Can you freeze cream cheese? Here’s everything you need to know

Can you ever freeze cream cheese?

If you’re anything like me, then you also have an inexplicable love affair with cream cheese!

It’s just such a versatile and delectable ingredient. You can use it as a spread to layer on top of bagels and toast and have juicy fruits and crunchy nuts.

Cream cheese can also be used with baked potatoes, put it inside chicken and veggie casseroles, and make various delicious desserts with it.

You can also use cream cheese in different dips and sauces for your savory and sweet dishes. However, my favorite use of cream cheese is to make a mouthwatering New York cheesecake with it!

Thanks to my passion for cream cheese, I tend to use it in my recipes quite a lot, which is why I often end up buying it in bulk.

But as cream cheese doesn’t have a long shelf life, it often pains me to see my delicious batches of cream cheese with mold!

So, I had to find a way to extend its shelf life to store it and use it in my recipes easily. That’s when I discovered freezing as an option, and it changed my life for the better!

Can you freeze cream cheese?

Cream cheese is an inarguably delectable food that you can add to so many recipes.

But cream cheese doesn’t stay fresh for long in the fridge. So, can you freeze cream cheese to extend its life?

Yes, you can freeze cream cheese for later use! That said, freezing cream cheese does change its texture quite dramatically. It becomes grainy and a bit watery.

So, the defrosted cream cheese won’t be suitable for spreading on top of a bagel. Still, you can use thawed cream cheese for other cooking applications.

It can also be used to prepare frostings, pound cakes, casseroles, cheesecakes, other baked goods, and practically anything in which its grainy texture won’t stand out.

How to freeze cream cheese

There are two ways in which you can freeze cream cheese, depending on whether it’s open or not.

So, if you’ve bought cream cheese in bulk and don’t want it to spoil, then read the following methods of freezing cream cheese to extend its life:

🧀 Freezing unopened cream cheese

For unopened cream cheese, it’s best if you store it directly in your freezer with its original packaging intact. This is because the foil wrap and the cardboard box will provide plenty of protection against potential freezer burn.

If you feel that the packaging isn’t enough to provide sufficient protection, then wrap the packaged cream cheese in a layer of plastic wrap before storing it in your freezer.

Even though unopened cream cheese can be kept in ideal freezing environments indefinitely, it’s ideal if you consume it within two months.

🧀 Freezing opened cream cheese

If you’ve already opened the package of cream cheese and want to freeze it, then you’ll have to put the cream cheese in an airtight container before freezing it. Storing cream cheese in an airtight container will ensure that it isn’t exposed to moisture while inside your freezer.

Make sure to label the container with the storage date and then put it in your freezer. Don’t forget to check the original packaging’s expiration date to make sure that the cheese doesn’t expire before two months.

Can you refreeze cream cheese?

Even though you can refreeze cream cheese that was defrosted in the fridge, I won’t recommend it. This is because thawed cream cheese has a watery texture as the water and cream solids separate, and it will further deteriorate if you refreeze and then defrost the cheese again.

Nevertheless, if you want to refreeze cream cheese, then make sure to whip the defrosted cream cheese until it’s somewhat smooth and then store it in your freezer.

How to use frozen cream cheese

When it comes to using the frozen cream cheese, you need to defrost it first. For defrosting cream cheese, take the container in which it’s stored out of your freezer and put it in your fridge.

Don’t defrost the cream cheese at room temperature as the sudden change in temperature will change its texture quite irreparably.

Even though the thawed cream cheese will be crumbly and less creamy, you can easily use it for baking and cooking if you thaw it correctly. You can also use it in dishes such as potato casseroles, cream cheese pound cakes, and even baked dips. This is because its texture won’t be noticeable in baked and cooked dishes.

Using frozen and thawed cream cheese as a spread doesn’t work quite well because it’s not as creamy and luxurious as it would have been straight from the package, making it hard to spread. You can easily use defrosted cream cheese in all recipes in which you’re required to melt it before using it.

This is because melting the cream cheese will help fix its texture. You can use it to make cream cheese cookies, chicken and baked spaghetti pie casseroles with cream cheese and cheese sauce, and so many other dishes.

Pro Tip: If you notice that the frozen or defrosted cream cheese is alarmingly slimy, has an off-putting smell, or has discolored, then do not use it in your cooking and discard it right away!

How to fix the texture of frozen cream cheese

You can also try to fix the texture of the frozen cream cheese. Use a whisk to blend the cream cheese and improve its crumbly texture.

Alternatively, you can microwave the defrosted cream cheese to make it creamy and less grainy. Here’s how to do it:

• Thaw the cream cheese in your fridge for 24 hours.
• Put the defrosted cream cheese in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave it for about 10 seconds.
• Stir the cream cheese thoroughly until it reaches a creamy consistency.

The bottom line

You can easily freeze cream cheese if you haven’t opened it. As for opened cream cheese, you can transfer it into an airtight container and then freeze it. Make sure to consume the cream cheese within two months of storage.

Even though frozen cream cheese won’t have the same creamy texture, you can use it in baked goods and other recipes in which the texture won’t be pronounced. Now that you know how to freeze cream cheese, go ahead and buy this delectable cheese spread in bulk and freeze it to use later in some tasty dishes!