Can almond milk be frozen? - The Ultimate Guide

Almond milk is a great milk substitute to keep on hand if you are trying to cut down on dairy or perhaps have some type of dairy intolerance in your home.

It’s a great option to add to your protein shakes or just to make homemade smoothies, and it can be quite useful in general in the kitchen.

Milk, including almond milk and other varieties of milk, can be very difficult to store. If you don’t use much or use it regularly, it just doesn’t last long.

So, you are left with no choice but to think about how to preserve it or just throw it away and roll your eyes at the money wasted on milk.

Can almond milk be frozen? If you are freezing almond milk to drink or use in cereals, we do not recommend this process because the texture of the milk changes drastically. However, frozen almond milk is still usable for blending into smoothies, as the blending process tends to reincorporate the separated milk.

In this guide, we’ll explain how to freeze almond milk and what you can expect after freezing it.

Keep in mind that there will be certain steps to proper freezing, and you’ll want to know how freezing almond milk can change your milk when you’re ready to take it out of the freezer.

Stay with us to learn how to freeze almond milk and much more.

The Complete Guide to Freezing Almond Milk

When it comes to freezing almond milk, or any other milk, you always hear two sides of the story.

There will be people who insist on saying that milk cannot be frozen. Again, they have some strong points on this topic.

However, the truth is that you can freeze almond milk and other types of milk. You just have to be aware that it will not be the same as when you put it in the freezer.

The consistency and overall composition of the milk will change slightly. 

The good news is that you don’t have to just throw it away.

If you don’t want to waste your milk , check out the details in this guide to find out how you can freeze it, what to expect when you freeze it, and the best ways to use it once frozen.

While freezing almond milk is not the best recommendation, it IS an option and will work well if you know the proper steps and what to expect once the milk is frozen.

How to freeze almond milk correctly

If you decide to try freezing almond milk, there are a couple of different options for doing so.

You can freeze it in containers or bags, or even using small ice cube trays.

We’re going to walk you through a couple of different processes to make sure you know all the ins and outs of freezing almond milk.

Here’s what you really need to know: Freezing almond milk will not affect any nutritional content.

Values and nutrition will be as good as the day you decided to put it in the freezer. From there, the details can get a bit complicated.

Milk tends to separate in the freezer and also expands. This is where the changes will occur. This will cause a texture change in the milk when you thaw it for use.

When the milk thaws, the separation will be very noticeable, but there are a few ways to avoid it.

You most likely do not want to use the milk to drink once you have frozen it.

The texture will never be the same again. However, you can mix, shake, or blend the milk and it will be usable milk for many purposes.

You may notice a slight difference in taste and a definite difference in both texture and appearance, but the quality of the milk and its freshness will still be reliable.

Here are a few different processes you can try to freeze almond milk.

Freeze almond milk in ice trays

This process works very well because you separate the almond milk into small portions, and then when you use those portions, you are less likely to notice any differences in quality or consistency compared to a larger portion.

When you use the ice cubes or whatever other small servings you get, the separation that occurs just isn’t as noticeable.

They are a great solution if you want to be able to use the milk for simple things like milkshakes, smoothies or integrated into a dish that you are creating.

Follow these steps to freeze your almond milk in an ice tray, or other similar small portions. 

1. Pour the milk into the ice trays. You can fill them to the top, but don’t overfill them or they will stick together.
2. Place the ice trays in the freezer and allow the almond milk to freeze for several hours or until completely solid. We recommend freezing them for 12-24 hours to ensure they solidify.
3. When the cubes have frozen, take the ice trays out of the freezer and take out the frozen almond milk cubes.
4. Transfer the cubes to a freezer bag or an airtight container of some kind. This will allow you to grab a few cubes whenever you need them.
5. Label, date and seal the container.
6. Store it up to 6 months.

It’s a pretty easy process! Just freeze in cubes or separate portions before long-term freezing, so be prepared to repackage them in long-term storage media for best freezing results.

Now, if you prefer to freeze it all together, that’s also an option.

Freeze bulk almond milk

If you don’t want to mess around with separating into ice trays or just prefer to freeze whole milk, you have options to do that too.

Keep in mind that this will require some TLC on your part when you are ready to use the milk again. You’ll need to allow for some stirring and shaking, but it will work just fine as long as you’re prepared.

You have two options when it comes to freezing bulk milk. If you have an unopened container of almond milk, you can freeze it in it. Be sure to leave it unopened before using it.

