Quick Answer: Can You Freeze Pudding?
Yes, you can absolutely freeze pudding! While freezing can, to an extent, affect the texture, consistency, and general appearance of the pudding, freezing and thawing it following the right techniques and properly going through the steps can reduce these changes to a minimum. All you need to do is carefully layer out your pudding inside an airtight container, seal and freeze carefully.
This is a comprehensive guide to freezing pudding with ease!
Let’s dive right in!
Can You Freeze Homemade Pudding?
Freezing works significantly better if you are working with homemade pudding, as you can prep the ingredients on your own to an extent and make them more suitable for freezing. Read this step-by-step guide to find out how.
Materials
- All your necessary ingredients for pudding according to your recipe
- Small dish
- Lemon juice
- A sturdy spoon
- Airtight freezer-safe container
- Cling wrap
Tools
- No special tools needed
Instructions
- Dip ingredients like fruit slices into lemon juices – Before you begin prepping to actually make your pudding if you are using fruits (like banana, berries, etc.) in your pudding, dip those slices/pieces into a small dish containing lemon juice.
The citric acids in the lemon juice prevent oxidation from happening to the fruit once it comes into contact with air after defrosting. They will retain its natural color instead of turning into a muddy, unappetizing brownish tint. - Make pudding as per recipe – Make your pudding as you would, closely following the recipe.
- Transfer into an airtight container – Once the pudding has been made and is ready to freeze, transfer it immediately into an airtight freezer container, using a sturdy spoon.
- Cover container with cling wrap, secure lid, and freeze – Once you have put the pudding inside the container, cover the mouth of the container securely with cling wrap. Then secure the lid tightly, making sure it is airtight and watertight.
Ensure you have sealed it carefully. Label the container, and it is ready to freeze!
Freezing Store-bought Pudding
Time Taken: 15-30 minutes
What You Need:
- A sturdy spoon
- Airtight freezer-safe container
- Cling wrap
This is a bit harder to freeze as all the ingredients have already been assembled into pudding, leaving you no chance to prep them beforehand to ensure better freezing.
It is also tricky and not recommended to freeze store-bought pudding in the packaging or container it came in.
The chances are that the original packaging does not provide your dessert with enough protection during freezing.
Therefore, if you have a choice between making pudding yourself at home or buying it from the store, especially if you are looking to keep the dessert in freezer storage at least for a while, it is always a better idea to go with homemade.
You can still freeze store-bought pudding without worries.
Just follow these steps carefully, and remember to consume it as early as possible within freezing it.
Transfer into an Airtight Container
Use a sturdy spoon to transfer the pudding immediately into an airtight freezer container.
Remember, the fresher it is when kept in the freezer, the better it will freeze.
It is a better idea, therefore, to freeze the store-bought pudding at the earliest since the time it is bought and opened.
Cover Container with Cling Wrap, Secure Lid, and Freeze
Once you have put the pudding inside the container, cover the mouth of the container securely with cling wrap.
Then secure the lid tightly, making sure it is airtight and watertight.
Ensure you have sealed it carefully.
Label the container, and it is ready to freeze.
Freezing Pudding in Popsicle Molds
Time Taken: 15-30 minutes
What You Need:
- A sturdy spoon
- Popsicle molds / small plastic freezer-safe cups
- Cling wrap
This is a tried and tested method where you would need popsicle molds, or even small plastic cups should do the trick.
This is a very versatile method to freeze pudding, allowing you to take them out and enjoy them anytime as small, quick snacks.
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.
Cover the top of the molds or cups tightly, with the stick poking out from the center; making them airtight and watertight.
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 of freezing.
If you are a little confused about the whole popsicles molds method and how to go about it, don’t worry.
You can check out this easy to follow, visual guide and the step-by-step instructions it provides for more help:
Freezing Pudding in Ice Cube Trays
Time Taken: 7-8 hours
What You Need:
- Ice cube trays
- Aluminum foil
- Airtight resealable freezer bags
If your pudding ventures more towards the side of being liquid, it is a great idea to freeze it in ice cube trays.
This is a very widely recommended method! It helps preserve your pudding really well, and also saves storage space, and allows you to freeze and use in portions!
Divide the Pudding 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 Pudding 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 pudding 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 pudding flash-freeze for at least 5 to 6 hours.
To be safe, you can even flash freeze overnight.
Remember that the top of the cube may have frozen, but not the entire cube of pudding.
So be generous with the amount of time you keep them in the freezer.
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 as fast as possible so that the frozen pudding 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 pudding cubes inside.
Once the bags are sealed securely and labeled, they are ready to freeze!
How to Freeze Rice Pudding
Time Taken: 15-30 minutes
What You Need:
- A sturdy spoon
- Airtight freezer-safe container with a tight-fitting lid
- Cling wrap
Rice pudding is a delicious and healthy dish made from white rice and milk.
While it technically freezes fine, the temperature-sensitive ingredients in rice pudding can sometimes cause some amounts of changes in its texture and consistency when frozen and thawed.
And in case you would like a quick refresher on the recipe, check this out:
Prep the Rice Pudding for Freezing
This step can be skipped if you are freezing leftover rice pudding; however, if freshly made, it is very important that you allow it to cool down completely before freezing it.
Putting hot rice pudding inside the freezer can lead to spitting, ultimately making your rice pudding hard to freeze well and, in some cases, inedible.
