Can Alfredo sauce be frozen?

Homemade Alfredo sauce is one of the best comfort foods around.

There are many ways to make Alfredo sauce, and of course you can always buy it already made. You can mix it with any type of pasta or you can also use it for things other than pasta. One of the most popular alternatives now is pizza.

Whether you make Alfredo sauce from scratch or use your favorite kind from a jar, it’s important to know proper storage techniques to preserve it if you have leftovers.

A little sauce can go a long way, so it’s quite common to have leftover sauce that you have to figure out what to do with.

Can Alfredo sauce be frozen? Unlike some creamy sauces that don’t freeze very well, you can freeze Alfredo sauce for a short time with good results. The key to successfully freezing Alfredo sauce is to properly reheat it after freezing and thawing.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the entire process of freezing Alfredo sauce, sharing all the tips and tricks to help you succeed. We will also share tips for using it after freezing, as this is a really important part of the process.

Stay with us to learn how to freeze Alfredo sauce and much more.

Freezing Alfredo Sauce - The Ultimate Guide

You know Alfredo sauce. It’s a creamy white sauce loaded with dairy and garlic, among other things. Alfredo sauce recipes can vary, but for the most part, the base ingredients are the same.

What makes Alfredo sauce more difficult to freeze is the presence of heavy dairy products.

Creamy products and sauces, especially with cheese , are sometimes difficult to freeze. The usual problem is that they tend to separate when stored.

However, you can actually freeze some of these sauces if you are careful with the process.

It’s not so much the freezing that can cause problems, but the way you use the sauce once it’s frozen that can make your freezing journey a success. There are some specific tips for reheating that sauce that can bring everything back to the way it was meant to be.

Do cream sauces like Alfredo sauce freeze well?

It is time to end this myth. You’ve heard it before, which is probably why you’re here: Freezing any type of cream sauce carries some risk.

This IS true, but it does not make the task impossible.

You see, while freezing a cream sauce can have its risks and challenges, it is possible to freeze it successfully. You just have to know the best tricks to have the greatest success. Of course, that’s what we’re here for, right?

After testing and researching, we have all those hacks to share with you here. We’ll walk you through the best freezing process to use for almost any type of cream sauce, including Alfredo. It is the same concept in all cases.

Will your sauce have separation problems? Maybe so, but there are ways to work with the separation and bring your sauce back to life. 

The reason freezing cream sauces is often not recommended is that heavy dairy and cream ingredients tend to separate and even thin out. Lucky for you, we can combat those side effects.

If you freeze your cream sauces like Alfredo correctly, and reheat them correctly, you shouldn’t have much of a problem overall.

It’s not perfect, but it’s a reliable option when you need some way to preserve your cream sauce.

If you know you’ll need to freeze the sauce, freeze it immediately after cooking . Don’t put it in the fridge for 2-3 days and then freeze it. This will only make things worse.

What kind of ingredients does Alfredo sauce have?

In Alfredo sauce there are dairy products and then there are other ingredients that go along with the dairy. The ingredients can vary depending on how you choose to flavor or season the sauce.

It is the ingredients in the Alfredo sauce that can become a problem when the sauce is frozen. To better understand how freezing affects it, let’s take a closer look at those ingredients.

Here is a quick list of the ingredients found in a traditional Alfredo sauce:

• Melted butter
• Half and half or cream
• Cornstarch
• Garlic
• Parmesan
• Cream cheese
• various spices to taste

Keep in mind that these ingredients can vary, but this gives you a general idea of what Alfredo sauce typically goes into and what you might face if you are trying to freeze your sauce.

How to Freeze Alfredo Sauce

Now we are going to talk more specifically about the freezing process of Alfredo sauce. You can use these processes for both homemade and store-bought Alfredo sauce.

One thing to note here is that store-bought sauces will last quite a while if they sit in an unopened jar . This means you won’t need to freeze it unless you’ve opened it and you have sauce left over.

Both freeze quite well. Store-bought sauce may freeze slightly better, since it has been processed and canned before being used. However, in the end, if you do things correctly, both sauces will be able to freeze.

Follow these steps to freeze your Alfredo sauce:

1. Prepare your Alfredo sauce as normal, if only by opening the jar.
2. Let the Alfredo sauce cool to room temperature (if it’s cooked). Do not wait any longer to freeze it. The sooner you freeze it, the better, but you don’t want it to be too hot.
3. Separate the sauce into heavy-duty freezer bags. Don’t overfill the bags, you want to be able to lay them almost flat and have some room left in the bag.
4. Squeeze as much air as you can out of the bag.
5. Close the bags tightly, to ensure that there will be no leaks and that the air will not affect the sauce.
6. Label and date each bag.
7. Freeze immediately.

Freeze Alfredo sauce this way for up to 6 months . Don’t try to refreeze the sauce afterwards.

This method is quite simple. Keep in mind that you want to get the sauce into the freezer as soon as possible. The less time it sits at room temperature, the better. At the same time, you want your sauce to have cooled before you try to freeze it.

If you notice the sauce starting to separate as it cools, give it a good stir before putting it in the freezer bags. You don’t want the separation to occur before the sauce hits the freezer.

If you follow these steps, you should be able to freeze Alfredo sauce with no problem. Remember that the real challenge will come when it’s time to reheat that Alfredo sauce.

We promise you it’s not that hard. Your sauce will just need a little more TLC. We’ll talk about it right away.

Can store-bought and homemade Alfredo sauce be frozen the same way?

