Can you Freeze Almond Milk?

Do you have leftovers in your carton and wondering can you freeze almond milk? Well let me tell you the short and good news that can you indeed freeze almond milk. In this guide we will tell you exactly how to freeze almond milk, how to defrost almond milk and how to use frozen almond milk in things such as smoothies and more.

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Can you freeze almond milk?

As we mentioned above, almond milk can be frozen. However having said that you may find that some people advise against freezing almond milk. But why?

That is because although almond milk freezes easily, defrosting and using frozen almond milk is a bit tricker.

The reason for this is because as almond milk is defrosted, the ingredients start to separate which makes for an unusual texture and inconsistent flavor.

Therefore, it is important to know not only the best freezing methods for almond milk but also what you can do with almond milk once frozen.

Why Freeze Almond Milk

But before we get into the how’s of freezing almond milk, why should you freeze it?

Well actually there are a lot of really great reasons to freeze almond milk:

• It reduces waste.
• It extends the shelf life of almond milk, especially for opened cartons and
• It can be used in cooking as a milk substitute

So now you know why you should consider freezing your leftover almond milk, how do you go about it?

How long can you freeze almond milk for?

Almond milk once frozen can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months. After that any frozen almond milk should be thrown away and not used.

How to Freeze Almond Milk

The best method for freezing almond milk in my opinion depends on a couple of things:

• How much almond milk you have left to freeze and
• What you want to use your frozen almond in.

If you only have a small amount of almond milk leftover to freeze or plan to use your frozen almond milk in smoothies then best method of freezing is in ice cube trays.

However if you have a full carton of almond milk or a large volume of almond milk to freeze and plan on using the milk in large quantities i.e. in sauces for instance you should use a larger volume container.

We will look at each of these methods and give you step by step freezing instructions to help you freeze your almond milk.

How to Freeze Almond Milk in Ice Cube Trays

We love using ice cube trays here at Freezer Foodie. Ice cube trays don’t take up too much room in your freezer and allow you to take out small proportions of frozen food which helps to reduce waste., Win – win! 

So how do you freeze almond milk in Ice cube trays?

We always recommend using ice cube trays that are completely made of silicon or have a silicon base. That is because it is far easier to remove ice cubes or in this case frozen almond milk cubes from a silicon tray over a hard sided ice cube tray.

Step 1 :  Pour your almond milk in equal measures into your silicon ice cube tray.

Step 2: Place lid on top. If your tray doesn’t have a lid that is ok but we prefer an ice cube tray with a lid as it is more hygienic and prevents contamination in the freezer.

Step 3: Put your ice cube tray in the top of your freezer and leave. Normally, I would expect almond milk to freeze in an ice cube tray in around 3 hours. However for best results freeze overnight before.

Note: the color of your almond milk may change color during the freezing process. We find the milk usually turns from a typical milky white color to beige / brown color.

Step 4: Once the almond milk cubes are completely frozen, preferably after having been left overnight, pop the ice cubes out of the tray and place them into a Ziploc freezer bag.

Label the freezer bag with the contents and date of freezing. As we mentioned above almond milk lasts 2 months after freezing.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Always label your frozen food bags with the date of freezing and never use expired frozen food.

Can you freeze almond milk for smoothies

You can absolutely freeze almond milk for smoothies, and it is actually a really effective and waste reducing way of using almond milk.

We recommend defrosting the almond milk and blending before using in your smoothie however if you don’t have time, you could add the frozen almond milk cubes into the blender with your fruit and ice cubes and blend together.

How to freeze almond milk in larger quantities

While we love freezing almond milk in ice cube trays, if you have a larger volume of almond milk to freezer or plan in using it in something other than smoothies we recommend using a larger freezer safe container.  Just be sure the container is air tight.

Freezing almond milk in a larger container is super easy, just select a container that has enough room for your milk but also enough space in the container between the lid and milk to allow for the milk to expand during the freezing process.

Also, while I recommend leaving almond milk in ice cube trays to freeze overnight, it is imperative to leave almond milk in larger containers this length of time to allow for the milk to freeze completely.

Just remember to date your frozen almond milk so you know how long it is safe to use.

If you are worried about your frozen almond milk taking up too much room in the freezer however, you could also freeze in a large ziplock freezer bag.

Just be sure that you defrost the bag in a bowl when it is time to use. That is to prevent a mess in case there is a hole in the bag that the defrosting liquid can leak from.

Note: As always rememeber to date your container and never use expired almond milk.

Can you freeze almond milk in the carton?

If you have a whole carton of almond leftover, you may be wondering “Can you freeze almond milk in the carton?”.  And my answer is no, freezing almond milk in the carton is not recommended.

This is for a couple of reasons. Firstly, almond milk can expand during the freezing process so the carton may not have a large enough volume to prevent overflow.

And secondly, and most importantly almond milk cartons are not freezer friendly.

Does almond milk freeze easily?

