Can You Freeze Sour Cream?

The short answer is yes, you can freeze sour cream. But there are a few helpful things to know.

Chances are you've used sour cream to top a baked potato or as part of a homemade dip. After using it in a recipe, you may have wondered if you can freeze sour cream. The short answer is that yes, you can freeze sour cream, but like with cream cheese, there will be noticeable change in texture and consistency once you thaw it. Read on for our complete guide to freezing sour cream including tips for thawing frozen sour cream once you're ready to use it.

The Best Way to Freeze Sour Cream

Despite the textural changes, the good news is that its perfectly safe to eat sour cream even after it’s been frozen and thawed. To freeze sour cream, you can place the full tub or container in a freezer bag and then place it in the freezer. This method works with sour cream even if the tub has been opened and used. (Although it’s best practice to only freeze sour cream that hasn’t been sitting in the refrigerator for longer than 2-3 weeks.) By placing the tub or container of sour cream in a freezer bag before freezing it helps prevent the sour cream from freezer burn. Plastic tubs are not meant for long term freezing and can expand in the freezer. Should expansion occur, the freezer bag prevents the sour cream from drying out. Even though it’s safe to eat foods with freezer burn, the taste and texture of the food changes significantly and most people find it unappealing.

Another tip when freezing sour cream is to divide the sour cream tub into silicone molds or smaller freezer bags. If using silicone molds, scoop sour cream by the spoonful into the molds. Freeze for an hour and then pop out each mold and put then in a freezer bag. This way you can thaw only as much as you need. Sour cream cannot be frozen again after thawing because the liquid forms bacteria during a repeated freezing/thawing process.

Related: 5 Sour Cream Substitutes That Offer the Same Tangy Flavor

How Long Can You Freeze Sour Cream?

It’s also a good idea to write dates on your freezer bag every time you freeze something so be sure to write the name and date to use by on your sour cream freezer bags. Once frozen, sour cream is good to use within 2 to 3 months.

Can You Freeze Sour Cream Dip?

It’s not recommended to freeze sour cream dip as the freezing and thawing process will completely change the texture of the dip. Fresh sour cream is a good choice when it comes to dips and unused dips can last in the fridge for about 2 weeks. The same goes for using sour cream as a topping. If you want to top off a baked potato, a taco, nachos, or similar food with sour cream, its best to use only fresh sour cream that's been refrigerated but never frozen.

Can You Freeze Sour Cream Frosting?

Sour cream frosting on the other hand is different. You can freeze sour cream frosting and it can be whipped back to a frosting consistency. This is because unlike a sour cream dip, which has a base of primarily sour cream, a sour cream frosting uses sour cream alongside other ingredients resulting in a higher fat content.

How to Thaw Frozen Sour Cream

When you’re ready to thaw your sour cream, place the freezer bag in the refrigerator overnight and let it thaw. After doing so, you may notice a significant change in texture but it's still workable in baked goods, casseroles, and soups where the texture won’t be as noticeable. Once thawed in the fridge, you can use a whisk or a hand blender to whip the sour cream so that it's closer to its original texture.

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