How to Freeze Avocados

Learn how to freeze avocados so you never waste leftovers again! Frozen avocado can be used in smoothies, or thawed to make dressings, dips, and spreads. 

Can You Freeze Avocado?

Yes! Freezing avocados likely isn’t the first idea that comes to mind when faced with ripe avocados that are on the brink of going bad. 

However, freezing avocados preserves their creamy texture and means you can use them at your leisure rather than worrying about them going bad before you have a chance to eat them. 

Avocados are one of the more expensive kinds of produce at the grocery store, and once they’re ripe they must be eaten or stored ASAP. You don’t want one bit of that expensive avocado to go to waste! 

This guide will explain how to freeze avocados without them turning brown. Avocados hold up well once frozen, and there’s no blanching or elaborate prep work involved! 

When Is Avocado Season? 

There are many varieties of avocados, and they all have slightly different growing seasons. 

Hass avocados are the classic avocado you see in most grocery stores and they account for 95% of the avocado sales in US grocery stores. They have high-fat, creamy flesh and bumpy, dark green skin. 

Because Hass avocados are the most popular type of avocado in the US, I’ll focus on this particular variety in this guide. 

Hass avocados are in season from spring through early fall, although they’re available year-round in most stores. 

How to Pick the Best Avocados for Freezing 

Some things to keep in mind when picking Hass avocados for freezing are:

• Hass avocados have pebbly skin that darkens the more ripe they are.
• Their flesh should have a slight give when you press your thumb gently near the top of the avocado. 
• Their skin should be dark green; if too bright green, the avocado is not ripe yet.
• Remove the stem from the top of the avocado – the flesh there should be green and the stem should be easy to remove. If the stem is tough to remove, it’s not ripe enough. If the skin underneath is brown, it’s likely overripe so you should cut it open and salvage what you can! 

Tools Needed for Freezing Avocados 

Freezing avocados is a straightforward process that requires minimal tools. Here’s what I recommend having on hand when freezing avocados: 

• Cutting board — If the cutting board slides around on your countertop, place a clean kitchen towel underneath it to hold it steady. 
• Chef’s knife – Make sure it’s sharpened properly before cutting and slicing the avocado. 
• Spoon – For scooping out the flesh. 
• Vacuum or zip-top freezer bags — You want to suck as much air as possible out of the freezer bag. This will help prevent freezer burn and will also prevent the flesh from oxidizing (turning brown). 

How to Freeze Avocados 4 Ways 

Before freezing an avocado, think about how you plan on using it later on. Avocados can be frozen whole or in halves, slices, cubes, or mashed. 

Here are four ways to preserve avocados by freezing them. 

1. Freezing Whole Avocados 

Can you freeze avocados whole? Yes! 

This is the easiest way to freeze avocados because there’s no upfront prep work. You can thaw the whole avocado overnight in the fridge to use in the morning! 

However, frozen whole avocados take up more freezer space so this isn’t a good option for anyone with limited storage space. 

To freeze whole avocados: 

1. Wash the skin thoroughly under running tap water.
2. Pat dry with a clean kitchen towel.
3. Wrap each avocado in a layer of plastic wrap (this helps to prevent freezer burn). 
4. Seal the wrapped avocados inside a freezer bag (suck out as much air as possible!). 
5. Label, date, and freeze. 

2. Freezing Avocado Halves 

Can you freeze avocado halves? Yes! 

Freezing avocado halves is great if you cut into an avocado but only need half of it. I recommend removing the pit before freezing an avocado half.  

To freeze avocado halves: 

1. Place the avocado on a cutting board. Cut the avocado in half lengthwise. You’ll need to carefully rotate the knife around the avocado pit to slice through the entirety of the flesh. 
2. Place the knife on the counter. Then, pick up the avocado and gently twist the two halves apart. The seed will remain on one side. 
3. You can remove the pit with a spoon, working the tip of the spoon as close to the pit as possible to avoid removing any flesh. OR you can place the avocado half on the cutting board and carefully tap the back of the chef’s knife into the pit. The knife should stick in the pit, allowing you to gently twist the knife and remove the pit. 
4. Squeeze a little lime or lemon juice over the exposed flesh. 
5. Wrap in plastic wrap. 
6. Seal inside a freezer bag, then label, date, and freeze. I recommend freezing in a single layer, and then storing as desired once the avocados have hardened (otherwise they’ll mash together). 

3. Freezing Avocado Slices or Cubes (Best Method) 

Can you freeze avocado slices or cubes? Yes! 

Frozen avocado chunks or slices are perfect for making smoothies, guacamole, and spreads. This is the most versatile storage method because you can do anything with the prepared avocado.  

