You can freeze cream cheese and it can last up to 2 months in the freezer. However, as it does not retain liquid content well, the texture will become grainy when thawed.
Whisking or microwaving frozen cream cheese, once thawed, is a great way to regain some of that creamy texture. We recommend using the thawed soft cheese in recipes such as pancakes, warm dips, and baked dishes where the texture will be less noticeable. Learn how to freeze and thaw different types of soft cheese.
Types of Cream Cheese
Cream cheese is a type of soft, mild-tasting cheese that is made from pasteurized milk and cream. As it is not naturally matured, it is made to be consumed fresh and can go bad. Some types of soft cheese include Mascarpone, Gournay, and Rondele. Philadelphia and Boursin cheese are two of the most popular brands producing spreadable soft cheese. Brie, Neufchâtel, and Camembert are made to be matured and can also be frozen.
The most common uses include spreading the cheese over crackers, sourdough bread, and bagels with smoked salmon, avocado, or prosciutto ham. People also use it as a creamy dip for breadsticks, carrots, celery, and cucumber.
Can You Freeze Cream Cheese?
The answer is yes. You can freeze cold cream cheese dips, frosting, icing, buttercream, and sauces. Just beware that the texture may change and become noticeably grainier.
We recommend repurposing this, by incorporating it into different recipes. It is also perfectly safe to freeze dishes like pasta, cheesy balls, and curries that have incorporated the soft cheese inside.
How to Freeze Cream Cheese
Unopened cream cheese can be put directly into the freezer for rapid freezing. Opened cream cheese will need to be transferred into an airtight container such as a ziplock bag before freezing.
For opened cream cheese, take the leftovers from the original plastic packaging. Scoop out the amount you would like to freeze onto a sheet of aluminium foil. We suggest portioning this out as refreezing cheese is not recommended.
Wrap this tightly in aluminium foil. This will help to cheese hold its shape and liquid content.
Once it is wrapped in aluminium, wrap another layer of plastic cling film around it tightly. This is an additional step to prevent freezer burn but can be skipped.
Place the wrapped soft cheese into an airtight container, such as a zip-lock freezer bag. To remove the air in the bag, press down on the bag while slowly closing the bag.
Put the bag into the freezer, preferably close to the walls to ensure the cheese freezes quickly. The faster the cheese freezes, the better it will retain its nutrients and stop ice crystals from forming. Once the cheese is frozen solid, it can be placed elsewhere in the freezer.
Frozen cream cheese can last approximately 2 months from the date of freezing. We recommend labelling your bag or airtight container with an expiration date.
How to Thaw Frozen Cream Cheese
To thaw frozen cream cheese, take it out of the freezer and place this into a refrigerator overnight. To make frozen cream cheese creamy again, whipped the thawed soft cheese to revive some of its texture.
Using a microwave for 10-20 seconds can help to mix the separated solid and liquid back together. However, it is not as enjoyable as a pure spread right from the package over bagels, crackers, and bread.
How To Use Frozen Cream Cheese
Frozen cream cheese can be used to thicken sauces, replace butter and other cheeses when baking! If the texture will not be noticeable when incorporated into a dish, use your thawed soft cheese.
Some creative ways have been to incorporate it into baked dips, Thai green curry, pasta, and more.
Here are some frozen cream cheese recipes:
