Can You Freeze Liquid Coffee Creamer?

We all know what it’s like, right?

The festive season rolls around again and before we know it, the stores are filled with enticing flavors of coffee creamer that we simply can’t resist buying.

But you never get through that much. Or perhaps sometimes you do!

Maybe you want to buy them now and save them up so you have those seasonal flavors all year round, or maybe you just want to buy regular creamer in bulk and save yourself a little cash.

Whatever the reason, you find yourself asking the question, can you freeze liquid coffee creamer? Luckily for you, we have all the answers right here!

What are liquid coffee creamers made from?

Before we can decide about freezing these products, let’s have a look at what they are.

There are a lot of what we think of as “non-dairy” creamers available nowadays, both in powder and liquid form. However, the term “non-dairy” can sometimes be misleading.

While they contain no lactose, many still contain casein, a milk-derived protein, so if you choose these creamers due to dietary restrictions, you should check the ingredients carefully.

In any case, these creamers are used as an alternative to milk and have several advantages over milk. First, the powdered creamers can be stored almost indefinitely in the right conditions without the need to refrigerate them. This can be useful when there are only limited facilities available.

Even the liquid versions can be kept for a long time and don’t need to be refrigerated until they are opened.

However, for many people, the rich, creamy taste and mouthfeel of these products is actually preferable in coffee and, given the choice, many people would opt for a creamer even if fresh milk was available.

And then there are the flavors. It has now become something of a tradition that each festive season, a whole variety of “seasonal” flavors are released – and the availability of these creamers has become almost an integral part of that time of year.

First, the bad news of freezing Liquid Coffee Creamer

Since we all love that festive feeling, it’s only natural that we want to extend it throughout the rest of the year. Why should we only be able to buy these products during the winter months? And since we can’t, maybe there’s a way to extend their use by freezing them.

Well, the bad news is that you can’t. If you look carefully at the bottles of these products, many of them specifically tell you they are unsuitable for freezing.

Furthermore, many people have had the idea of freezing these products before and have contacted the companies that produce them to ask about freezing their creamers.

In one case, Nestlé responded to say that since their product is lactose-free, it is unsuitable for freezing since it will separate. Another well-known brand, International Delight, also said something along the same lines (1).

But luckily, that’s not the end of the story.

Now the good news of freezing Liquid Coffee Creamer

The good news is, as long as you understand that it is not recommended by the companies making these products, there is nothing to stop you freezing them – and many people have reported great results (2).

In fact, this practice is apparently so widespread, there is even a WikiHow page explaining exactly how to do it – just don’t be put off by the photos – which, for some reason, are of powdered creamer labeled in Russian (3)…

Tips and best practices for freezing Liquid Coffee Creamer

So how should you go about freezing your festive coffee creamers? Here are some tips and best practices you should follow.

1. If freezing in the original bottle, you don’t need to remove any first

Some people recommend removing a small amount of the creamer from the bottle to allow the liquid to expand, thus preventing the bottle from exploding.

In truth, this is not necessary. You are probably aware that water expands when it freezes, however, this is very much the exception, and most liquids actually shrink when they freeze. This means there is no need to remove any of the creamers before placing the bottle in your freezer (4).

2. Label the bottles with the date of freezing and don’t forget to rotate

If you regularly freeze creamers or if you are freezing batches of creamers, you should always write the date of freezing on the bottle. This will help you use them up in the order of freezing and help you avoid ending up with bottles that have been hidden in the freezer for a year or more.

For the same reason, if you have lots of bottles of creamer in your freezer, always move the old ones forward and freeze the new ones at the back. This way, whenever you need a new bottle of creamer, you just grab the one at the front of the freezer since this will be the next one to use.

3. Try to use them within six months

Since they are not supposed to be frozen in the first place, no official time for how long you can keep them is available. However, some people suggest that about six months is the longest you should store them – although feel free to experiment (5)!

4. Thaw them in the fridge

When you need to thaw it out, if you have frozen it in the bottle, simply leave it in the fridge for a day or two to let it thaw before use.

5. Shake well before use

Once a bottle of creamer has completely thawed in the fridge, don’t forget to give it a good shake before using to make sure it is well mixed.

6. Once thawed, don’t refreeze – and use within a week

As with anything, you should never refreeze creamers once they have thawed. After thawing, try to use within a week.

7. Freeze in smaller containers or freezer bags

Freezing a whole bottle at a time can impractical. If you freeze the whole bottle, you will have to thaw the whole bottle when you remove it and you will have to then consume the whole bottle within a week.

There are several handy solutions for freezing smaller quantities and one is simply to pour the required dose into smaller containers.

However, you might not have a collection of smaller bottles just right for a dose of creamer – in this case, use a freezer bag. You can pour in just the amount you will need each time, seal the bag and freeze.

This will save you having to thaw a whole bottle each time you want some creamer – and will give you more versatility and flexibility with flavors.

8. Make homemade coffee creamer yourself!

It’s true, you can! Check out this video to see how!

9. How to freeze in ice-cube trays

Some people have had the great idea of creating liquid coffee creamer ice cubes – except it doesn’t work. Most freezers do not create low enough temperatures to freeze coffee creamer solid, and you just end up with useless slush.

One solution is to mix the creamer with something else. If you mix the creamer 1:1 with espresso, you will find it freezes, likewise with milk – although if you are using creamer because it is non-dairy, this latter idea is not suitable.

10. What to do with coffee creamer ice cubes

Having coffee creamer ice cubes in itself opens up several intriguing possibilities, but first, let’s deal with simply making coffee.

Clearly, if you take a coffee creamer ice cube from the tray and pop it straight into your coffee, it’s going to make the coffee go cold – we expect you would prefer to avoid this.

The simple solution is to put the ice cubes in a cup and give them a quick blast in the microwave. This will thaw the ice cubes and warm them a little, so when you add the liquid to your coffee, it won’t make the coffee go cold.

But what else can you do with creamer ice cubes?

If you are making iced coffee, they are ideal. Just make your normal iced coffee as usual and then add the creamer cubes. If you don’t drink your coffee too quickly, they will slowly dissolve, making your coffee richer and creamier rather than watering it down as with regular ice cubes.

Finally, you can put them in a blender and mix them with whatever you choose to make a delicious summer beverage. Why not add some Bailey’s for a summertime alcoholic iced drink?

We’re just throwing some ideas out. We’re sure you will have a lot of fun getting creative too!

Practical and delicious all year round

So, can you freeze liquid coffee creamer? Well, we’ve established that a) yes, you most certainly can and b) it is a super-practical solution to allow you to drink all those seasonal flavors of creamer all year round.

What’s more, if you make them into ice cubes, you can begin to really get creative and come up with all kinds of original uses. Personally, we can’t wait to try!

Do you have any tips about freezing coffee creamers? What have you tried? Do you have any original ideas you’d like to let us know about? If you have anything to say, please leave us a comment as we love hearing from you – and as always, please don’t forget to give us a share!