Can You Freeze Heavy Cream? How?

This is a step-by-step guide on how to freeze heavy cream with ease.

These methods have worked like charm for me.

Read on to find out!

Freezing Larger Portions of Heavy Cream Together

While this is not always the most recommended method if say you do not require or end up using the entire amount of heavy cream you have frozen.

In that case, you will have to thaw all of it, but the leftovers you don’t need will have to be discarded, as refreezing is not advised.

That said, this is the easiest method. Follow this to freeze your heavy cream only if you are absolutely sure that you will be using up all of it in a recipe in the future.

Transfer the Heavy Cream into the Container

This is slightly tricky in the sense that you need to choose the perfect container for this.

While it cannot be too big such that there is too much space left in it even after the cream is inside, there also needs to be around an inch of headspace left for the cream to expand while freezing.

So, choose your container accordingly, and definitely make sure it is freezer-safe.

Seal Container Tightly

The container must have a tight-fitting lid. Snap it on securely once all your heavy cream has been transferred inside.

Put Container into Airtight Freezer Bag

This added layer of protection is to make sure that your cream holds up in the freezer for up to 3 weeks against freezer burns. Again, make sure the bag is appropriately sized and of good quality.

Seal Freezer Bag Carefully

Squeeze out all the air possible from the freezer bag, and seal it tightly and securely.

Label and Freeze

Label the freezer bag. Your heavy cream is good to freeze!

Freezing Heavy Cream in Silicone Molds

This is a tried and tested method where you would need silicone popsicle molds, or even small plastic cups should do the trick.

This is a versatile method to freeze cream, allowing you to take them out and use them as you please.

Transfer Pudding in Portions into Popsicle Molds or Little Plastic Cups

Do as instructed. Be careful not to fill the molds or cups to the brim; leave around half an inch of space for the pudding to expand while freezing.

Insert Sticks

Insert sticks into the pudding.

Cover the Cups or Molds with Cling Film

You can also use plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Cover the top of the molds or cups tightly, with the stick poking out from the center; making them airtight and watertight.

Flash-Freeze for at Least Six to Seven Hours

To be safe, you can even let the heavy cream molds freeze overnight.

Transfer into Airtight Resealable Freezer Bags

Once they have frozen hard, transfer the heavy cream molds into an airtight resealable freezer bag. Make sure to do this fast so that the molds do not start thawing.

Seal Carefully and Label

Be sure to seal the bag really well and tightly.

Squeeze out all the air possible from the bag, and then seal it tightly and securely.

The heavy cream freezing well depends on how well you secure the bags.

Label the bag with the storage date.

Freeze

Your pudding popsicles are ready to freeze!

They can be kept in freezer storage for up to 4 to 6 weeks, and should ideally be consumed within a month or two of freezing.

Freezing Whipped Heavy Cream Dollops

This method makes the cream very useful to be added to cupcakes, or small cake fillings, directly!

This method also ensures better preservation of the heavy cream in the freezer, thanks to the flash-freezing.

Whip the Heavy Cream in a Bowl

Again, you will not need to do too much of this as the heavy cream is an advantage here. Just whip till it is stiff.

Use the Whip to Place Dollops of Heavy Cream on a Baking Sheet or Tray

First, line the baking tray or sheet with some parchment or wax paper.

Then, as mentioned, use the whip to form dollops of cream, and place each dollop on the paper, leaving some distance between the dollops.

Cover the Baking Tray With a Large Airtight Freezer Bag, Seal and Flash-freeze

This is to make sure that your cream dollops are not exposed to any freezer airs.

Put it inside the freezer and allow the cream dollops to flash-freeze for at least six to seven hours.

To be safe, you can even leave them in the freezer overnight.

Transfer Frozen Dollops Inside a Rigid Airtight Container

Once the cream dollops have frozen hard, pick them off the sheet and place inside a rigid airtight, freezer-safe container.

Snap its lid on tightly and securely.

Put Container into Airtight Freezer Bag and Seal Carefully

Squeeze out all the air possible from the freezer bag, and then seal it tightly and securely.

Label and Freeze

Label the freezer bag. Your heavy cream dollops are good to freeze!

Freezing Heavy Cream in Ice Cube Trays

If your heavy cream is not too stiff or solid, it is a great idea to freeze it in ice cube trays.

This is a very widely recommended method! It helps preserve your heavy cream really well, and also saves storage space; allows you to freeze and use in portions!

Divide the Heavy Cream into Single-Serving Portions

This is important as it makes your storing process much easier and more hassle-free, as well as the later processes like thawing.

Pour the Cream According to Serving Portions into the Ice Cube Trays

Do this carefully, and be sure to not fill the cubes to the brim with the heavy cream as it will expand while freezing.

Cover the Ice Trays With Aluminum Foil and Flash-freeze

Once the ice trays have been covered securely with aluminum foil, stick them in the freezer and let the heavy cream flash-freeze for at least 5 to 6 hours.

To be safe, you can even flash freeze overnight.

Transfer the Cubes to Airtight Freezer Bags

Once they have frozen properly into cubes, take the trays out, pop out the cubes and transfer them into airtight freezer bags.

Do this process quickly so that the frozen heavy cream cubes do not start to thaw.

Seal Securely, Label and Freeze

Squeeze out as much excess air as possible from the freezer bags after putting the cream cubes inside.

Once the bags are sealed securely and labeled, they are ready to freeze!

