Can you freeze cream cheese?

Cream cheese is an emulsion with a lot of water, and freezing splits it. Thawed cream cheese is safe but grainy and separated, so it no longer spreads on a bagel. Beaten hard, or blended, it comes back together well enough for cheesecake, frosting and sauces, where it will be mixed and heated anyway. Full-fat blocks recover better than the whipped tub versions, which have air beaten in and collapse.

How to do it properly

1. Freeze the unopened block in its foil wrapper inside a bag
2. Thaw fully in the fridge, which takes about a day
3. Beat with a mixer, or blend, until smooth before using
4. Use in cooked or beaten applications rather than as a spread

What goes wrong

• Texture goes crumbly and watery and never fully recovers
• Whipped and low-fat versions separate worst

Other "can you freeze" questions

• Can you freeze cheese? It depends — Yes, and it stays safe indefinitely — but hard cheese comes out crumbly and soft cheese comes out wet.
• Can you freeze milk? Yes — Yes — leave headspace for expansion and shake it hard after thawing.
• Can you freeze eggs? It depends — Not in the shell. Beat them first, or freeze whites on their own.
• Can you freeze bread? Yes — Yes — freezing is the best way to store bread, far better than the fridge.
• Can you freeze bananas? Yes — Yes — peel and slice them first, because the peel turns black and welds itself on.
• Can you freeze cooked rice? Yes — Yes, and freezing quickly is the safest way to keep leftover rice.
• Can you freeze raw chicken twice? It depends — Only if it thawed in the fridge and never got above 4 °C (40 °F).
• Can you freeze breast milk? Yes — Yes — freeze it flat in bags, and use within six months for best quality.
• Can you freeze avocado? It depends — Yes, but only as a purée — frozen slices go grey and watery.
• Can you freeze soup? It depends — Yes for most soups; cream, milk and potato-based ones separate or go grainy.
• Can you freeze butter? Yes — Yes — butter freezes better than almost anything else in the fridge.
• Can you freeze cooked pasta? Yes — Yes — undercook it slightly and toss it in oil first, or it thaws into a solid block.