Can You Freeze Sour Cream?

If you have too much sour cream or want to extend its shelf life, here's what you need to know about freezing this dairy favorite.

Sour cream is a favorite topper for chili, soups, or burritos. It makes casseroles creamy and rich. It adds tang to mashed potatoes. But sometimes you discover you have a whole container and it's going to reach its expiration date before you can use it up. You may be tempted to freeze it so that it doesn’t go to waste, but is freezing sour cream a good idea? We asked Chad Galer, vice president of product innovation and food safety at Dairy Management, Inc., to give us some tips on freezing sour cream for using later.

Meet The Expert

Chad Galer is vice president of product innovation and food safety at Dairy Management, Inc., which supports and promotes dairy farming around the U.S.

Is Sour Cream Safe to Freeze?

Sour cream is perfectly safe to freeze, but it won’t taste or feel quite the same once it's defrosted. First off, freezing changes sour cream's texture. “Sour cream has a relatively high amount of moisture, and this results in the formation of ice crystals when frozen,” Galer said.

Yes, you can try to wrap and package it very carefully, but  the freezing process may still lead to some big changes in the texture and consistency due to those ice crystals. It won’t be as easy to spread and will not have that glorious creamy texture we crave.

“The creamy texture of sour cream is a loose matrix of milk proteins and fat that hold the water in this matrix.  The ice crystals that form disrupt this matrix and result in a very grainy and sometimes runny texture, often with free moisture or water resulting,” said Galer.

Freezing changes sour cream's flavor, too. You may have to adjust how you use sour cream after defrosting because the freezer stay impacts the food's flavor. You may not want to use it anywhere that calls for a dollop of fresh sour cream on top—say on a bowl of chili or to garnish a baked potato. But it could still be used as an ingredient in cooking or baking. Add it to that dip or pound cake recipe, and it’ll do a great job. Plus, thawed sour cream, even with an altered texture, can be added to soups and stews for creamy flavor.

How To Freeze Sour Cream

To freeze sour cream, place it in an airtight container and put it in the freezer. You can also divide it into smaller portions in a silicone ice tray, freeze, and then transfer the cubes to zip-top freezer bags. Mark containers or bags with the date and amount for easy use in recipes later. You can store sour cream for up to six months, but use it within three months for the best quality.

How To Thaw Sour Cream

To thaw sour cream, simply transfer the frozen container to the refrigerator up to 24 hours before you need it. Sour cream separates and turns grainy while defrosting, so give it a good whisk before using it in your recipe.

With a hot stovetop recipe like soup or stew, you don't even need to thaw the sour cream. Just toss in the cubes or block of sour cream in the appropriate amount. Then stir the pot as it melts.

How Long Does Thawed Sour Cream Last?

Sour cream has a pretty long shelf life in the fridge, so one way to avoid the choice of freezing it or not is to just use it up before you need to freeze or toss it.

“Sour cream stores well in the refrigerator for one to three weeks.  If sour cream is frozen for some reason, it is best to use it within 24 hours of thawing,” said Galer.

Related: How Long Does Sour Cream Last?

Can You Refreeze After Thawing?

After defrosting sour cream, we don't recommend refreezing if you don't use it all up. The quality of the sour cream would continue to degrade, so it's best to start with a fresh container.

The bottom line is that if you have extra sour cream and you are worried it may go to waste, it’s safe to freeze it. But be prepared that the taste and texture will change, so you’ll have to adjust the types of recipes you use that frozen sour cream in.

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