Can You Freeze Spreadable Butter?

Spreadable butter is a popular choice for many foods that requires that buttery taste. Unlike butter which is difficult to spread right out of the fridge, spreadable butter will easily spread over anything. This butter usually comes in a container that is too big to be used at one time. In order to keep them fresh, you’ll need to store them in the fridge, which usually has a shelf life of about a month. What if you need to store it longer than a month? Would freezing spreadable butter be an option?

So, can you freeze spreadable butter? Yes, you can definitely freeze spreadable butter and they actually freeze very well. If it came in its original packaging, do not use it in the freezer. As it freezes, the butter will expand and tear the packaging apart. Instead, put the spreadable butter in an airtight container that’s approved for freezer usage.

Contents show

What Is Spreadable Butter?

Butter is generally difficult to spread over bread and other foods right out of the refrigerator. In order to make it easier to spread it, vegetable oil is mixed in the butter so it can spread easily.

By combining butter and vegetable oil together, you’ll get all the flavor of butter and the smoothness of oil.

Therefore, spreadable butter is simply butter that has vegetable oil mixed with it to make it easier for you to spread on foods without having to warm it first.

Should You Freeze Spreadable Butter?

Spreadable butter will usually come in a plastic container and most people will not finish the entire content at one time. Once it’s opened, it will usually last only about two weeks once it’s opened.

Also, butter isn’t something that most people need a lot of to make everyday dishes. Therefore, to keep them fresh and for a long time, you should freeze spreadable butter.

Does Spreadable Butter Freeze Well?

Due to the ingredients used which is usually butter and oil mixed together, it will freeze very well. Keeping them stored in an airtight container will keep them fresh for up to 6 months.

Spreadable butter can last much longer than 6 months, but the quality of it will start to deteriorate. The oil and butter will slowly start to separate due to freezer burn. This will also affect the flavors of the butter as well.

However, if it’s properly stored and the freezer temperature is at a constant 0°C, it can last for a year or even longer.

How To Freeze Spreadable Butter?

When it comes to freezing spreadable butter, proper storage is the key to keeping them fresh for a long time. Most of the spreadable butter that you have will most likely come in a plastic container.

Even though the plastic container seems durable, it will not hold up well in the freezer. As the spreadable butter is starting to freeze, it will slowly start to expand. This will result in the plastic container cracking and will spill all over the freezer.

Instead, always remove the spreadable butter from their original packaging and repackage them in a freezer approved container.

Below are the steps to take to freezer spreadable butter:

Remove the butter from their original packaging. Depending on how often you use the butter, you can split them into smaller portions.
Wrap the spreadable butter in cling film and place them into an airtight container or a freezer bag.
If using a freezer bag, you can place it into another freezer bag. By double-wrapping the butter, this will ensure the butter doesn’t absorb flavors from other foods in the freezer.
Seal the bag or container as tight as possible.
Label the bag or container and place it in the freezer.

How Long Can You Freeze Spreadable Butter?

Spreadable butter will last between four to six months if it’s properly stored. After that time, the butter will still be safe to eat, but the quality of it will slowly deteriorate.

After about a year, the spreadable butter will mostly like lost all of its texture and flavors. This is due to the butter suffering from freezer burn. This is a natural occurrence when food of any kind is stored in the freezer for a prolonged time.

Therefore, to ensure the spreadable butter is at it’s the best quality, make sure to consume them before 6 months.

How Do You Defrost Spreadable Butter?

Spreadable butter should be defrosted in the refrigerator. By letting them thaw in the fridge, it will have a lower chance of texture and flavor damage. It’s best to let it thaw overnight or at least 6-8 hours before using it. Otherwise, you’ll have the outside that is thawed, while the inside may still be frozen.

Another reason is to prevent bacteria growth. Frozen spreadable butter thaw at room temperature quickly, but the butter will not thaw evenly throughout. The outer part of the butter will thaw, while the inside is still frozen. Due to this, the butter will have a higher chance of bacteria growing on it. This will make the butter unsafe to eat.

An exception to defrosting them in the fridge is if the recipes require very cold or frozen spreadable butter. Which in this case, you can simply take it out from the freezer and place it directly in the meal while it’s cooking.

Sometimes, you may need spreadable butter quickly. If so, you can try grating them. Due to the thin size of the butter, it will thaw almost instantly at room temperature.

Again, if you’re planning to use spreadable butter often, it’s best to freeze them in a smaller portion. That way, you don’t have to wait for the entire content of butter to thaw.