Have you ever heard of freezer cooking? It’s basically like cooking dinner, except for COOKING it, you FREEZE it. Then whenever you need dinner in a flash, you pull something from the freezer and stick it in the oven.
Until the past year or so, I’ve always had a small freezer. That meant freezing full meals like chicken and spinach enchiladas would be out of the question.
However, it worked in my favor in that I’ve mastered the art of freezing meal COMPONENTS.
Last year I brought shock and awe to many readers when I shared how to freeze tomato paste. Today, I’m showing you how to freeze yogurt!
When we lived in California, I used to make my own yogurt (including homemade Greek yogurt!). Milk was expensive and when I did the math, making it from scratch saved me money.
Now that we live in Georgia though, milk is cheap enough that it doesn’t benefit me to make our own yogurt. Instead, I watch for sales on the brands I like most, and stock up until the next sale.
The last time I went shopping though, my yogurt wasn’t on sale. It didn’t matter though, because another brand I like was on CLEARANCE!
I bought 5 quarts, brought it home, and immediately started making a plan. I definitely saved money by buying yogurt on clearance, but it would have been a waste if I didn’t come up with a way to use it up!
I drink a green maca smoothie during the week for breakfast, and I use yogurt in my homemade Caesar dressing.
My kids and husband will occasionally have yogurt and granola (we’re digging this cinnamon granola right now), but all of this combined still isn’t enough to eat all the yogurt before it goes bad.
So I turned to my favorite preservation method – freezing!
Anytime you freeze something, you have to consider how the texture might change after the fact. This then, determines how you freeze it in the first place.
For example, cheese. You can freeze cheese, but it crumbles when you take it out to thaw. This makes shredding a frozen block of cheese nearly impossible.
For this reason, it’s best to shred the cheese FIRST, and then freeze it in smaller portions. Plus, this helps to stretch your cheese by using only what you need.
What about freezing yogurt?
According to this article, when frozen yogurt is thawed, it can separate and become grainy and watery. Yogurt contains live bacteria and sometimes tastes a bit acidic already (that’s the tart flavor you taste), but the freezing process can enhance that flavor.
How to Use Frozen Yogurt in Cooking and Baking
Previously frozen yogurt is still excellent in baking and in anything where you don’t need the original yogurt texture.
So my peanut butter chocolate chip muffins would a safe bet, as would the sauce in my chicken and spinach enchiladas, any smoothie recipe (including all of them from my smoothie eBook) or even in most salad dressings.
However, if you need yogurt in an uncooked recipe, like a smooth sauce or even if you want to eat it plain, it would be best to use fresh yogurt.
How to Freeze Yogurt
Freezing yogurt is actually really, really easy! It feels kind of silly to write an actual tutorial, but I know some of you will find it helpful. Especially since you may not have ever considered freezing yogurt in the first place!
Before you jump in though, I want to make a public service announcement about a tool that I recommend: a cookie scoop.
I have and ADORE my cookie scoop for so many reasons… like my Italian meatballs, sweet & salty energy bites, for freezing tomato paste and yes, even for my cookies. Using a cookie scoop means every ball is the exact same uniform size. More importantly, when you freeze yogurt, it means knowing exactly how much yogurt you froze.
For example – if you are using a 1 ounce cookie scoop (that’s the same as 2 tablespoons), then you know that every single one of your balls is exactly 1 ounce. If you use a spoon, there’s really no telling what size your balls are… which may be fine if you’re making a smoothie. But it’s definitely not fine if you need a certain amount of yogurt for a recipe.
So with that said, sign up for Swagbucks (it’s free) and start earning gift cards to Amazon so you can treat yourself to a cookie scoop without spending any money out of pocket!
How to Freeze Yogurt: Supplies
- Yogurt (any kind, and here’s how to make your own yogurt)
- Cookie Sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Cookie Scoop
How to Freeze Yogurt: Method
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Use a cookie scoop to portion yogurt onto the parchment paper. Leave about ½” to 1” of space between each scoop.
