mentioned as just skipping through but yesterday i filledmy frwezer with a months worth of food for crock pot recipes such as casseroles i just bagged up the meat and diced veggies i wanted in each and will add the stock/sauces later this saved so much freezer space for other things such as cottage pies which i put into foil trays so i can pop them in to the oven when needed.
Rosemary says
When you freeze casseroles, do you bake it then freeze it? Or do you just prep it (with everything being fully cooked) freeze it then bake like regular once you are ready for it?
Linda says
I make homemade Pesto and freeze it in ice cube trays. After it’s froze I transfer it to zip lock bags. I do the same thing with my fresh basil. I chop it in the food processor with olive oil till the consistency I want then do the ice cube tray thing. It’s just like using fresh basil in recipes. I also freeze mint leaves in snack bags with a little water. I use these(water & all) when I’m cooking my husband’s sweet tea.
Katherine says
My mom always dries mint leaves to mix in the tea so that she doesn’t have to use freezer space. It also makes it easy to crush it to use in salads or meals.
Connie says
I have purchased a gallon jug of cheese sauce but I will only be using it in small amounts at a time. I was thinking of freezing it in mason jars or freezer bags. What would you recommend doing to keep the cheese sauce stored in smaller portions?
blushone says
Thank you for this list. Have you, or anyone, come across a similar list of things not to freeze?
Carolyn says
I hate it when we bread goes to waste but I’m not sure I want to freeze bread – not sure how it will thaw. I’m thinking about making bread crumbs with it but I don’t cook with it very often. Can you freeze bread crumbs to keep it fresh longer than in the pantry?
Karen says
Yes you can freeze breadcrumbs not a problem. For thawing frozen bread just take it out a couple of hours before you need it and leave on the bench.
Miri says
Not even a couple of hours, one hour or even less is fine. for breakfast for my kids I take out two and toast it 1-2 minutes for fresh bread and 3-4 (about, I never time exactly) for toasted. Comes out great!!! I also always make double batch of supper and freeze half. Soup I make sometimes for 3-5 suppers
Laura S. says
You can freeze loaves of bread for usually about 3 months. If you have a frost free freezer, don’t let the bread touch the sides of the freezer.. the warming and freezing that it does to remain frost free can cause stale spots on the sides of the bread. There are only 2 of us here so I usually just keep the bread in the freezer and grab out a few slices as needed. To thaw a load, just set it on the counter until it’s thawed.
EcoMama says
In addition to freezing many of the same things already listed, I also freeze homemade burritos, I cube stale ends of bread & freeze them for the next turkey I roast, and I finely chop homegrown Fernleaf Dill and freeze in old yogurt containers (dated, of course) for adding to my homemade Glace Soup. My all-time FAVE: last Fall, right after Halloween, I “rescued” a bunch of pumpkins before they went to our community compost (I posted on a local Facebook group that I was looking for free pumpkins, and received MORE than I could cook & freeze). I baked them, half at a time, because they were so big, then scooped the flesh out the rind, pureed it in my food processor, then froze it in 2C. portions for muffins, breads, etc.
elledee says
Freeze fresh ginger in its whole state in a press seal bag, you can grate it straight into stirfrys and stick it back in the freezer again. don’t need to worry about it shriveling up at the back of the fridge. also chop up fresh chives and scallions then just shake them out into the pot of mashed potato or other cooked dishes, fresh and no waste!
Donna says
omg why didn’t I think of this, I waste so much ginger, thanks!
Katie says
I also freeze tortillas, shredded zucchini (for bread) in 1 gallon zip locks laid flat, homemade breakfast borittos, pancakes, spaghetti (with and without sauce), homemade pizza/ ham and cheese pockets, bacon, cooked beans in gallon zip lock bags, broth, and more but I can’t think of any more right now. Thanks for the great post!!!!
Allie says
How do you make homemade pizza/ham and cheese pockets? I adore Pizza Pockets but I’m a college student and find they are really expensive to buy.
Lorna says
I make two batches of dough in my bread machine, put in the refrigerator overnight. The next day I roll the dough out to make “Calzones”. They taste much better than “Hot Pockets”. I roll the dough (65 grams… yes I do weigh them)to make 6″ (very thin) rounds with 1 tbsp sausage, 1 tbsp mozzarella cheese, 1 tbsp sauce in the middle. Fold over the dough so you have a half circle, pinch edges closed. Bake on baking sheet in the oven. Let cool. I freeze them 2 per baggie. I take them to work for lunch. Toss the baggie in the refrigerator the night before, pack lunch the next morning and place in the refrigerator at work. Heat in the microwave for 1 minute. If cooking from frozen, I microwave 5 minutes at 30% power.