Transfer Rice Pudding into the Container
Once your shallow airtight container with a tight-fitting lid has been thoroughly cleaned, carefully use a sturdy spoon to transfer the completely cooled-down rice pudding into it.
Be sure to not fill the container to the brim with the pudding; leave at least an inch or two of headspace for it to expand while freezing.
Seal Securely, Cover with Cling Wrap
Once filled, cover the container with the lid to make sure it is completely airtight and watertight.
Then pack the container tightly and securely in cling wrap for added protection against freezer burns.
Label and Freeze
Label the container with the storage date so that you do not miss it and keep it in the freezer for too long.
It is ready to freeze!
You can keep your rice pudding in freezer storage for up to 3 months.
Do not freeze it beyond that, as the rice pudding will likely start losing its flavor, consistency, texture, and even taste.
How Long Can You Freeze Pudding?
If frozen properly following the right method and technique, with all the steps having been followed properly, and if made sure that the bags or containers have been sealed carefully and made totally airtight and watertight, your pudding can be frozen for two to three months.
However, it bears mentioning that the longer the pudding sits in the freezer, the greater are its chances of a deteriorating consistency and texture and even flavor.
So, it is a good idea to finish up your pudding at the earliest since freezing.
How to Store Frozen Pudding?
As discussed, pudding can be kept in freezer storage in airtight containers with tight-fitting lids, whether homemade or store-bought, or also as popsicles, or even in the form of cubes.
Whichever method you go with, the sealing and freezing need 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 pudding is frozen at the same, consistent temperature in the freezer.
How to Defrost Frozen Pudding?
To defrost your pudding, you can simply transfer the freezer bags or containers from the freezer to the fridge and leave them to thaw overnight, or at least for 6 to 8 hours.
In some cases, such as with the pudding popsicles or even with the pudding cubes, it is not entirely necessary to defrost them at all, you can have the popsicles frozen as they are, and the cubes can be added to different dessert treats or had as they are.
Can You Re-freeze Frozen Pudding?
While the answer technically depends on the ingredients you have used in your pudding, it is usually not recommended to re-freeze pudding.
The reason is, to freeze and thaw it once would already take a toll on the pudding’s consistency, texture, and even flavor.
After once, they can still be fixed.
But to repeat that whole process once more might render the pudding ruined beyond salvation.
Does Pudding Freeze Well?
Strictly speaking, pudding freezes fine, up to a period of three months.
Do note that it is not advised at all to keep your pudding in freezer storage beyond that time period.
Other things to note and make sure so that the pudding freezes well is that the freezer temperature stays consistent and that the containers used are of good quality and sealed very tightly and securely before freezing.
Things to Note About Freezing Pudding?
When the pudding is frozen, its consistency transforms little by little to closely resemble that of rich, creamy ice cream.
This applies for most store-bought mixes, as well as homemade puddings and even other variants such as rice pudding and tapioca pudding.
Therefore, frozen pudding also makes quite a delicious frozen delicacy and quick treat on its own.
You can simply freeze for a few hours in a storage container, and grab a spoon and enjoy!
You can also freeze different desserts that have a pudding layer over them, in addition to freezing pudding itself to have later.
Also note, that not all kinds of pudding can be frozen successfully.
Common puddings such as rice pudding, yogurt pudding, caramel pudding, bread pudding, gelatin pudding, and cream pudding, and so on and so forth can usually be frozen just fine.
However, when it comes to pudding with not too common ingredients, you should be a tad more cautious.
For example, if you have used cookies or any crispy ingredients in the pudding, freezing the pudding is not the best idea.
It has high chances of getting moist, soggy, and with a watery consistency; ruining the flavor and taste too.
You can still freeze and eat most pudding desserts, though; just be mindful of the possible mishaps and degraded taste and flavor.
FAQs
As with all other frozen foods, it is always strongly advised that you inspect them carefully for signs of spoilage after freezing and thawing and before consuming.
In case of frozen pudding, your senses are usually your most reliable bets. You can tell if a pudding has gone bad if you see pockets of liquid that have separated from the other ingredients.
Growths of dark mold or light bacterial marks on the surface of the pudding are also signs of spoilage that you should absolutely not ignore.
Also, if your pudding tastes bitter and has a sharp, off-flavor instead of its typical sweet taste, you need to discard the pudding.
Yes. Usually, certain ingredients in bread puddings make their freezing and thawing a little trickier, but you can freeze them nevertheless.
To freeze, cut it into servable pieces, and wrap each tightly in aluminum foil or plastic wrap.
Consider adding toppings and ingredients such as fruits and cookies that do not traditionally freeze well later after freezing and thawing. If these are frozen with the rest of the pudding, even if the pudding component freezes well, they may not.
You can freeze a wide variety of different kinds of pudding, including bread, oatmeal, rice, gelatin, persimmon, butterscotch, sweet potato pudding, and pudding pies!
When stored in the refrigerator, pudding has a fairly short shelf life. It stays good for at least five to six days.
If you have plans to store it beyond that time, though, we strongly recommend freezing as the next best viable alternative.
Bottom Line
We hope this comprehensive, step-by-step guide covering the best methods to freeze pudding, along with rice pudding successfully at the safety and ease of your home, as well as the tips, hacks, and tricks described, has helped you!
For any further questions you may have regarding freezing pudding, please do let us know by reaching out to us; we would love to help you out!
If you have any other tips and tricks for freezing pudding you have discovered and would like other people also to know, feel free to reach out and let us know, and 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.