- Place in the freezer for at least a couple hours, but overnight is best.
- When they are frozen through, remove frozen yogurt balls to a freezer-safe storage container and freeze. Yogurt can be frozen for up to 3 months.
What happens to the friendly bacteria in the yogurt when you freeze it ?
If it does not survive there is little point in freezing it.
Cheers Marthea
Hi Marthea! The research I’ve found shows that the beneficial bacteria is not damaged during freezing. It might go dormant, but it won’t die!
I’ve been freezing tomato paste (and fresh basil frozen in ice cube trays) for a while now. Never thought of freezing yogurt but will also start that as I always make my own and don’t always use it up when I should. On a not exactly related topic, our local store recently had 3# bags of Vidalia onions on sale with reward card they were $.99 a bag. I bought 4 and now have 4 bags of chopped onions in the freezer. Such a convenience to have them already chopped. I peeled and my husband, God bless him chopped all 12 pounds.
Can I borrow your husband for a day? LOL!!
Great idea. I’m hoping to start making yogurt from raw milk and I don’t think it will keep as long so freezing may be a great option. Unrelated but a shout out to great deals I scored a 50lb bag of organic rolled oats for .75/lb. I looked up rolled oats at walmart and for regular, not organic, they were over a dollar a pound. Pretty pleased with my deal!
Great score there Joelle!! Where did you get it from? I need some oats too. 😉
I found the rolled oats at Natural Grocers but they were on the clearance rack so were not the regular price. I don’t shop there often but usually find a few really good deals when I stop in. Yesterday it was specialty chocolate bars and ginger beer (a christmas stocking tradition at my house) for at least half price.
Our sprouts does 50 cent oats a few times a year.
Ooh – thanks Janice!
Did you know yogurt stays good for a very long time after the sell by date?
Yes I did, and that’s true in most cases! But freezing it is a great way to make it last even longer. 🙂
Approximately how long is it good past the best by date?
Use the smell test Debbie!
Can you tell me if you can freeze those little yogurts? Any brand, it doesn’t matter. My husband and I like the yogurts that comes with a topping. Sometimes they are on sale at a great savings to me. We are living in a 5th wheel trailer and the refrigerator is extremely small to store the yogurt.
Yes you can! The texture might be a bit grainy if you want to eat it as-is, but you can definitely freeze. I’d try one, and then thaw to see if he likes the texture after thawing.
I want to freeze my store bought strawberry banana yogurt as a snack for my grandkids. Almost every article I’ve read, says the same thing about the texture. This article – the recipe & scooping is confusing to me. First, the scooping shown in the picture. I don’t understand how the yogurt stays in a “cookie dough” type of ball? As far as the textures goes, did I miss anything about adding anything so the texture isn’t grainy? Thank you in advance
Hi Brenda! I’m probably using a different yogurt than you. I only buy full fat, whole milk Greek yogurt. This is very thick, and while the balls don’t keep at room temperature for long, they stay long enough for me to finish scooping the pan and get it in the freezer. As far as I know, there’s nothing you can add to change the texture of the yogurt, BUT if you blend it, it should be creamy. I’d add a little fruit though, to help it along.
Re: Freezing.
I buy frozen onions and mixed bell peppers.
but like freezing your own onions you can freeze bell peppers you plan to cook with.
It reduces science projects lurking in your fridge.
I have never tried freezing my fresh veggies, but I was tired of throwing money in the trash. To relieve my frustration I started chopping all of my fresh veggies then placing them in canning jars. I keep them on the second shelf in my refrigerator (I live in a 5th wheel so space is limited) which seems to be the perfect temp for them. Having my peppers and onions pre-chopped it cuts down on my cooking time in the kitchen. Here’s another way to use canning jars. If you buy lettuce or salad by the bag, you can put the leftover salad in the jar. I no longer end up throwing any rotten food in the garbage. Yep, makes me one happy camper.
Great ideas Linda!
