Yes, You Can Freeze Coffee Creamer — But Do This First To Avoid A Mess

Coffee creamer is an item that some coffee drinkers simply cannot go without, but its shelf life can be difficult to work with. Considering coffee creamer only lasts two weeks after it's been opened in the refrigerator, many turn to freezing the dairy product to make it last much longer. However, it's important to remember not to store the creamer in its original container if you decide to put it in the freezer; failure to do so could result in a total mess and wasting the delicious coffee add-on at the same time.

The reason you can't freeze store-bought coffee creamer in its original bottle is that the liquid is prone to expanding when frozen in a way that its typical bottles aren't suited to handle. Because of this, creamer bottles are prone to exploding when put in the freezer for too long. As a result, transporting coffee creamer into something freezer-safe containers, like ziplock bags or ice cube trays, is the best course of action when freezing the substance.

So, while you can store coffee creamer in the freezer as long as you take proper precautions, the real question is whether or not it affects your creamer's flavor and consistency. When it comes to texture, coffee creamer can become slimy if its temperature fluctuates too much, so be wary of that if you put it in the freezer temporarily before placing it in the fridge. Plus, thawed creamer can become more watery than before it was frozen, which might be undesirable for some consumers.

As for its flavor, according to International Delight, one of the top store-bought coffee creamer providers in the U.S. and Canada, its coffee creamer is greatly diminished when it's frozen. " ... Creamer that has been frozen and thawed is safe to consume, but its flavor and texture will be dramatically inferior to the creamer you know and love," the company's website warns.

However, if you don't mind a potentially less intense flavor, coffee creamer can last up to six months in the freezer, greatly improving its shelf life. Plus, if you use an ice tray to freeze the creamer, throwing the cubed creamer directly into your hot cup of coffee is a method that some have used to avoid the thawing process entirely.