---
title: "Can you freeze milk? Yes"
description: "Yes — leave headspace for expansion and shake it hard after thawing. What actually happens, what goes wrong, and what to do instead."
url: https://atoneplace.net/can-you/freeze-milk/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Can you freeze milk?

**Yes: Yes — leave headspace for expansion and shake it hard after thawing.**

Milk freezes safely and keeps its nutrition. Water expands by about nine percent when it freezes, so a full container will split or force the cap off; pour a cup out first. On thawing, the fat separates and the milk looks grainy or yellowish, which is normal and disappears with vigorous shaking. Skimmed and semi-skimmed milk recover better than whole milk because there is less fat to separate.

## How to do it properly

1. Pour off about 10 percent of the container to leave room for expansion
2. Freeze in the original plastic bottle or in a freezer-safe jug — not a glass bottle
3. Thaw in the fridge over a day or two, never on the counter
4. Shake hard before use, and give it another shake each time you pour
5. Use it within a few days of thawing, as you would fresh milk

## What goes wrong

- A full container splits as the milk expands
- Fat separation makes it look curdled; it is not, but it puts people off drinking it straight
- Glass bottles crack in the freezer

## Other "can you freeze" questions

- [Can you freeze cheese?](https://atoneplace.net/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 eggs?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/freeze-eggs/) — It depends — Not in the shell. Beat them first, or freeze whites on their own.
- [Can you freeze bread?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/freeze-bread/) — Yes — Yes — freezing is the best way to store bread, far better than the fridge.
- [Can you freeze bananas?](https://atoneplace.net/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?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/freeze-cooked-rice/) — Yes — Yes, and freezing quickly is the safest way to keep leftover rice.
- [Can you freeze raw chicken twice?](https://atoneplace.net/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?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/freeze-breast-milk/) — Yes — Yes — freeze it flat in bags, and use within six months for best quality.
- [Can you freeze avocado?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/freeze-avocado/) — It depends — Yes, but only as a purée — frozen slices go grey and watery.
- [Can you freeze soup?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/freeze-soup/) — It depends — Yes for most soups; cream, milk and potato-based ones separate or go grainy.
- [Can you freeze butter?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/freeze-butter/) — Yes — Yes — butter freezes better than almost anything else in the fridge.
- [Can you freeze cooked pasta?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/freeze-cooked-pasta/) — Yes — Yes — undercook it slightly and toss it in oil first, or it thaws into a solid block.
- [Can you freeze mashed potatoes?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/freeze-mashed-potatoes/) — Yes — Yes — mash with plenty of butter or cream, which protects the texture through freezing.

## Common questions

### Can you freeze milk?

Yes — leave headspace for expansion and shake it hard after thawing.

### What happens if you freeze milk?

A full container splits as the milk expands Fat separation makes it look curdled; it is not, but it puts people off drinking it straight Glass bottles crack in the freezer

## Related pages

- [Can you freeze cheese?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/freeze-cheese/)
- [Can you freeze eggs?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/freeze-eggs/)
- [Can you freeze bread?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/freeze-bread/)
- [Can you freeze bananas?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/freeze-bananas/)
- [Can you freeze cooked rice?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/freeze-cooked-rice/)
- [Can you freeze raw chicken twice?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/freeze-raw-chicken-twice/)
- [Can you microwave styrofoam?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/microwave-styrofoam/)
- [Can you microwave aluminum foil?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/microwave-aluminum-foil/)
- [Can you microwave plastic containers?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/microwave-plastic-containers/)
- [Can you wash pillows?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/wash-pillows/)
- [Can you wash sneakers in the washing machine?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/wash-sneakers/)
- [Can you recycle pizza boxes?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/recycle-pizza-boxes/)

## Sources

- Food Safety and Inspection Service — US Department of Agriculture (https://www.fsis.usda.gov/) [Public domain (US Government)]