It's a common kitchen scenario: you have a block of Philadelphia Cream Cheese left over from a recipe with no immediate plans for the rest. Tossing it seems wasteful, which brings up an important question: Can you freeze cream cheese? The answer is yes, you can freeze it, but there's a crucial catch. Freezing significantly changes the texture of cream cheese, so it's essential to know the best way to do it and how to use it once it's thawed.
What Happens When You Freeze Cream Cheese?
Philadelphia Cream Cheese, like all actual cream cheese, is an emulsion of fat and water. When frozen, the water content forms ice crystals that separate from the fat curds.
- Texture Change: Upon thawing, the cream cheese loses its smooth, creamy, and spreadable texture. The emulsion breaks, resulting in a product that is crumbly, grainy, and somewhat watery in texture.
- The Spreading Problem: Due to this textural change, previously frozen cream cheese is not ideal for spreading on bagels, toast, or for use in recipes where a perfectly smooth texture is essential, such as no-bake cheesecakes or creamy frostings.
The Best Way to Freeze Cream Cheese
You can freeze cream cheese in its original packaging or portion it out for convenience.
- Freezing the Block: If you plan to use the whole block at once for a recipe, you can freeze it directly in its unopened foil wrapper and cardboard box. For extra protection against freezer burn, place the box in a freezer-safe zip-top bag.
- Portioning for Recipes: For smaller uses, you can cut the block into smaller chunks, wrap each one tightly in plastic wrap, and then place them all in a freezer-safe bag. This allows you to thaw only what you need at a time.
- Whipped Cream Cheese: Whipped cream cheese tends to freeze slightly better than block cream cheese due to its unique structure, but it will still undergo some texture changes.
Store the cream cheese in the freezer for up to 2 months for optimal quality.
How to Thaw and Use Frozen Cream Cheese
- Thawing: The best way to thaw frozen cream cheese is to place it in the refrigerator and let it melt slowly for several hours or overnight.
- Improving the Texture: Once thawed, you'll notice the crumbly texture. While you can't restore it to its original state, you can improve it by placing the softened cream cheese in a bowl and whipping it with an electric mixer or whisking it vigorously by hand. This will help smooth it out, making it suitable for specific uses.
Best Uses for Previously Frozen Cream Cheese
Given its new, crumbly texture, thawed cream cheese is best used in cooked or baked dishes where it will be melted and incorporated with other ingredients. Its tangy flavor remains intact, making it perfect for:
- Cooked Sauces and Soups: It melts beautifully into creamy pasta sauces, soups, and pan sauces.
- Casseroles and Dips: It's an excellent ingredient for baked macaroni and cheese, cheesy baked dips, or other casserole recipes.
- Baking: It works well in baked goods where it's part of the batter or filling, such as baked cheesecakes (where the texture is less critical after baking), muffins, and filled pastries.
Freezing leftover Philadelphia Cream Cheese is a great way to prevent food waste. While it will lose its signature smooth and spreadable texture, making it unsuitable for your morning bagel, it's perfectly safe and delicious to use in a wide variety of cooked and baked recipes. By understanding its limitations after thawing, you can successfully incorporate frozen cream cheese into your cooking, ensuring none of that creamy goodness goes to waste.