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 guess frozen eggs don’ t work for baked custard. I ended up with flakes of yolk that would not incoperate into the mixture 🙁 Or did I not freeze them correctly.
Hi Karrie. Do you spray the muffin tins before adding the eggs?
thanks!
Penny M
You can if you want to! I usually do but it’s not necessary.
Eager to try freezing eggs. What do you use to cover the muffin tin until the eggs are frozen?
Thanks for your help,
Birgit
Just plastic wrap.
Last spring I froze cracked eggs into muffin tins and transferred them to vacuum seal bags and froze them.
I didn’t add anything to them and I didn’t stir or break the yolks. I get the texture might not be optimal but is there any harm in thawing and cooking them up this way? ( I have egg on toast every day). Thanks
Nope, no harm, just a texture difference.
I’m not sure if I just missed it but I’m poaching eggs in a muffin tin for meal prep and want to know the freezing directions for that
You shouldn’t freeze pre-poached eggs, the consistency changes a lot.
If my baking recipes also require salt, can I add salt to all of them, then not needing to store separately? Or would that affect my baking ?
Hi Penny! I believe that the amount of salt you add for baking is less than the amount of salt for example in scramble eggs. I don’t like to feel salt in my cakes. You can try adding salt to some eggs, freeze them and then bake a cake to see the taste, but remember that she said to add 1 teaspoon of salt for 1 cup of eggs.
“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.”