I throw extra yogurt into an ice cream maker for yummy homemade frozen yogurt. Flavor the yogurt however you would flavor your regular homemade ice cream. Try vanilla and sweetener of choice for vanilla, strawberry purée and sweetener for strawberry, whatever you like!
I am thinking of using an ice cube tray.
Gonna give homemade yogurt a try, and not sure how long it will last, or how quick it will go.
Planning on using fresh for regular eating, and the frozen with over night oats for the most part. I figure I can take out what I need and make a batch. Using it for smoothies sounds good too.
Thanks.
Those are great (and smart) plans Dora!!
I purchase the 100g flavored Kirkland signature yogurt and put all of them in the freezer both at work and at home. When I go into work in the morning I take a couple out of the freezer and place in the refrigerator to let them thaw out slightly. It is just like having ice cream.
I got half of the office hooked on doing this. A much healthier snack than the Tim Tams that someone keeps bringing in to share…..
I need to try this!
I don’t eat yogurt by itself which means if a recipe calls for it I end up wasting some as even the smallest container is more than a recipe calls for sometimes so I tend to steer away from recipes with yogurt in them. Now that I know I can freeze it, I’ll definitely be making them more often!
I use it in curry sauces and smoothies.
If you have frozen your yogurt, thaw it in the refrigerator for a few days and then use an immersion blender in the carton. it will take a while – don’t give up – but you will end up with yogurt that is far creamier than the original. it’s amazing.
Thanks for the tip Lucy!
I freeze mine in their single serving containers and when I’m ready to make a smoothie, I set the container in hot water to loosen the yogurt then chop up and put in the blender. Keeps my smoothie frozen longer when you use more than just ice as your frozen component 😊
So the texture changes when you freeze it, but what about the consistency? If I freeze Greek yogurt, will it still be the same thickness after thawing?
It will be a little thinner Sarah.
I use plain greek yogurt as a moisturizing mask for my face.Was wasting a lot of it but now I can freeze it for use as needed.
Thanks
Aixa
You’re very welcome!
So there was a major glitch that I took advantage of and I now have 28 containers of yogurt in my fridge …. They are 32oz each …. My kids eat yogurt CONSTANTLY but I was concerned a few of them possibly going bad … Had NO IDEA you could freeze yogurt never really thought about it !!! Im REALLY happy I came across this article ❗❗❗❗
My question is would it be that big of a deal to just freeze it in its unopened container?? Or would an ice tray be a decent idea?? Would they pop out alright??
Hi Momma Misty! It’s probably no big deal to freeze unopened, although the container might expand a little in the freezing process. Make sure you thaw in a bowl or something though, in case that peel-away seal breaks in the freezing process. You don’t want yogurt leaking all over the fridge! And ice cube trays work too!
love this article!
can i freeze my home-made strained (essentially greek i suppose) yoghurt in little ice cubes to use a starter for my next batch of home-made yoghurt? hve you had much success with this method and how long were you able to keep these frozen gems that would allow success with future homemade yoghurt? I read that some people freeze but only up to 1 week (but sometimes i can’t have time to make yoghurt every week due to work or may be on yoghurt overload so needing a yoghurt hiatus haha!) thanks!!
I’ve used homemade frozen yogurt that’s been frozen for 4 months (because I ruined my more recent starter). It worked fine! Those little bacteria are strong!
I use fat free Greek yogurt along with a variety of frozen fruit and banana in my smoothie for breakfast. I add ice cubes to make even collider. I thought about freezing the yogurt in place of the ice cubes but now I’m concerned about it being grainy. Should I be worried about that.?
If you’re going to blend the yogurt anyway, you’ll be fine to freeze the yogurt. It’s more of a concern if you were going to eat it plain.
I’ve just started making my own yogurt and have discovered that sheep’s milk yogurt is the best starter. I use what I need and then freeze the rest in an ice cube tray to ideas starter for subsequent batches. And when I run out of those, I’ll just freeze some of my homemade yogurt for the next couple of batches.
If you agitate the yogurt a handful of times throughout the freezing period it will not split & turn grainie.
Thanks for the tip Dan!