As a kid, you probably loved drinking chocolate milk. Maybe you’re still drinking it on occasion. Chocolate milk is popular because it’s delicious and nutritious.
Chocolate milk is a common breakfast choice for children. It is also common for adults to drink it as an after-exercise beverage.
Making chocolate milk can take some time to prepare. If you want to save time preparing the drink, you may wonder if you can freeze them.
Yes, you can freeze chocolate milk. The only thing you may have a problem with is the ingredients separating when they thaw. However, a simple stir will bring the consistency back to normal. Chocolate milk can be stored in an airtight container or freezer bag for large portions and frozen as ice cubes for smaller portions. Properly stored, chocolate milk will stay fresh for about 3 months in the freezer.
Does Chocolate Milk Freeze Well?
We know that chocolate milk only contains a little bit of cocoa powder. The rest is just milk and sugar. So, in theory, it should freeze just fine.
How To Freeze Chocolate Milk
When it comes to freezing chocolate milk, the process is straightforward and doesn’t require a lot of time to prepare it.
While you can freeze them in an airtight container or freezer bag, it’s much simple to freeze them as ice cubes. This way, you will only need to remove what you need and not have to worry about any leftovers.
Below are the steps to freezing chocolate milk as ice cubes:
Step 1: Pour the chocolate milk into an ice cube tray and stick it in the freezer for at least 3 hours or overnight.
Step 2: Remove the cubes from the ice cube tray and put them in a freezer bag or container.
Step 3: Label them with what they are with either “chocolate milk cubes” or by the number of cubes (i.e., ½ cup).
Step 4: Put them back in the freezer to use later on when you want to drink some cold chocolate milk!
How Long Can You Freeze Chocolate Milk?
Chances are you won’t be able to freeze chocolate milk for very long.
Chocolate milk has a relatively short freezer shelf life of 2-3 months, though some people may find they can freeze it for up to six months.
The length of time it takes for the flavor to degrade depends on the ingredients used in the mix, how it is stored in the freezer, and how often you open the refrigerator door.
If your chocolate milk is made with high-quality ingredients and stored properly in a deep freezer, then it will stay fresh longer than you would expect.
How Do You Defrost Chocolate Milk?
Defrosting chocolate milk is a relatively straightforward process.
The first step is to make sure the milk is at room temperature before you stick it in the fridge. Put it in a pan on the stove for about 10 minutes, stirring periodically.
Alternatively, thaw the chocolate milk by putting it in a microwave-safe dish and heating it up until fully defrosted. Once you’ve defrosted your milk, just enjoy!
Once they have been thawed, any leftover chocolate milk should be stored in the refrigerator. You should consume them within 2-3 days or throw them away if it is over this time frame.
Can You Refreeze Chocolate Milk?
When it comes to chocolate milk, it’s not a good idea to refreeze the drink. Freezing it more than once will cause the quality of the drink to deteriorate even further.
To prevent having to freeze chocolate milk again, try freezing them in small portions. This way, you will only need to remove what you need from the freezer without having to refreeze it.
Other Questions about Chocolate Milk
Can you freeze the chocolate milk carton?
No, you should not freeze the chocolate milk carton. Doing so will cause the carton to tear open and create a mess in your freezer. This is due to the milk expanding during freezing.
If you want to freeze chocolate milk from the carton, you will need to transfer the milk to an airtight container, freeze bag, or freeze them as ice cubes.
Can you freeze chocolate milkshake?
The answer is yes, but it depends on what type of chocolate milkshake you’re talking about. If you’re talking about a store-bought milkshake, then the chocolate milk in it will likely be a mix of milk and cocoa powder or cocoa mix. This means that the milk content in the shake will not change when frozen because the milk is made with sugar already.
If you’re talking about a homemade frozen chocolate shake, then there’s more of a chance that you’ll get an effect on the chocolate separating after it has thawed.
That’s because these shakes typically use actual melted chocolate to make them rich and creamy – not milk or cocoa powder mixes. The fats from the melted chocolate actually do change when they freeze into crystals that can turn into unpleasant clumps in your shake if not blended correctly.