The question of the day is, “Can you freeze eggs?” The answer is yes! I will teach you how to safely freeze raw and cooked eggs in just a few simple steps.
We have four sweet little chickens that we’ve raised. They normally give us about 3-4 eggs every day. Some weeks that many eggs for my family is not enough, but other times (when we haven’t been using them as much), my containers and bowls fill up to the brim and eggs are coming out of our ears!
I love to give the extras away and never seem to have anyone turn them away. However, if I’m trying to save money it’s really easy to simply freeze the eggs and use them myself later too.
Can You Freeze Eggs?
Yes, you can! And they taste darn near the same after they have thawed too. You can fry them, bake with them or add them to casseroles or other recipes even after they have been frozen and thawed.
What Are the Benefits of Freezing Eggs?
- Cost. This is a fantastic way to stock up on eggs when they are on sale, or a great idea to use them up when you have a lot about to expire too. When you see those sales on eggs..have no fear. Now you can go crazy. So easy AND practical! Doing this can save you money.
- Supply. Always have eggs on hand when you use frozen eggs. Nothing is worse than going to bake a cake and realizing you’re an egg or two short!
- Time. Save yourself time by having eggs already prepped for cooking or baking ahead of time. Sometimes those little steps, like freezing eggs, can add up to shave valuable time off cooking!
- Space. Raw eggs can take up a lot of room in the fridge. Freezing them will move them from the fridge into the freezer, and will save you a ton of space!
HOW TO FREEZE EGGS
The Best Method
- Lightly scramble the eggs. Stir with a fork until the yolk and whites are blended together without incorporating air.
- Add salt or sugar to your eggs – don’t skip this part!! Egg yolks have a gelatinous property in them that will thicken when frozen. By adding in salt or sugar before freezing, it will stop it from happening.
>>> Add in 1 teaspoon of salt per cup of eggs for eggs that will be used for savory items like scrambled eggs, omelets or souffles.
>>>Add in 1 teaspoon of sugar per cup of eggs for eggs that will be used for cake, desserts or sweet items.
>>> If you are freezing individual eggs, use 1/8 teaspoon of salt or sugar for each egg. - Store your eggs. Cover and freeze in a muffin tin or ice cube tray until frozen (about 4-6 hours), and then transfer them to freezer containers or freezer-safe bags.
- Label your eggs. Add the date, the quantity and make a note on your storage container if you used salt or sugar in the eggs. Make sure you adjust the recipe to compensate for the sugar or salt that you used in your eggs. Your eggs are now good for up to a year.
The Old Fashioned Way
For years I used the method of cracking an egg into an ice-cube tray, covering it and allowing it to freeze, and then storing it in a freezer-safe bag to use for up to a year. When thawed the eggs didn’t make the perfect fried egg. The yokes got thicker and the texture changed. After more research and testing, it’s better (and my recommendation) to use the Best Method above.
Freezing Egg Whites
Stir the egg whites together with a fork, and then freeze and package them in quantities you will use for recipes etc. It’s good to note that egg whites seem to whip up better and fluffier than after they’re frozen – so freeze away!
Freezing Egg Yolks
Beat the egg yolks slightly with a fork, add your salt or sugar to them with the same quantities as above, and then freeze and package the same way as you would whole eggs above. It’s also good to note here that egg yolks don’t freeze as favorably as egg whites, but are still usable in sauces etc.
Thawing Eggs
To thaw eggs, always do so in a closed container in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours or overnight and use immediately. To thaw the ice cubes, use a small covered dish. To speed up thawing, place container in a bowl of cold water. Egg whites can be stored, thawed, in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. DO NOT REFREEZE EGGS.
Can You Freeze a Hard Boiled Egg?
If you freeze a whole hard-boiled egg, the egg whites will be chewy and watery when thawed, and not enjoyable! So, no, you don’t want to freeze a hard boiled egg. Egg yolks can be frozen to use later for toppings and garnishes, but you will need a little prep first.
How to Freeze Hard Boiled Egg Yolks
If you want to use the egg whites for another recipe and then cook & freeze the yolks to use on tops of salads or other toppings, you can simply separate the whites from the yokes and cook just the yokes.
- Carefully place the yolks in a single layer in a saucepan and add enough water to come to at least 1 inch above the yolks.
- Cover and bring the water just to boiling.
- Remove the pan from the heat and let the yolks stand, covered, in the hot water for about 12 minutes.
- Remove the yolks with a slotted spoon, drain them well and package them for freezing.
Can You Freeze Scrambled Eggs?