Overall, I would say that almond milk does actually freeze easily so why do people advise against it?

That is because while almond freezes easily it defrosts poorly if not done correctly. So now we will turn out attention to how to defrost almond milk and use it properly.

How to defrost almond milk?

Almond milk during the thawing and defrosting process changes texture and can separate. This gives the almond milk a strange texture as the liquids and solids separate, and results in an inconsistent and grainy flavor.

However if you take some extra steps during the thawing process before using, you can improve the taste and texture.

In the Fridge

Take the required amount of frozen almond milk out of the freezer and put into a container and defrost in the fridge overnight.

Note: if you have a large quantity of almond milk to defrost it could take up to 16 hours to fully defrost.

Once the thawing of you’re your almond milk is completed it is essential that you blend the defrosted liquid.

By blending the defrosted mixture the texture will be greatly improved however the taste and texture will not be quite as good as its unfrozen counterpart.

Also don’t be surprised if the milk is foamier than almond milk in its original state. 

Use almond milk frozen

Frozen almond milk does not necessarily have to be defrosted to use. However depending on what you are using it in will depend on whether it is neccasry.

For instance, I would personally be happy to use frozen almond milk cubes in my smoothies as it will be blended in the course of making a smoothie.

However I would personally always defrost almond milk before cooking with it or using in sauces as blending the milk before incorporating will greatly improve the texture and consistency.

With warm water

If you are running low on time for defrosting your almond milk and don’t want to use the almond milk frozen you can submerge your frozen almond milk container in warm water or hold it under the faucet to speed up the process.

FAQS regarding Frozen Almond Milk?

Can you drink defrosted almond milk?

Although there is nothing stopping you from drinking defrosted almond milk in its plain state, I would not recommend it.

Although you can improve the texture of almond milk by blending, it is still not back to its original consistency and therefore drinking defrosted almond milk straight from the glass is not a pleasant experience.

So, what can you use your frozen almond milk in?

The best ways of using frozen almond milk are:

• In a smoothie
• In cooked dishes that require milk substitute i.e. almond milk pancakes
• In sauces that require milk substitute i.e. vegan almond milk alfredo sauce or vegan almond bechamel
• In desserts tha require a milk substitute i.e. almond milk custard.

Can you Freeze Smoothies Made with almond milk

You absolutely freeze smoothies made with almond milk, providing there is no ingredient add that can’t be frozen.

However as we mentioned above, you will find the consistency changed when frozen almond milk is defrosted.

All smoothies can become runny and a bit watery after defrosting but this is especially true with almond milk smoothies. Therefore, we recommend running a smoothie using almond milk through a blender before consumption.

Does frozen almond milk taste good?

You may be wondering whether frozen almond milk tastes good and the truth is almond milk never tastes quite as good once frozen and defrosted.

For this reason we don’t recommend drinking almond milk that has been frozen  straight. However if you blend almond milk after defrosting it is fine to drink and will taste fine.

Also almond milk will taste fine if being cooked after freezing.

Can You Freeze Almond Milk To Make Ice Cream?

Almond Milk ice cream is a vegan dessert staple so you can of course freeze almond milk to make ice cream.

To make almond milk ice cream you will either need a high speed blender or ice cream maker. You can get out almond milk ice cream recipes here.

Can You Freeze Almond Milk Yogurt?

Yes you can freeze almond milk yogurt however as with almond milk it seaprates on thawing and its consistency changes. Therefore we do not recommend eating almond milk yogurt after freezing. Insteaad you can use up leftover frozen almond milk yogurt in baking and recipes where the yogurt will be heated and incorporated.

Why do manufacturers advise against freezing almond milk?

You may notice that manufacturers of almond milk advise against freezing it. This isn’t because it goes off during freezing but because the consistency and texture is changed by the freezing process.

However with blending the texture can be improved, we just wouldn’t advise drinking it as a straight bevarge instead we recommend incorporating into cooked recipes and smoothies.

Can you refreeze almond milk?

I would not recommend refreezing almond milk after it has already been frozen and defrosted. The refreezing process would increase the textural issues and it is not good practices to keep defrosting and freezing food,

Can you freeze almond milk creamer?

You can absolutely freeze almond milk creamer. However it will require blending on defrosting as with regular frozen almond milk. 

Can you freeze Homemade almond milk?

You can freeze homemade almond milk. It isn’t as easy as store bought in my opinion because store bought almond milk has stabilisers.

As with store bought almond milk, homemade almond milk will require blending once thawed to restore the consistency.

Can you freeze Unsweetened almond milk?

Unsweetened almond milk can be frozen. Again you will need to blend the milk once thawed to improve consistency.

Interested in learning about if you can freeze other plant based milks then check out our related guides:

• Can you freeze Coconut Milk
• Can you freeze Oat Milk
• Can you freeze Soy Milk

Do you have any other questions about freezing almond milk – drop us any questions you have in the comments below and we will answer as soon as we can.