Can You Freeze Cheese? A Cheese-by-Cheese Guide to Freezing and Thawing

In Short

Can you freeze cheese? Yes, most hard and semi-hard cheeses like cheddar, Swiss, Parmesan, and mozzarella keep their flavor for about 4 to 6 months in the freezer. Freezing makes them crumbly, so save thawed cheese for cooking and baking, not the cheese board. Skip soft fresh cheeses like ricotta and cottage cheese, which turn watery and grainy.

Can You Freeze Cheese? Which Kinds Freeze Well

Here's the short list the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension gives for cheeses that freeze best.

Firm cheeses win, and soft fresh ones don't.

Cheese	How it freezes	Best use after thawing
Cheddar	Well	Mac and cheese, soups, casseroles
Swiss	Well	Quiche, melts, gratins
Mozzarella	Well	Pizza, lasagna, baked pasta
Parmesan, Romano	Well	Grated over pasta, baked into crisps
Provolone, Muenster, Edam, brick	Well	Sandwich melts, baked pasta
Camembert	Well, per UNL	Baked or melted
Blue cheese	Gets more crumbly, keeps its flavor	Dressings, salads, sauces
Brie	Sources split (see below)	Baked brie only
Cottage cheese, ricotta	Poorly	Cooked dishes only
Cream cheese	Poorly for spreading	Its own rules (see below)

Cheeses Not to Freeze

UNL Extension and the National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP) both say cream cheese and cottage cheese don't freeze well.

NCHFP adds ricotta to that list.

North Dakota State University Extension is a little more forgiving.

It says cottage cheese and ricotta can be frozen for about a month, though cream-style cottage cheese may separate.

I side with the "don't" camp for anything you'll eat cold.

Freeze ricotta only if it's going into lasagna or baked ziti, and use it within the month.

Brie is the one where sources really disagree.

NCHFP lists soft cheese like Brie at 6 months, but the University of Illinois Extension says soft cheese like Brie doesn't freeze well.

My advice: freeze Brie only if you plan to bake it.

Cream cheese gets its own guide.

Here's how to freeze cream cheese and bake with it afterward.

How to Freeze Cheese: Blocks, Slices, and Shredded

Air is the enemy here.

It dries out the cheese and leaves freezer burn.

Block Cheese

Smaller pieces are easier to wrap tightly and thaw evenly.

UNL Extension says to cut hard cheese into ½ to 1-pound blocks.

NDSU Extension goes smaller, at no more than ½ pound per chunk.

I recommend the ½-pound size, because smaller pieces thaw faster.

1. Cut it down. Aim for ½-pound pieces.
2. Wrap it tightly. Plastic wrap first, pressed right against the cheese.
3. Bag it. Slide the wrapped pieces into a freezer bag and press out the air.
4. Label it. Write the cheese and the date (frozen white cheddar and frozen Monterey Jack look a lot alike).

So a block of cheddar freezes just fine.

It just won't slice neatly afterward.

Shredded Cheese

Yes, you can freeze shredded cheese, and it's the easiest kind to freeze.

UNL Extension says bagged shredded cheese can go into the freezer in its original package.

Once a bag is open, press out the air and seal it in a freezer bag.

If you shred your own, spread the shreds on a parchment-lined sheet pan and freeze them for an hour.

Then bag them.

They stay loose instead of freezing into one big clump.

Sliced Cheese

Stack slices with a small square of parchment between each one.

They peel apart easily, even straight from the freezer.

How Long Frozen Cheese Lasts (and How to Thaw It)

NCHFP gives hard cheeses like cheddar and Swiss 6 months in the freezer.

Illinois Extension gives hard and processed cheese 4 to 6 months.

I go with the shorter end, about 4 months, for the best texture.

Those times are about quality, not safety.

Illinois Extension says food kept at 0°F stays safe as long as it stays frozen.

After a few months, it just gets drier and more crumbly.

Thaw It in the Fridge

Thaw cheese in the refrigerator, not on the counter.

UNL Extension recommends 24 to 48 hours in the fridge for shredded cheese.

That time lets the moisture (frost while it's frozen) go back into the cheese.

Blocks need at least overnight.

Use thawed cheese soon.

UNL says to use it as quickly as possible, and NDSU says not to refreeze it.

Baking and Cooking With Frozen Cheese

UNL Extension says frozen cheese may turn crumbly and mealy, but it keeps its flavor.

That's the whole game plan.

Use it where it melts.

• Soups: My copycat Panera broccoli cheddar soup is a great home for thawed sharp cheddar. Stir it in off the heat, a handful at a time.
• Casseroles: Thawed shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack melt right into my ground beef taco casserole.
• Quiche and savory scones: Crumbly cheese mixes into the batter or custard just fine.
• Pizza and baked pasta: Mozzarella that went through the freezer still melts and browns.

The best part?

Nobody can tell once it's melted.

Stacie's Tricks & Tips

• Portion First: Freeze cheese in the amounts your recipes call for. You'll thaw only what you need.
• Parchment Between Slices: Small squares keep slices from sticking together.
• Date Every Bag: It's hard to tell a 1-month bag from a 6-month bag once it's frosty.
• Plan the Thaw: Move shredded cheese to the fridge two days before a casserole night. It's perfect for my Mexican ground beef casserole.
• Keep the Pretty Cheese Fresh: NCHFP says cheese keeps best in the refrigerator. Save the freezer for cooking cheese and leave the cheese board cheese in the fridge.

Key Takeaway

Pull out the block that's been taking up space in the fridge, cut it into ½-pound pieces, and wrap them up today.

When casserole night comes, that cheese is ready.

My baked mac and cheese is the one you'll make again and again with it.