Wondering what to do with leftover heavy cream? You can freeze it! Learn how to freeze Cream Cubes and what to use them for.
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Can You Freeze Heavy Cream?
Ever find yourself with leftover cream from a recipe that only called for a small amount? Or wanted to make a recipe that calls for a small amount of heavy cream when you’re out? You need Cream Cubes! Cream Cubes are a great way to preserve leftover heavy cream in the perfect portion for use later in other recipes.
Once I was separating my cream from my raw milk and trying to decide what to do with it this time. I wanted to try freezing fresh cream, so I decided to make some Cream Cubes.
Cream cubes are really easy to make and so convenient because you can pull out the exact amount you need. Because they are small, they defrost quickly and can be used in anything that you regularly use cream for, even for whipping! Ever since I first tried to make these, I always freeze my heavy cream this way.
So can you freeze heavy cream? Yes, heavy cream is incredibly easy to freeze. You can freeze in small portion sized amounts or in large amounts.
Does Freezing Heavy Cream Ruin It?
Heavy Cream that has been frozen can still be used in most recipes. I’ve even been able to whip it after freezing. Freezing may change the texture depending on the water or the high-fat content of your cream.
Unlike most dairy products, frozen liquid cream is still very usable after thawing.
How Do You Defrost Heavy Cream?
After you’ve frozen the cream and need to use it, you can simply defrost what you need on the countertop or in the fridge. If you are adding it to a warm recipe such as soup, you can just put it right in with the rest of the ingredients.
If you need it to thaw quicker you can put it in the microwave (for a very short amount of time!) or you can thaw it on the stovetop.
Freezing Cream in Cubes
When freezing heavy cream, you will be using an ice cube tray. These can be found very inexpensively at the Dollar Store or rummage sales. I keep a bunch of them for these kinds of projects.
Ice cube trays can be used to make all kinds of things! In the same way you freeze and use cream, you can freeze leftover broth, fruit juices, buttermilk, milk, coffee, and pesto. You can even chop up herbs and freeze them in olive oil in cubes to add fresh herb flavor to your meals!
— We use ice cube trays regularly to Save Orange Juice!
Measurements for Cream Cubes
Freezing in cubes is a great way to have these things “preserved” and easy to grab the exact amount that you need. As a general rule of thumb, you can use these conversions to get the right amount of ingredients out of the freezer when you’re ready to use them!
This is the measurements using a standard sized ice cube tray. If you have a smaller cube tray, these measurements might be off.
2 cubes = 1/4 cup
4 cubes = 1/2 cup
6 cubes = 3/4 cup
8 cubes = 1 cup
If you are going to freeze anything besides water in an ice cube tray, I highly recommend getting Silicone Ice Cube Trays like these ones from Amazon. It will be MUCH easier to remove whatever you are freezing!
How to Freeze Heavy Cream
Wash and dry your ice cube trays.
Pour the cream into the trays and stick them in the freezer. Make sure they are flat so they don’t spill out! Nothing worse than trying to clean frozen liquids off the sides and racks of your freezer.
After a few hours of freezing when the ream has frozen solid, pop your cream cubes out of the trays and into a freezer bag. (Remember those Silicone Ice Cube trays? This is why you need them!)
Label and date your freezer bag and pop it in the freezer. You can grab a cube or two when you need small amounts of cream! Cubes will be good for up to 4 months in the freezer and are perfect to adding to desserts, sauces, stews, and other delicious recipes.
Freezing Heavy Cream in a Hurry
If you’re in a hurry and you need to freeze large amounts of cream, you can freeze the cream in the carton it came in.
Make sure you pour out an inch of the cream before popping it into the freezer to allow room for expansion as it freezes. When frozen this way, it will take longer to defrost (about 2-3 days in the fridge, so make sure your cream isn’t close dated) and you’ll have to use it all or toss it because cream should not be re-frozen. give it a good shake before using so that it won’t have an odd consistency.
It’s not as convenient as freezing in cubes but it could come in handy if you have large amounts of cream.
How to Use Cream Cubes
To use frozen heavy cream, take out the amount you need and set it in the refrigerator to thaw before you are ready to use it. Heavy cream will separate when thawed, so don’t be alarmed if it looks curdled or clotted, shake or stir it really well to redistribute the butterfat.
If you’re planning to use your cream in a hot dish, such as soup or pasta (or coffee, yum!), you don’t need to thaw them. Simply remove the cream cubes from the freezer and toss them into your dish or cup.
–We love to toss frozen cubes into our Orange Strawberry Smoothies. They make them so smooth and creamy!
Once thawed, frozen cream cubes can be used in any recipe that calls for heavy cream. You can even still use it to make whipped cream and it might even be easier since cold cream actually whips better.
Tips for Freezing Heavy Cream
If you have a lot of ice crystals in your cream, you may notice that you won’t get quite the same volume as with fresh cream but it shouldn’t affect the taste.
To help prevent ice crystals, make sure to get all the excess air out of the bag and keep your frozen cream stored in the coldest part of your freezer (don’t put it in the door.)
Freezing Whipped Cream
If you have trouble getting whipped cream out of your frozen cream cubes or if you want to have whipped cream ready to go in the freezer whenever you need it, it would be better to follow these steps.
First, make your whipped cream out of your heavy cream. If you need a full tutorial on how to do this, go to my post on Homemade Whipped Cream.
Make sure that the texture of the whipped cream is stiff peaks not in soft peaks. Place a dollop of the whipped cream (whatever amount you might use in a recipe or to top a pie) on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper. If you want to get fancy, you could also freeze the whipped cream in some silicone molds.
Place the molds or the baking sheet in the freezer and freeze until firm. Remove from the tray or molds, place in a freezer-safe bag or container, and freeze your whipped cream dollops until you are ready to use.
Recipes Using Heavy Cream
- Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- 3 Ingredient Raspberry Sherbert Recipe
- Amish Chicken Casserole Recipe
- Easy Cream Biscuit Recipe
- How to Make Lefse
- Old Fashioned Scalloped Potatoes
- Homemade Strawberry Cake Recipe
- Homemade Egg Nog
- Homemade Butter ~ In the Blender!
- Easy Homemade Caramels Recipe
Have you ever frozen heavy cream? What do you do with your Cream Cubes?
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Merissa has been blogging about and living the simple life since 2009 and has internationally published 2 books on the topic. You can read about Merissa’s journey from penniless to the 100-acre farm and ministry on theAbout Page. You can send her a message any time from theContact Page.
This post on Cream Cubes was originally published on Little House Living in September 2012. It has been updated as of February 2023.
