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    Home » Kitchen Tips » Freezer Cooking

    Can You Freeze Butter?

    Published: Jan 30, 2022 by Jessica Fisher

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    An essential ingredient in baked goods, savory spreads, and frostings, butter is an important, albeit expensive, ingredient to keep on hand. Can you freeze butter? Yes! Stock up when you see a sale and freeze the extra for future use.

    Knowing you can freeze butter allows you to mix up batches of Homemade Buttercream Frosting or Garlic Bread without worrying about paying the current price at the store. When you make that next batch of Irish Soda Bread, you’ll have plenty of butter for slathering on top.

    slice of irish soda bread on white plate slathered with butter with knife, butter dish, and loaf on plate nearby. this …
    Jump to:
    • Why Do This
    • Ingredients
    • Step-by-Step Instructions
    • FAQs
    • Recommended Recipes
    • Tell us what you think!
    • How to Freeze Butter

    I don’t know about you, but I love butter. It’s one of those comforting things.

    Delicious on a slice of Sourdough Rye Bread, a key component in making Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting or Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits, butter is a regular Grocery Staple that I like to keep around.

    However, I don’t like paying regular market price when I need butter for a recipe. In my neck of the woods, this can reach $5 to 6/pound. No thank you, ma’am.

    Instead stock up whenever you see a sale and freeze butter for later, saving yourself lots of money. But not only that, you’ll buy yourself other benefits as well.

    Why Do This

    You can avoid food waste. Going out of town? Not sure you’ll use the whole package of butter you bought? No problem. You can freeze butter to preserve it and extend its life a little longer.

    You can stock up on sales. As mentioned previously, knowing you can freeze butter for a later use means you can load up next time you see a sale. My target price is $2/pound.

    You’ll run out less frequently. When you keep a stash on ice, you’re less likely to run out which means you’re less likely to make last minute trips to the store. We know those trips always cost more than you expect them to.

    You can prep specialty butters to use later. Honey butter, garlic butter, and Herb Butter for Fish or Chicken all add a special touch to your recipes. Feel free to make a large batch, knowing you can freeze the extra compound butter for a later date.

    Ingredients

    array of yellow and green boxes of kroger butter on a black table.

    You can freeze dairy butter, margarine, or plant-based spreads. It doesn’t matter what kind, whipped or stick, both freeze the same.

    Keep in mind that if a stick or tub is too large to use after freezing, you may want to slice or portion it into smaller sizes prior to freezing. This is really up to you. Thawed butter is good for several weeks under refrigeration.

    Step-by-Step Instructions

    Here’s how to do it:

    Butter to Use for Recipes

    If you’re freezing butter to use in recipes later, simply tuck the pound box into the freezer. Yep, really.

    Some manufacturers recommend wrapping the box in foil or placing it in a freezer bag prior to freezing, but I’ve never had an issue with odors. Your mileage may vary.

    Compound Butter

    If you’re freezing compound butter, prepare it according to the recipe and then either:

    • Mound the soft butter onto a sheet of plastic wrap and roll up in a log shape. Place this in a labeled ziptop bag in the freezer.
    • Spoon the softened butter into a small freezer-safe container with a lid, seal well, and freeze.

    FAQs

    Is it safe to freeze butter?

    Yes, it’s safe to freeze butter. Butter is good in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. You can extend the life of your purchase by freezing butter for later use.

    How long can you freeze butter?

    It’s recommended to freeze butter for five to nine months, the shorter time being for unsalted butter. Compound butters should be used within 2-3 months of freezing.

    How do you defrost frozen butter?

    Transfer the butter to the refrigerator to thaw.

    boxes of frozen butter lined up in freezer.

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    Tell us what you think!

    We love to hear your experiences with Good Cheap Eats. Click the STARS on the recipe card or leave a STARRED comment to let us know what you think of the recipe.

    five pound boxes of butter laid out on a black table.
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    5 from 2 votes

    How to Freeze Butter

    When you freeze butter you can make it last longer and give yourself time to use it up. You can also prepare specialty flavored butters in advance to use later. Save money and avoid food waste at the same time.
    Prep Time10 mins
    Total Time10 mins
    Course: Sauces, Seasonings
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 813kcal
    Author: Jessica Fisher
    Cost: $2.66
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    Ingredients

    • 1 pound your favorite butter
    • optional seasonings for making compound butters

    Instructions

    For freezing whole sticks of butter:

    • Place the entire box of butter in the freezer, as is.
      1 pound your favorite butter

    For freezing compound butter:

    • Prepare the compound butter according to the recipe. Place it in a log shape in plastic wrap and seal tightly within a ziptop bag.
      1 pound your favorite butter, optional seasonings for making compound butters
    • Alternatively, place the prepared compound butter in a freezer-safe container with a lid.

    To use:

    • Remove what you need from the freezer and allow to thaw in the refrigerator.

    Notes

    Nutritional values are approximate.
    Keep in mind that if a stick or tub is too large to use after freezing, you may want to slice or portion it into smaller sizes prior to freezing. This is really up to you. Thawed butter is good for several weeks under refrigeration.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 813kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 92g | Saturated Fat: 58g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 24g | Trans Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 244mg | Sodium: 810mg | Potassium: 27mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2834IU | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1mg
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    Comments

    1. andrea

      February 05, 2022 at 9:36 am

      one question – i’m eating mostly vegan – would that work for non-dairy butters? (Miyoko’s, etc.)???

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        February 05, 2022 at 9:37 am

        5 stars
        My daughter ate vegan for two years and this is how we stocked up on sales so she had what she wanted. It seems the refrigerator shelf-life of plant butters is shorter than dairy butter, so it was necessary to do. We saw no difference in the thawed plant butter..

        Reply
        • andrea

          February 05, 2022 at 9:39 am

          oh thank you!

    2. Julie

      January 30, 2022 at 12:14 pm

      ATK recommends storing butter in the freezer and only refrigerating what you’ll use quite soon. Preserves flavor better.

      Reply

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