The good news is that you can use the methods we’ve shared to freeze both store-bought and homemade Alfredo sauce.

With store-bought Alfredo sauce, you most likely won’t have to worry about letting it cool. Of course, if you’ve already heated the entire jar in a pan, you will need to cool it down before freezing it.

Apart from that small detail, the processes are exactly the same.

Remember that if you have an unopened jar of Alfredo in your pantry , it will most likely be good there for at least 6 months .

If it’s in the pantry and it’s not open, you don’t have to worry about freezing it. Just keep it in the pantry for when you need it.

You can freeze both homemade and store-bought Alfredo sauce, using the same methods, and expect very similar results in the end.

How to Handle Alfredo Sauce After Freezing It

Now let’s get to the heart of the matter. We’ve told you before in this guide that if you freeze your Alfredo sauce, the real key to success lies in how you handle it after freezing.

Following the proper freezing steps DOES matter, but reheating it properly is almost as important as well.

You see, freezing is just preservation. In the freezer, some separation of the ingredients may occur and that’s okay.

BUT when you take that sauce out of the freezer and you’re ready to use it, that’s when you want to take extra care to get your sauce back to what it was meant to be enjoyed, and hopefully not experience any strange textures or flavors in the process.

Since this is such a vital part of successfully freezing Alfredo Sauce, we’ve included steps for using Alfredo Sauce after you’ve frozen it, so you have a satisfying experience.

Follow these steps once you’ve frozen your Alfredo sauce and are ready to use it again:

1. Let the Alfredo sauce thaw in the fridge overnight , if possible. We recommend that you let it thaw so you can handle it properly when reheating it.
2. Before reheating, use a whisk or sturdy spoon and stir very well until the ingredients that have separated come back together.
3. Return to heat on the fire in a pot. Use a low heat and do not overheat the sauce. You want to heat it slowly over low heat until it reaches only about 160 degrees Fahrenheit. As it reheats, use a spoon or whisk and stir it almost constantly so that the ingredients come back together properly.

Note : If your sauce seems too thin or like it has excess moisture, you can add a little diluted cornstarch.

Dilute about 1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch with a couple of drops of water and stir this solution into the sauce. Let the sauce simmer, stirring regularly, and it will thicken in the process.

This part of the process isn’t overly complicated, but it does require some attention on your part to make sure the sauce reheats properly and you don’t have a problem.

If you follow these steps and tricks, you shouldn’t have any problems with your sauce having a strange texture or taste and it will be almost as good as the first time around.

The key is to stir it before reheating to bind the ingredients together and to stir it very regularly while reheating to keep the ingredients together as well.

And that’s it. You are ready to enjoy that Alfredo sauce again!

Remember, don’t try to refreeze the sauce after you’ve frozen and reheated it once.

How long can you keep Alfredo sauce in the fridge?

If you plan to use the Alfredo sauce that you have left over in a few days, you can totally use the refrigerator.

If you choose to keep the Alfredo sauce in the refrigerator, the maximum period to obtain the best quality is about 3-4 days . Since this is a dairy product that has been cooked, it probably won’t keep longer than that in the fridge.

For comparison, you can keep Alfredo sauce in the freezer for up to 6 months. Both of these storage times are dependent on it being stored correctly and being stored in an airtight method as well.

Can we tell you a little secret? Your Alfredo sauce can also separate while stored in the fridge.

A good way to combat it is to stir it well and vigorously before using it. If you think it has thinned out, try adding a small amount of flour or cornstarch to help thicken it up again.

Just a quick reminder: if you anticipate having to freeze your Alfredo sauce, it’s best to do it right away and skip the refrigeration step entirely.

This is because the quality will degrade each day in the fridge and will not improve while in the freezer.

Remember that freezing items rarely improves their quality, but is only intended to preserve their quality as it is at the time of freezing. If you store your Alfredo in the fridge and transfer it to the freezer, it will reduce its overall quality.

That being said, if you stick your Alfredo in the fridge and then realize you’re not going to use it for a couple of days, go ahead and freeze it. Stir it well and put it in the freezer as soon as possible when you realize you need it.

Although it’s not best practice to refrigerate and then freeze your Alfredo sauce, it is a possible approach and will work better than letting it go bad in the fridge and then having to throw it away.

Related questions

We hope you found this guide to freezing Alfredo sauce informative and helpful. You should now be equipped with all the little details you need to know to successfully freeze alfredo sauce.

This process works really well when done correctly and is a great way to preserve alfredo sauce that might otherwise have to be thrown away quickly.

We invite you to review the following section to see some frequently asked questions that may be useful to you.

Can Alfredo sauce be frozen in a jar or container?

Yes. Although our process recommends a freezer bag, you can use any container that is airtight and freezer-safe . Keep in mind that this doesn’t usually include the jar your sauce came in.

We prefer freezer bags because they’re easy to store in the freezer, but you’re not limited to that option. Just make sure whatever you use seals tight, doesn’t leak, and is freezer safe to preserve the Alfredo sauce.

How can you make the sauce stay creamy?

We recommend that you consult the section of the guide that is based on the handling of Alfredo sauce once frozen. It offers several tricks for the quality of your Alfredo sauce.

You can use a cornstarch paste and stir a lot and your sauce will be just as creamy.

Can you thicken jarred sauce without cornstarch?

You can add whatever you want to the sauce. Some people like to puree the vegetables and mix it into the sauce. Others add milk to canned salsa from the store.

You can also add a little cream cheese, roux, egg yolks, or grated Parmesan cheese to give it more thickness.