Can You Freeze Coffee Creamer? What You Should Consider

You might be left with extra coffee creamer, or maybe you bought a bulk of it because of a holiday sale. But, you forgot to check the expiration date while shopping, and upon doing so at home, you realize it’s not ideal. So, you might be wondering, can you freeze coffee creamer? 

To be quick to the point, Yes! You can freeze your coffee creamer to prolong its shelf life, but there are still some things you should consider.

Here, I’ll show you ways to freeze coffee creamer and provide tips on how you can enhance your future usage of it. 

Let’s get started!

How Can You Freeze Liquid Coffee Creamer?

When it comes to freezing coffee creamer, it’s usually liquid rather than powdered. Although we don’t often freeze powdered creamer because it has a much longer expiration date, you can also put it in the freezer. 

Freezing liquid creamer is actually very straightforward. You just have to put it into a container and then freeze it. But another question might arise: what type of container is suitable?

Any air-tight container made of plastic or glass is suitable for freezing liquid coffee creamer (1). If you’re using a glass jar, be sure it’s a dual-purpose jar made for freezing and canning, as these are suitable for freezer temperatures. You should keep note of the following: 

• Avoid using an oversized container: it may slow down the freezing process. 
• Even though coffee creamers do not expand as much when they freeze, it is still best to leave some room in the container. 
• Have a lid to prevent cross-contamination and scent mixture. 

Frozen coffee creamer will be suitable for 4-6 months. 

Freezing Dairy vs. Non-Dairy Creamers

You can freeze both dairy and non-dairy creamers. While non-dairy creamers can be frozen and thawed back to the same taste and texture, most big brands, like International Delight, wouldn’t recommend freezing dairy creamer. 

The primary reason for this is because freezing dairy coffee creamer would lead to the separation of milk and water particles, resulting in a difference in its initial physical form and texture. However, that can be fixed by thorough mixing. 

Tips for Freezing Coffee Creamer

1. Freeze Liquid Creamer with Ice Cube Tray

Not only is an ice cube tray safe because it is often made with silicon, but one ice cube is also the perfect size for a serving of coffee creamer. You can imagine the convenience of just popping an ice cube creamer out to thaw instead of defrosting a big batch. 

2. Freeze the Coffee Creamer ASAP

It’s impossible to freeze the creamer just a day before the expiration date and hope it maintains its prime quality for six months. So, the sooner you realize the need to freeze excess coffee creamer, the better. 

3. Label the Date and Practice FIFO (First-in, First-out)

Label the freezing date on your container, especially when freezing more than one bottle. Just so that you can have a clear concept of when you should expire it. Move the older bottles forward and place the newer bottles at the back.

How to Thaw Frozen Coffee Creamer

If you opt to use a container, I suggest placing it in the fridge until thawed before serving. 

However, if you use an ice cube tray to freeze coffee creamer, you can just pop out the cubes and wait for it to defrost. You can also directly add the cubes to the coffee if you don’t mind cooling it.

Use thawed coffee creamer within 2-3 days for best results. Make sure to take a whiff of the creamer to check if it’s well, and shake generously before using.

The Bottom Line

The answer to “Can you freeze coffee creamer?” is YES for any kind of coffee creamer that you might have. You just have to store it well and properly keep track of its freshness. 

To know more about coffee creamer, check out our article “Can you froth Creamer?”
Want to make a better cup of coffee? Check out our article “How to Brew Coffee?”

Source:
(1) National Center for Home Food Preservation – Containers for Freezing

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