Almond milk is among the most popular non-dairy milk substitutes. But there may be times when you buy a carton and can’t quite finish it all before the expiration date. What are your options? Can you freeze almond milk?
We’ve been shifting to more of a dairy-free household recently as our tolerance for all things dairy has been steadily declining. That’s not to say we’re cutting it completely (hello pizza!), but we have cut back on dairy products like yogurt and regular milk.
A favorite dairy-free alternative of ours is almond milk. To me, it has a better flavor and consistency than other non-dairy options like soy milk or oat milk and it seems to go better with various foods. And we use almond milk coffee creamer almost every morning.
But often, we can’t finish a whole container of almond milk before its best-by date. The solution: freeze it!
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Can almond milk be frozen?
Yes, you can absolutely freeze almond milk. The biggest challenge is defrosting it. Since almond milk splits during the freezing process, you’ll need to reblend it before drinking it or you’ll notice a considerable texture change.
Read on to find out:
- the best methods for freezing almond milk
- how long you can freeze it for
- how to thaw it the right way
- how to best use almond milk after it’s thawed
Let’s get started!
How to freeze almond milk
Method 1: Ice cube trays
The best way to store almond milk in the freezer is to use an ice cube tray. I like the ones with the silicone bottoms which make it super easy to pop the cubes out.
Or if you have large amounts of almond milk to store, you can use bigger silicone trays commonly used for freezing stock or broth.
Step 1 – Pour the almond milk into the trays and cover with a lid. This helps prevent freezer burn and can keep odors from other food items away from your almond milk.
Step 2 – Place the trays on a flat surface in the freezer for 2-3 hours, or until frozen through.
Step 3 – You can now transfer the cubes to a plastic freezer bag. This frees up your trays for making regular ice cubes again!
Step 4 – Label your freezer bags with the date you froze the almond milk.
This method gives you greater portion control and gives you the flexibility to defrost only the amount you need.
Method 2: Sealable containers
If you don’t have any spare ice cube trays, you can opt for a sealable glass or another airtight container. The steps for freezing are the same as in method 1. But once it’s frozen, you can simply keep it in the glass container and label the lid with some washi tape and a marker.
This method doesn’t quite provide the same portion control as using ice cube trays, but it’s still effective.
How long can you freeze almond milk?
Almond milk will keep in the freezer for 3-6 months. Given that the texture of almond milk changes significantly when freezing, it’s best to not store it for too long. It can be more difficult to reblend well it after thawing if it’s been frozen too long.
How to defrost frozen almond milk
Once you’re ready to use your almond milk, you have a few different options when it comes to thawing it out.
Use the frozen almond milk ice cubes
If you’re planning on making smoothies or protein shakes, you could transfer almond milk cubes directly to your blender with whatever other ingredients you’ll be using. The almond milk will combine pretty seamlessly and the texture should hold up well this way.
Thaw with warm water
If you need to fully thaw your frozen milk but don’t have a lot of time, you can place the freezer bag of cubes into a bowl of lukewarm water. This will defrost them gradually.
Just don’t let it warm up to room temperature for too long as that could breed harmful bacteria.
Likewise, if you used a glass container or other freezer-safe container to store your almond milk, you could warm it up the same way. You might just need to place a weight on the container so it doesn’t pop up out of the warm water.
Defrost in the fridge
If you’re not pressed for time, you can transfer your bag of frozen almond milk cubes or container to the fridge and let it thaw out. This may take a few hours or as long as overnight, depending on your quantity. But it is a somewhat gentler method than using lukewarm water.
Reblending thawed out almond milk
It’s best to avoid consuming thawed out almond milk without blending it first. The milk will separate during freezing. So once it’s liquified again, you’ll need to recombine it to get it to resemble the original creamy texture and flavor of fresh almond milk.
To do this, simply pop it in the blender for about 30 seconds or until fully combined. You may not achieve the exact consistency of the almond milk’s original state, but you should be able to get pretty close.
How best to use thawed almond milk
Since you’ll likely not be able to recreate the texture of the original milk, it’s a good idea to not drink defrosted almond milk straight. The taste and feel will be slightly off. But there are a lot of great ways you can use almond milk once you’ve thawed it out. These include:
Add it to a smoothie or ice cream. This will help mask any texture issues and the thawed almond milk will combine well with your other ingredients.
Use it in cooking. Your defrosted almond milk can work great in sauces or curries. It’s also a great dairy substitute for waffles, mashed potatoes, and even frittatas.
Bake with it. Another good option is to add your almond milk to non-dairy or vegan desserts. The baking process will incorporate the thawed-out almond milk and eliminate any texture or taste issues that may have arisen from freezing it. Try it in vegan chocolate cake or chocolate mousse.
How to avoid using thawed out almond milk
Now that we know almond milk separates while freezing, here are some ways you should steer clear of using thawed-out almond milk.
Forgo it in your coffee. Even when reblended, it will not have the same texture and taste of fresh almond milk, and it can make your coffee unpleasant to drink.
Skip it on your cereal. The same goes for cereal. The defrosted almond milk may be a bit more watery than normal and won’t have the rich consistency of the original.
FAQs
The separation that occurs during the freezing process makes almond milk a poor candidate for refreezing. You’ll notice even more separation the second time around and it will be even harder to regain texture through reblending.
Like with store-bought almond milk, you can freeze almond milk you make yourself. The freezing methods are the same. But you may see a bit more separation with homemade almond milk as it won’t include many of the thickeners and preservatives that store-bought brands have. They’re primarily added to improve texture and shelf life.
Store-bought almond milk will usually come with an expiration date, which means it should stay fresh at least until then if it’s unopened. Once you open the carton, it stays good for about 7-10 days in the fridge.
Homemade almond milk will only keep for about 3-5 days in the fridge.
More food storage answers
Wondering whether you should or shouldn’t freeze some other types of food. Check out these posts!
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