If the almond milk has opened, you need to plan to transfer it to an airtight container of some kind and make sure you leave some headroom for expansion . Check out these steps to freeze bulk almond milk.

1. 1. If the almond milk is unopened, freeze it in the original container. Put the date on it and put it in the freezer for up to 6 months. If it is open, go to step 2.
   2. If the almond milk has opened, you will need to pour it into something else. Choose what works best for you, but be sure to use an airtight storage method for this purpose.

1. Always make sure to leave 1-2 inches of open space in your airtight container. Almond milk expands in the freezer and if you overfill the container, you could have disaster on your hands.
2. Once you have prepared the milk, make sure that it is tightly closed and that you have released as much air as possible.
3. Label, date and seal the container.
4. Put it in the freezer and freeze it like this for up to 6 months.

Again, the freezing process is pretty straightforward. It’s actually after you’ve frozen your milk that you should worry the most about how to handle it, and we’ll share those details with you in this guide as well.

Can homemade almond milk be frozen?

Some people prefer homemade almond milk over store-bought because you have complete control over the ingredients.

When you make it at home, it’s creamy and delicious and doesn’t have any of those crazy additives you’d find in most store-bought varieties of almond milk.

So can you also freeze your homemade almond milk? Of course. As long as your homemade almond milk is still fresh, you can freeze it 100%.

You can follow the same steps we shared above to freeze almond milk and they will work just fine.

You just have to make sure that the almond milk is fresh and has not gone bad, as it will keep its freshness during the day that you freeze it.

Freezing it won’t make it any fresher or make spoiled milk good again, so keep that in mind when freezing it.

You can separate the milk into ice trays or freeze it in bulk, whatever best suits your needs at the time! Just refer to the steps we shared above for any of these processes.

When is a good option to freeze almond milk?

In general, it is recommended to freeze almond milk, or any other type of milk, only if you plan to use it as part of a larger recipe. This means that you can use it in cooking or you can even throw it into a smoothie.

The key here is that you don’t freeze the almond milk if you only use it for drinking.

You probably don’t want to drink it straight after you’ve frozen it. Freezing almond milk will alter the consistency and possibly the flavor, so know the limits of freezing.

If you plan to freeze almond milk, know that it is best when used in coordination with other ingredients in a dish. From protein shakes to cooking, you’ll be fine!

This is true for both store-bought and homemade almond milk. You may even find that some brands freeze better than others or thaw better than others.

You can always try different brands to see if one is better than another. Of course, this is only necessary if you plan to freeze almond milk on a regular basis.

How to properly defrost almond milk

Well, in this particular case, freezing is really the easy part. Freezing almond milk is easy and doesn’t take a lot of time, but you do have to know how to handle the milk when you thaw it.

There are several ways to thaw almond milk. These are the 3 main methods.

• Thaw on the stove or in a blender (best for cubes or small portions)
• Thaw in lukewarm water
• Defrost in the fridge

All of these methods are pretty straightforward in general. In this section, we will focus on the process itself. From here, we will deal with the handling of milk once thawed in the next section of the guide.

If you choose to thaw almond milk in the fridge, this is the best option for large servings of almond milk.

If you have frozen it in its original container or have frozen a large container of almond milk, this is your best option if you have time to wait for the thawing process.

In this case, you just have to place the container of frozen milk in your refrigerator and let it thaw.

It will most likely take at least overnight or even 24 hours to truly thaw, so be prepared and take it out of the freezer a day before you need it, if possible. This takes time!

If you have forgotten to remove the almond milk and need a quick fix, you can thaw it under warm water.

Fill a bowl or even your sink with warm water and place your container or bag of frozen almond milk in the water.

Specifically, you will need to use cold or lukewarm water and not hot water for this process. It will be faster, but it will still take some time.

Finally, you can defrost it when you are going to use it. If you have frozen it in ice trays, you can easily thaw it while cooking by adding it to the pan.

It will melt and blend into your dish with no problem. You can also throw the frozen milk cube into a blender and use it to make a protein shake or something similar and it will blend perfectly!

Use thawed almond milk

Lastly, let’s talk about using that thawed almond milk. At first glance, it probably doesn’t look too appetizing, but don’t panic!

This is where your love comes into play to make your almond milk like new again. It’s super easy to get it ready to use. Remember that you probably won’t want to drink it yet, but you can use it quite easily.

Shake and stir the thawed almond milk well, or even pop it into the mixer to re-blend.

This should fix the separation and get the almond milk back to the way it should be, or at least as close as possible for you to use.