When it comes to coffee, most people prefer to sweeten their drink. A way to make the coffee sweeter is to add creamer. Most people will have a bottle or two of coffee creamer at home. To ensure that they stay fresh, you’ll need to store them. Would freezing coffee creamer be an option?
Can you freeze coffee creamer? Yes, you can freeze coffee creamer, and they freeze quite well. However, you’ll want to avoid freezing creamer that contains dairy as the ingredient tend to separate when frozen. Non-dairy coffee creamer, on the other hand, can be frozen and thawed back with the same taste and texture.
Does Coffee Creamer Freeze Well?
Yes, coffee creamer freezes well. You should only freeze non-dairy creamer.
The only downside to freezing coffee creamer is when you refreeze it. Doing so will cause the texture and taste to deteriorate greatly, and you’ll not enjoy it in your coffee.
It’s best once the coffee creamer completely thaws, you should try to finish it as soon as possible. If you can’t within a week’s time, you’ll have to discard it.
What Is Coffee Creamer Made From?
To understand if coffee creamer can be frozen, it does help to know what’s it made from.
Many manufacturers claim their coffee creamers are dairy-free. While it doesn’t contain any lactose, it does contain casein, which is a milk-derived protein.
Creamers are often used as an alternative to milk because it’s easier to store them, and they last much longer. Milk can be stored for about a month, while coffee creamers can be stored for many months.
There are two types of coffee creamer available on the market. They come in liquid and powdered form. Both are relatively the same, except powdered creamed doesn’t need refrigeration, while liquid creamer does once it’s opened.
Both types of creamer can be safely stored in the freezer to extend their shelf life.
How To Freeze Coffee Creamer
When it comes to freezing coffee creamer, you can either freeze them in their original bottle or as ice cubes. Below are the 2 methods to freezing coffee creamer:
Freezing Coffee Creamer in Their Bottles
One of the easiest ways to freeze coffee creamer right in their original bottle. Some people think that by freezing the whole bottle, you need to remove a small amount of creamer from it.
However, this isn’t necessary since coffee creamer doesn’t expand during freezing. You can store the bottle with a full amount and not worry about it exploding in the freezer.
Label and Freeze
Whether the bottle is full or half full, make sure to label it with the date of freezing. It’s important since you’ll be able to store them for up to 6 months. With the long shelf life, you may forget when you froze it.
After that, place the bottle into the freezer for storage. It’s a good idea to place the coffee creamer in the back of the freezer. This is where there will be less change in temperature.
Freezing Coffee Creamer into Ice Cubes
This is the best method for freezing coffee creamer. This allows you to freeze single portions in large quantities. Also, you can remove what you need from the freezer without thawing the entire content and having to refreeze them.
Step 1: Portion Your Coffee Creamer
Get out an ice cube tray and make sure it’s clean. Then fill the slots with the coffee creamer. You fill the creamer to the top of the slot.
Step 2: Flash Freezing
Place the ice cube tray into the freezer. Allow it to sit in the freezer for about 1-2 hours or until it’s completely frozen.
Step 3: Storage
After the coffee creamer cubes are frozen solid, remove them from the freezer. Immediately transfer the cubes to a freezer bag.
Squeeze out the air from the bag and seal it tightly.
The freezer bag will help the ice cube coffee creamer from getting freezer burn.
Step 4: Label and Freeze
With a marker, write down the date of freezing and place it into the freezer.
How Long Can You Freeze Coffee Creamer?
Coffee creamer stored in the freezer can last for up to 6 months. After that time, the creamer will still be safe to use, but the quality of it will start to deteriorate. After it thaws, you may find that the coffee creamer doesn’t taste as fresh as it should.
Most manufacturers state that their coffee creamer should not be frozen, but you can get away with it by properly storing them.
How Do You Defrost Coffee Creamer?
The best way to defrost coffee creamer is in the fridge. Let it sit in the fridge for a couple of hours until it returns to its liquid state.
Thawing them in the fridge will prevent any chance for bacteria to grow.
On the other hand, thawing the coffee creamer on the countertop could risk bacteria to grow on it. Bacteria thrive well in warm temperatures and the kitchen makes it perfect for them to grow.
If you froze coffee creamer in ice cubes, thawing is not needed. After making your cup of coffee, simply remove the ice cubes from the freezer and place them directly into the coffee. Give it a quick stir, and it will melt right away.
Can You Refreeze Coffee Creamer?
You should not refreeze coffee creamer. Repeated freezing and thawing will alter their texture and flavor greatly.
To prevent having to refreeze coffee creamer, you should try to freeze them in a portion. This way, you’ll only need to remove the amount of creamer you need without worrying about any leftovers and refreezing them.
3 Tips For Thawed Coffee Creamer
1. Shake Well
The coffee creamer may separate when it’s thawed. Simply give it a good stir to mix the ingredients back together once it’s completely thawed. Then give it a good shake before each use to mix it well.
2. Use Within a Week
Once the coffee creamer has thawed, be sure to use it within a week. Once it’s past the one-week mark, the creamer will start to deteriorate in quality.
Also, it’s a good chance they may have spoiled and could cause food poisoning.
3. Keep Cool
After the coffee creamer is thawed, keep them refrigerated at all times. Leaving them out at room temperature could potentially lead to bacteria contamination. Bacteria thrive in warm temperatures, so it’s best to keep them in the fridge where they won’t be able to grow.
Other Questions about Coffee Creamer
Can you freeze half and half cream?
You can freeze half and half cream, but it should only be frozen if you’re planning to use it for cooking.
If you’re planning to use it in the coffee, there’s a good chance that it may separate while it’s freezing. However, you can stir it back together, but it may not taste as good as you like.
Can you freeze coconut creamer?
Coconut creamer is similar to coffee creamer, and it’s used in the same way. For coffee, it will give it a sweeter taste than the coffee creamer.
Freezing coconut creamer may have a slight change in texture when it’s frozen. It will still be fine to use in the coffee though.