Can you FREEZE yogurt?
Can you freeze yogurt? The answer is Yes and No. I know that sounds funny but YES you can freeze it. Will it be as good as if it had never been frozen? NO! However, it really depends on how you plan to use it. I personally do not freeze it on a normal basis except for smoothies however it can be done because I did freeze some Greek yogurt and used it to make in this Lemon Poppyseed Muffins Recipe.
By freezing yogurt you can extend the life by 4 to 6 months. Just write the date you put it into the freezer with a permanent marker so you know how long it has been there.
Can You Freeze Yogurt:
You can freeze it in the original container or an air-tight container however by freezing IT WILL affect the texture. It will turn it into the consistency similar to cottage cheese. So if you are going to use it for baking or making smoothies then it would be fine but if you are using it in its original form then I would not recommend it.
Also, another helpful tip is that you can extend the life of your yogurt by storing the unopened container upside down in your fridge! It really works!
Freezing yogurt in “Tubes” like go-gurt is also a great tip. It does NOT affect the texture at all and by lunch the tube is thawed and your kids will enjoy it. It also serves as a way to keep lunchboxes cold too! I often wonder if freezing the go-gurt is different because it is no the same consistency of traditional yogurt, in particular Greek yogurt.
Smoothie Tip: One tip for freezing yogurt that you will be using for fruit smoothies is to actually place the yogurt into ice cube trays then freeze. After frozen you can transfer the yogurt “cubes” to a freezer safe container and use them for smoothies. It works really well! You can even add berries to the trays prior to freezing. You can also freeze spinach for your smoothies too!
Smoothie Recipes You May Enjoy:
Advanced Green Smoothie Recipe
Apple Pie Green Smoothie
Basic Green Smoothie Recipe
Blueberry Avocado Fruit Smoothie
Blueberry Delight Green Smoothie
Cucumber Mango Green Smoothie
Raspberry Pear Green Smoothie
Tropical Green Smoothie
You may be interested in our other posts on how to freeze:
Shelley is a boy mom, marine wife, and is blessed with an amazing family. She loves sharing recipes, travel reviews and tips that focus on helping busy families make memories.
We freeze the yogurt squeeze tubes, and put one in each kid’s lunch every day. It is thawed and just chilled by lunchtime, and keeps the rest of the lunch fresh too. Never had a complaint about texture.
Yes, those work really well!
How long can you freeze them? Bought a bunch couponing and the expiration date is in three weeks.
I would say 3 months.
ugh i dont cook with yogurt – i only eat it plain so this kinda makes me sad
smoothies work really well with yogurt – do you make those?
I use yogurt in place of sour cream if the recipe call for it and I don’t have any. It works just fine. But use the plain Greek Yogurt not the one with fruit in it.
I’m definitely going to try these tips! We make smoothies and bake with it all the time.
Great! It is a great money saver!
when it thaws some if you put it in something like a bullet and blend it up its good as new, same with milk
never tried that linda – do you eat it as is after running it through a bullet? I have used it in smoothies in my bullet and it still a little chunkier than normal to me but doesn’t effect the smoothie.
What “tubes” do you recommend for homemade go-gurts? Thanks!
They sell new Ziploc tubes!
really. that would be cool. I just tried to look it up online and didn’t see anything that might be the ziplock tubes you describe. Can you get them at any grocery stores? and are they called “tubes” made by ziploc? thank you
found it finally. they are called zipzicles. Now just to find out if I can get them locally 🙂
I so need some zipzicles! 🙂
Does anyone know if freezing kills the beneficial probiotic bacterias?
No, the bacteria goes dormant, but upon raising the temperature, they become active again. You may loose a couple, but since there are usually billions I doubt its much to worry about!
Helloo, great tips. but just wondering, what difference does it make putting the yoghurt into ice cube trays for smoothies? does it just make them harder? Cheers 🙂
You say it’s good to use for smoothies, so I’m wondering if you blend the yogurt after freezing it will it’s normal consistency return?
Our readers are saying yes!
Hello!
Thank you for these good tips.
How do you know, will freezing kill the beneficial probiotic bacteria in other fermented foods (e.g. fermented cod liver oil?)
Thank you!
My 7 year old cat “Mika” has been diagnosed with Pancreatitis, and has been a very sick guy. So I’ve had to change his diet to completely bland… including non fat probiotic yogurt. But I’m throwing lots away, and am now wondering if I can make the mix and freeze it in ice cube trays without loosing its nutritional value? Can anyone help?
You will not lose the nutritional value!
I have been freezing Greek yogurt in it cup and eating it every day for lunch at work. It’s about half-frozen by the time lunch rolls around if I put a small freezer pack in with it. I’ve found the 100 calorie Greek yogurt is more icy than regular. I actually like it better when it’s half frozen. It’s almost like a gelato treat. I just mix it up with a spoon and let it sit while I eat the rest of my lunch and then have it for dessert. If I let it thaw all the way (like putting it back in the fridge for a day or two) I notice no difference it texture. Keep in mind I am only eating Greek yogurt which has a thicker texture to start. The fruit on the bottom ones aren’t as good as the blended, but still decent. My advice is try one cup and see if you like it.
The freezable go-gurt is not really yogurt. I am allergic to several things including gelatin, and was surprised to find several things marketed as yogurts are actually only partially yogurt. It is extended with water, gelatin, and flavors / sugar, which will freeze and thaw quite differently than a traditional cultured milk yogurt. 🙂
My mom likes to buy the large strawberry flavored Wal-Mart brand yogurt. On a hunch i froze one unopened container. Two weeks later i thawed it out in the fridge, stirred it really well and tasted it. It was awesome! Yes the texture was a lil off but it was still edible.
Thanks Thomas!
To make frozen yogurt pops…I freeze premade yogurt cups all the time for quick snack friendly treats! I make sure the yogurt containers I buy are a brand where the top is bigger than the bottom. I make a small slit in foil top and insert a small wooden spoon in and put on a tray and in freezer till frozen. then i put them in a plastic tub so they are easy to access for quick snacks! When ready to enjoy a cool treat, pick your flavor and pull off foil topper…a minuet or two and the pop will slide right out of the container by pulling on the wooden spoon! [this is why the tops need to be bigger round than the bottoms!]
I mixed fruit into the yogurt and then froze it in cubes. can I defrost it and serve it or will it be watery and chunky?
It will add moisture when it thaws but I think it will work.
You can actually get it back to it’s regular texture by running through it with a stick blender. I found this out accidentally when my fridge malfunctioned and FROZE all of my food, including my yogurt. A quick blend with my stick blender and both my greek yogurt and normal yogurt were back to original texture.
For me, it got it smooth and creamy again but it was still a lot more watery than before.