To freeze avocado chunks or slices: 

1. Place the avocado on a cutting board. Cut the avocado in half lengthwise. You’ll need to carefully rotate the knife around the avocado pit to slice through the entirety of the flesh. 
2. Place the knife on the counter. Then, pick up the avocado and gently twist the two halves apart. The seed will remain on one side. 
3. You can remove the pit with a spoon, working the tip of the spoon as close to the pit as possible to avoid removing any flesh. OR you can place the avocado half on the cutting board and carefully tap the back of the chef’s knife into the pit. The knife should stick in the pit, allowing you to gently twist the knife and remove the pit. 
4. Gently score the avocado with the tip of the knife to either slice or cube it. You want to cut all the way through the creamy flesh without cutting the skin. 
5. Scoop the scored flesh out with a spoon.
6. Lay the sliced or cubed avocado in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined baking tray. 
7. Freeze until hardened, about 1 hour. 
8. Transfer to a freezer bag (remove air!). Label, date, and freeze. 

4. Freezing Mashed Avocado 

Can you freeze mashed avocado? Yes! 

If you know you’ll be making guacamole, avocado toast, sauces, or dressings with the frozen avocado, you might as well mash it up before freezing it. 

Mashed avocado takes up the least amount of freezer space because it can be frozen flat and then stood up on its side in the freezer. 

To freeze mashed avocado:  

1. Place the avocado on a cutting board. Cut the avocado in half lengthwise. You’ll need to carefully rotate the knife around the avocado pit to slice through the entirety of the flesh. 
2. Place the knife on the counter. Then, pick up the avocado and gently twist the two halves apart. The seed will remain on one side. 
3. You can remove the pit with a spoon, working the tip of the spoon as close to the pit as possible to avoid removing any flesh. OR you can place the avocado half on the cutting board and carefully tap the back of the chef’s knife into the pit. The knife should stick in the pit, allowing you to gently twist the knife and remove the pit. 
4. Gently score the avocado with the tip of the knife to either slice or cube it. You want to cut all the way through the creamy flesh without cutting the skin. 
5. Scoop the scored flesh out with a spoon and place in a bowl. 
6. Using a fork, mash to your desired consistency. If freezing large quantities, mash using a food processor. 
7. Transfer to an air-tight container or freezer bag, squeeze some lemon or lime juice over top, then freeze. 

Tips for Freezing Avocados 

• Freeze at peak ripeness – under or overripe avocados won’t freeze well. Also note that can’t salvage an avocado that’s gone bad by freezing it! 
• Mash or blend frozen avocados — The texture of an avocado does change somewhat once frozen, so it’s best if used in some way that it’s blended up or mashed.  
• Spritz with lemon or lime juice— This prevents the avocado from turning brown once frozen. Just keep in mind that no matter what you do, frozen avocados will turn somewhat brown since they’ll be exposed to air. 
• Use vacuum freezer bags, if possible — This is the best way for preventing both freezer burn and oxidation from occurring! Otherwise, squeeze out as much air as possible out of your zip-top freezer bags to mimic a vacuum bag. 
• Deciding how to freeze — Freezing whole or halved avocados is great if you don’t know how you’ll be using them. However, these storage methods also take up the most freezer space.  Check out this tutorial on how to cut avocados if you’d like to learn more about the different methods.

Can You Freeze Avocados with the Skin On? 

Yes! Frozen whole or halved avocados should be frozen with the skin on. This helps to protect the creamy flesh and provides and extra layer of insurance against freezer burn. 

How Long Do Frozen Avocados Last? 

Frozen avocado will last 4 to 6 months, if stored properly. 

Do You Need to Thaw Frozen Avocados Before Using? 

Yes, you’ll need to thaw frozen avocado unless you’re making a smoothie with it. 

How to Thaw Frozen Avocados 

You have two options for thawing frozen avocados: 

• Best method: Place the frozen avocado in the fridge overnight.  
• Fastest method: Leave the frozen avocado on the counter at room temperature. The avocado could take a couple hours to thaw – it will be longer for whole avocados, shorter for halved or cubed. 

Tip: Avocados release moisture as they thaw, so it’s best to use thawed avocados day-of.

How to Use Frozen Avocado 

Since avocados change texture once frozen, they’re generally best if mashed, blended, or pureed after being thawed. 

I recommend adding frozen avocado to smoothies (frozen), sauces, or dips. Or, simply mash one up for avocado toast! 

More Freezing Tutorials: 

Freezing cheese extends its shelf life and is easy to thaw for future recipes. This guide explains how to freeze cheese, how long frozen cheese lasts in the freezer, and which cheeses can actually be frozen. 

Can you freeze butter? Absolutely! In this post, I walk you through how to freeze butter and how to defrost it. Plus, I answer other FAQs about freezing butter. 

Freezing raspberries is a wonderful way to enjoy summer’s harvest year-round! This guide explains how to freeze raspberries, plus it answers the most commonly asked questions about thawing frozen raspberries and using them in recipes. 

Don’t want those fresh eggs to spoil before you can use them up? Freeze them! Freezing chicken eggs is a great way to preserve their shelf life and ensure you never run out of eggs for baked goods. 

Enjoy summer green beans all year long by freezing them! This post explains how to freeze green beans, how to blanch green beans for freezing, how to thaw frozen green beans, and more! 

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