Yes, you can freeze scrambled eggs! You can freeze scrambled eggs raw, or cooked, using different simple methods below. This is GREAT for meal-prep breakfasts!
How to Freeze Raw Scrambled Eggs
- Scramble raw eggs in a bowl.
- Add one teaspoon of salt for each cup of raw eggs.
- Transfer the eggs to a muffin tin or ice cube tray and cover to freeze.
- Remove them from the containers the eggs were frozen in, and transfer them to a labeled freezer bag to store in the freezer.
- Thaw and cook as usual within one year of freezing.
How to Freeze Cooked Scrambled Eggs
- Let the cooked scrambled eggs cool completely.
- Wrap tightly with plastic wrap, pressing down gently to remove any air.
- Cover with foil, or store in freezer bags.
- Label them and place in the freezer.
- Thaw and reheat within one year of freezing.
Can You Freeze an Egg in the Shell?
No! According to the USDA, if an egg cracks while it freezes, it needs to be thrown away. Alternatively, if it doesn’t crack while freezing, the egg white and yolk don’t blend well together after being frozen this way, making the uses limited.
That being said, egg freezing in the shell can end up costing you money, instead of saving it, and could waste eggs that very well may have been saved and stored if frozen in another method. We want to save money, not waste it!
Tips and Tricks for Egg Freezing
Always freeze eggs in the amount that you will use at one time. Believe me me, it doesn’t work to try to chisel off part of a frozen egg block!
Use ice cube trays or muffin tins to portion the eggs out correctly. I use this conversion guide.
1-1/2 tablespoons yolks = 1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons whites = 1 egg white
3 tablespoons eggs = 1 whole egg
If you have trouble removing the frozen eggs from the muffin tins or ice cube trays, simply sit the bottom of the trays in warm water for a few seconds, and they should slip right out. Plastic ice cube trays work best for this method.
If you are freezing multiple eggs in a jar or container, make sure you leave 1/2 inch head-space for expansion before freezing.
Clearly mark your freezer bags with the date one year from freezing to make sure you use your frozen eggs within the safety window.
Want Some Recipes You Can Use Frozen Eggs In?
- Basic Muffin Recipe – use this recipe, or any of the variations, to use your frozen eggs!
- Make Ahead Freezer French Toast Sticks – a freezer-friendly breakfast recipe!
- French Toast Casserole – a great way to use up lots of eggs.
- Vintage Banana Cake – this recipe is vintage, from my Great-Grandmothers old recipe box.
- German Pancakes (aka Dutch Babies) – this uses several eggs so it’s perfect when you need to use up lots of eggs.
So, can you freeze eggs? Yes! Now that you know how to freeze eggs, and just how simple it is, you most certainly should!
How to Freeze Eggs
Ingredients
- 12 eggs
- 1 tsp salt or sugar
Instructions
- Lightly scramble the eggs. Stir with a fork until the yolk and whites are blended together without incorporating air.
- Add salt or sugar to your eggs – don’t skip this part!! Egg yolks have a gelatinous property in them that will thicken when frozen. By adding in salt or sugar before freezing, it will stop it from happening.
- Add in 1 teaspoon of salt per cup of eggs for eggs that will be used for savory items like scrambled eggs, omelets or souffles.
- Add in 1 teaspoon of sugar per cup of eggs for eggs that will be used for cake, desserts or sweet items.
- If you are freezing individual eggs, use 1/8 teaspoon of salt or sugar for each egg.
- Store your eggs. Cover and freeze in a muffin tin or ice cube tray until frozen (about 4-6 hours), and then transfer them to freezer containers or freezer-safe bags.
- Label your eggs. Add the date, the quantity and make a note on your storage container if you used salt or sugar in the eggs. Make sure you adjust the recipe to compensate for the sugar or salt that you used in your eggs. Your eggs are now good for up to a year.
Notes
Nutrition
This post is full of so much information on how to freeze eggs. I’d suggest you PIN IT now so you can save it for later too!
I had trouble too get them out; after running warm water over them, they were drippy. Does spraying the pan help?
You can freeze them whole without breaking the yolks and use silicone muffin tins. then I use my food saver to vacuum seal them after frozen. Works just fine,
Good smarts
Oh great. I just sprayed the insides of 18 little cups, broke my eggs and put them in each one and froze them. Now I find this. Did not know about breaking the yolk first and adding salt or sugar. I’m now getting ready to put each egg into freezer bags. Not sure what I’m going to wind up with as I thaw each one out to use. ?
