Frozen Avocado: Learn How to Freeze Avocados Three Ways! (2024)

I love avocados, and use them in half the dishes I make. They're in season all year round (thanks to growing seasons in the US, Mexico, and Peru). But, I'll find them on sale at specific points of the year. If I find avocados close to $1.50 per pound, I usually buy them in bulk to freeze! So if you're wondering how to preserve or freeze avocados, or what to do with frozen avocado, jump right in.

This post contains helpful tips and tricks! If you're in a rush, please use the "Jump to Recipe" above!

🥑 Can you freeze avocados?

Yes, you can freeze avocados! It allows you to store them for long periods of time, while still retaining the majority of their nutrition and flavor.

There are three different ways to freeze avocados: freeze the whole avocado or avocado halves, freeze avocado chunks or slices or freeze mashed avocado. Each has its own set of benefits and considerations.

• Freezing whole avocados or halves are great when you need a quick solution. They're great to use in smoothies and sauces later on.
• Freezing avocado slices or chunks can make it a bit easier to add them to salads, tacos, sandwiches, and other dishes where you want them as slices. It also makes it easier to measure out the exact amount of avocado needed for your recipe. Additionally, it allows you to enjoy little avocado bits in smoothies and other cold drinks.
• Mashed avocado can last longer in the freezer than whole avocados. It also offers more flexibility for later use because it can be easily incorporated into many different dishes, such as guacamole, sandwiches and smoothies. Additionally, freezing mashed avocado means that you won't have to spend time reducing it to a puree when you are ready to cook with it.

📋 Ingredients and notes

You'll need avocados, fresh lemon juice, some plastic wrap (or beeswax paper) and some airtight containers or bags (and maybe a baking sheet!) You can use lemon or lime juice. I personally like the flavor of fresh lemon juice the best, but lime juice totally works too!

🥑 Freezing whole avocado or avocado halves

Whole avocados can be frozen for up to three months (occasionally, they've lasted me as long as six months). Freezing avocados with the skin on makes it a lot easier to freeze them and I'm all about convenience!

When to freeze whole avocados: I freeze whole avocados or halves when I am crunched for time or can't decide what I'll use the them for later.

• Start by rinsing the avocados (this helps get rid of any dirt on the skin that might transfer inside as you slice them open). Dry them thoroughly.
• If you're storing the whole avocado, wrap each one tightly with a plastic wrap or beeswax paper. Beeswax wrap is a great, reusable alternative and it's really cost-effective too. I personally love using it for freezing or storing produce, or even cheese.

• If you're storing avocado halves, then slice them into halves. No need to remove the seed. Sprinkle a little lemon juice on each half. Then, wrap each piece tightly with plastic wrap or beeswax paper.
• Place each avocado (or half) in a freezer bag (or these stasher bags!) and seal tight by pressing around the avocado to remove air pockets.

🥑 Freezing avocado slices or cubes

Sliced or cubed avocados will stay fresh for up to three months in the freezer.

When to freeze avocados as slices or cubes: I freeze sliced avocados when I want to use them later in sandwiches or tacos. I freeze chunks of avocados primarily for using them in smoothies or making avocado ice cream or mousse.

• Rinse and dry the avocados thoroughly to get rid of any dirt
• Slice the avocado into two halves and remove the pit
• Use a spoon to scoop the avocado flesh out, and then cut them into thin slices or cubes (remove any brown parts!) Alternatively, you can use this 3-in-1 avocado slicer (which is honestly heaven sent and so inexpensive too!)
• You can spritz the avocado slices or chunks with some fresh lemon juice before you flash freeze them, if you wish.

• Next, line a baking sheet with some parchment paper or a silicon mat. Place your avocado slices or cubes on the baking sheet.
• Throw these in the freezer for at least an hour - this is called flash freezing, and will help keep your avocado pieces separate (otherwise, if you throw them all straight into a bag, you just get a glob!)

See Also

How to Store AvocadosHoly Guacamole! | Harvest Right™ | Home Freeze Dryers | Freeze Dried Food StorageThaw And Mash A Frozen Avocado For Guacamole On DemandHow to Freeze Avocados So They'll Stay Perfectly Ripe for Later

Once they're individually frozen, you can transfer them to an airtight container or a freezer bag, and store them in the freezer.

🥑 Freezing mashed avocado

Mashed avocados freeze quite well for up to 3 months, but you'll want to make sure you skim the top layer off (since it can sometimes oxidize when frozen).

When to freeze mashed avocados: Mashed up avocados are great to prepare ahead of time, if you know you'll want to make guacamole with it. You can also serve them up on avocado toast.

• Rinse and dry the avocados thoroughly to get rid of any dirt
• Slice the avocado into two halves and remove the pit.
• Use a spoon to scoop the avocado flesh out, and place them in a bowl or a food processor after removing brown parts. You can use a fork for chunky texture or a food processor if you want it smooth.

• Make sure to drizzle a bit of lemon juice as you're mashing. You can totally just add some onions, jalapeños, cilantro and freeze as guacamole.
• Portion into individual sizes in airtight containers. I typically do one avocado per container, so you can also use these Souper cubes (which makes it super easy to portion them!) and then freeze. You'll want to remove as much air as possible before you close up.
• Alternatively, you can also make little avocado balls (e.g., by using a cookie scoop). In this case, first flash freeze the avocado balls by placing them neatly spaced apart on a baking sheet, and then once frozen, you can move them into a freezer-safe bag.

Pro tip to avoid browning: Mashed up avocados tend to brown the most out of the other ways to freeze avocados. If you're storing the avocados in a freezer-safe bag, place a straw in the bag, seal it almost shut, and then suck the air out through the straw before sealing the bag. Alternatively, you can just skim the top layer off before using the frozen mashed avocados.

👩🏽‍🍳 Top tips and FAQs

Frozen avocados are a great way to stock up on the fruit when they're less expensive. While they lose some of the creamy texture you get from fresh avocados, they're a great way to prevent food waste! You'll be able to further preserve the flavor and texture with these tips.

• Pick the right avocados. You'll want ripe avocados before you freeze them. Otherwise they don't ripen even after thawing.
• Use a brush for the lemon juice or spray it. I like to use a brush (or a spray bottle) to make sure that I coat the slices evenly. This is done to prevent them from browning before you freeze them.
• Using after freezing. I typically move the avocados I want to use from the freezer into the fridge the night before I want to use it. Alternatively, you can place them in a bowl of room temperature water for up to an hour before using.
• Using plastic wrap versus beeswax paper. I typically use beeswax paper for 99% of the things that need plastic wrap and I've found it works quite well in this case too. The key is to make sure you squeeze all the air out before storing!
• Avocados will still brown after thawing! So, once you thaw avocados may become brown as they're exposed to oxygen and air, so use them right away or toss with lemon or lime juice before freezing.

FAQs

🍴 Serving and storage suggestions

Frozen avocados are typically good for 3 to 6 months. The best way to thaw the avocados is to move them from the freezer into the fridge the night before you intend to use them. Then you're all good to go.

The final texture is not as creamy as the fresh fruit, so I don't like using them in salads or slicing them for avocado toast when it's frozen. However, it's great in smoothies, smashed avocado toast, and makes killer guacamole.

Check out these avocado recipes to use up avocados:

If you tried this recipe, don't forget to comment and rate! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

📖 Recipe

Note: This post was originally published on May 30, 2021 and updated on March 18, 2023 with better photos, tips and FAQs. Original photos below.

Avocados can be frozen whole, in chunks or slices, as halves, or as mashed avocados.