While freezing in ice cube trays is a great method to freeze cream in portions, it is not the only one.

The next method is also preferred by many people.

How to Freeze Buttercream

Freezing buttercream is a fairly simple process that does not take too much time or effort. All you require is a large, airtight, freezer friendly, preferably glass container that can be sealed off securely.

Put Buttercream inside Container

Using a sturdy spoon or ladle, carefully transfer all of your buttercream frosting into the freezer container.

Seal Carefully

We really cannot understate the importance of sealing off the lid of the container tightly and securely.

Make sure the container is totally airtight and watertight.

Remember any exposure to air or moisture within your freezer can completely ruin your buttercream.

Label and Freeze

Once sealed properly, label your container with the date so that there are no mishaps when it comes to consuming the buttercream within the advised time period.

There, your buttercream is ready to freeze! So simple, was it not?

For a visual guide, you can also go ahead and refer to:

How Long Can You Freeze Heavy Cream?

For best results, the frozen heavy cream should not be kept in freezer storage for beyond three to four months and should ideally consumed within that time frame.

Note that, with the second method, that is, freezing sweetened heavy cream, it might be possible to keep your heavy cream in the freezer for up to a month.

However, it is really not recommended to keep them in freezer storage beyond that.

This is also I always recommend freezing with the storage date labeled.

This way, you do not end up keeping the heavy cream in the freezer for too long.

How to Store Frozen Heavy Cream?

As discussed, heavy cream can be kept in freezer storage in airtight containers with tight-fitting lids, whether whole or in portions, or even in the form of cubes, or after being frozen into molds.

Whichever method you go with, the sealing and freezing needs to be done very carefully; good quality airtight and watertight freezer-safe containers need to be used, and it needs to be ensured that the cream is frozen at the same, consistent temperature in the freezer.

For all the processes and methods prescribed here, using heavy-duty, airtight, resealable, freezer-friendly bags and pouches to freeze the heavy cream in is a must.

If you are using containers instead, ensure that they are freezer-safe and have tight-fitting lids.

And they need to be sealed really well.

A vacuum sealer is actually a great investment for this purpose, especially if you freeze food often.

It would help get all the air out.

Remember that your heavy cream may not hold up well in the freezer even beyond a couple of weeks if the storage is not done properly, following all the instructions correctly and meticulously and making sure you use the best quality materials.

How to Defrost Frozen Heavy Cream?

The best way to defrost frozen heavy cream is to transfer it to the refrigerator from the freezer and let it thaw overnight.

In case of texture changes, giving the cream a good whip helps.

There are specific methods for defrosting, based on your method of freezing.

In case of just the heavy cream itself, you can thaw in the fridge, or even in some cases, add the cream directly into cooking dishes such as soups, curries or stews, and let the heat melt it into the dish.

Do know, however, that the cream will most possibly be a little runny afterwards.

The same applies for heavy cream cubes.

Each cube should hold roughly one teaspoon of heavy cream, so you can use them accordingly to add directly into cooking recipes that require small amounts of heavy cream.

The heat will melt them into the dish anyway.

As for the whipped cream dollops, you can thaw them on the kitchen counter for around 10 minutes and they will be good to use for cupcakes and small cake fillings.

The dollops are to basically act like whipped cream, that has already been divided into usable portions.

In case of heavy cream that has separated during the process of freezing or thawing, don’t worry! It can be fixed.

Jiggle and lightly shake the cream while still inside the container and with the lid still on. This helps reconstitute the ingredients significantly.

Otherwise, you can simply give the frozen and thawed heavy cream a good whip to beat it back into shape as much as possible. Know that once frozen, heavy cream will not whip up the same way that fresh cream does.

However, it can still be used in a multitude of recipes.

Can You Re-freeze Frozen Heavy Cream?

It is not recommended to re-freeze frozen heavy cream, as, to freeze and thaw it once would already take a toll on its consistency, texture, and even flavor.

But to repeat that whole process once more might render the cream ruined beyond salvation.

Try your best to use up all of the heavy cream the first time around that it is thawed.

In the case of leftovers, it is best to discard them as chances are that they are no longer safe or suitable for consumption.

This is also the reason that I advise you to freeze heavy cream, or honestly any food for that matter, in serving portions, or together at once only if you are confident that you can use it all up at one go.

Refreezing is really not worth it.

Does Heavy Cream Freeze Well?

Strictly speaking, heavy cream does not freeze well at all.

People actually recommend avoiding it entirely until absolutely necessary, and my advice to you is the same.

While you can freeze heavy cream safely, it does not really freeze well in the sense that the texture can change considerably.

Frozen heavy cream will never have the same consistency or be able to be whipped up the way we can do with fresh heavy cream.

Therefore, frozen and thawed heavy cream can only be used in cooking or baking recipes.

Also remember that you must use up the heavy cream mandatorily within a maximum of three to four weeks of freezing.

Keeping it in the freezer for beyond that will not improve it in any way; consuming the heavy cream might even be dangerous to an extent.

FAQs

Bottom Line

We hope this comprehensive, step-by-step guide covering the best methods to freeze heavy cream successfully at the safety and ease of your home has helped you!

For any further questions you may have regarding freezing heavy cream, please do let us know by reaching out to us!

If you have any other tips and tricks, feel free to reach out and let us know; we will add them to this guide so they can help more people!

If this guide has helped you, please do share it with your friends and family so that they can also use it.