I don’t know if I did something wrong, but separating the yolk and white freezing separately and adding a bit of sugar syrup(per Cook’s Illustrated) to the yolks did not fare well. They tasted okay, slightly sweet, but the yolk still clumped up. I can’t see trying to use it in a sauce or anything other than scrambled eggs for feeding pets or people who aren’t fussy about their eggs. On to another method, I’ve tried beating the whole egg together and freezing, and the separating the yolks from whites. to no avail I’ll try beating and cooking in a muffin top or bun pan to use as a “McMuffin” style breakfast sandwich. Still looking though…
Hi, I followed the recommendation on how to remove the frozen eggs from the muffin tins if having trouble, and within just a few seconds, the eggs started to melt very quickly (the water I used on the tray was too hot) making it more difficult to transfer the eggs to a plastic bag because the eggs were starting to drip. I placed the muffin pan back in the freezer right away and then read the “DO NOT REFREEZE EGGS” line. Is it ok that I put them back in the freezer? They were literally out for less than a minute. Thank you 🙂
Yes, that’s totally fine! I mean don’t totally completely thaw them and then refreeze them. 🙂
Can the eggs be cooked from frozen without thawing? eg in a frying pan.
Or could they be blended frozen into a pancake mix?
I haven’t tried this but now I’m curious! I’ll give it a try and see how it goes! Haha!
Should I have sprayed my muffin tins with pan release? I followed your recipe to freeze whole eggs in muffin tins but now I’m having trouble getting the frozen eggs out of the tins to transfer to freezer bags for storage. Any suggestions?
Hi, I usually run the bottom of the pan under warm water for a few seconds and they pop right out!
By lining the muffin tin with a sheet of Saran Wrap before putting the eggs in, you will be able to pop them right out when they are frozen – quick, easy, no mess.
Great idea Carla!!!!
After freezing the egg yolks looks different like they are already cooked. Why?
How long will eggs keep if they are frozen?
Hi, they are best used up within a year!
I have been raising chickens for over 60 years and live where it get very cold……..sometimes the eggs are frozen and sometimes even cracked. run each one quickly under hot water to unfreeze the egg from the shell, then peel off the shell and put the round, frozen eggs directly into the pan and it melt into a perfect fried egg……..I have never gotten sick or had anyone else get sick because it takes time ( and warmer temperatures) for bacteria to grow and these eggs came directly from the hens…………….if they are fresh and go straight to the freezer, I don’t see any problem if they don’t sit around thawing at room temperature
AWESOME!!!??????♥️I DIDNT KNOW You Could Freeze Eggs!! I DO FREEZE HALF and Half ! Thank YOU SO much! What a GREAT IDEA, G-d♥️Bless
Glad you like this! Egg freezing can save you so much time and money!
I think what was not mentioned is that egg yolk changes consistency when thawed. It becomes almost hard as freeze boiled and difficult to blend with the egg white.
Yeah they will do that unless you add salt or sugar and mix them up. Strange isn’t it?
I love your blog on storing eggs. This will be a big help to me. Looking forward to your next ideas.
When I thawed my eggs, the yolk was rubbery. Is there a way to avoid this? Thank you!
Yes, you need to add salt or sugar to the eggs, this post has been updated with all the right info now and best techniques!!! Hope you love it!!!
I like your idea. I wondered how to freeze eggs, but I didn’t know whom to ask thank you. Since I bake a lot the idea of freezing eggs is amazing.
Can you freeze them in their shell?
No you cannot – they must be removed from their shells.
But it will not make any one sick if the eggs did freeze in their shell?
Salmonella and other illness-causing bacteria are sometimes found on the shells of eggs. If the shells cracked while freezing, the bacteria will spread to the egg inside. So if there weren’t cracks you’d be safe most likely.
I first heard about freezing eggs about two or three weeks ago when all this buying everything in the store when this virus hit.. so I got lucky and bought 2 doz eggs, and put them carton and all, in the freezer. well every egg was cracked, so I wasted money and eggs.. I now know how to freeze eggs the correct way. I learned the hard way.
Love your egg idea! Am looking forward to the rest of your ideas!!! Thankyou
Thank you ! Freezing eggs can save so much money!
This is a great tip! I was wondering, what is that cloth freezer bag in the picture? Thank you!
Hi, they were Neat-ohs reusable bags, but that company went out of business. If you’re looking for what I recommend for reusable freezer bags check out my post here: https://happymoneysaver.com/reusable-freezer-bags/
Thank you! This morning I dropped a full doz container of free range eggs to the floor. Having read your info I broke the cracked ones, 8 of the, in to a bamboo freezer bag and put it straight into the freezer: my next frittata. 🙂