While avocados are one of the best fruits for a keto diet, they’re also one of the most temperamental: Slicing into one too early or too late can lead to rock-hard fruit or a brown, gooey mess. Save the stress and learn how to freeze avocados at their optimal ripeness instead, so you’ll never have to deal with a mushy avocado again! This guide goes over all the best methods for freezing avocado, thawing guidelines, and recipes for frozen avocado. If you’re looking for more keto friendly foods to freeze, check out my index of hundreds of freezer friendly keto recipes. Or, see these healthy avocado recipes for ways to use your preserved fruit.
Can You Freeze Avocados?
Can avocados be frozen? Absolutely — and once you learn how to freeze avocados, you’ll be able to stock up when they’re on sale and keep them on hand whenever you need a boost of healthy fats. If you’re wondering, “can avocado freeze well?”, it can… as long as you use the right methods to prevent browning.
Can you freeze whole avocados?
Yes, and even though it’s not my favorite, this method is one of the easiest ways to preserve them. See the method below!
How To Freeze Avocados
Make frozen avocado in four different ways, using these four easy methods.
Method 1: Freezing Avocado Slices Or Chunks
Frozen avocado chunks and slices are ideal if you want to mash them up after thawing. And they won’t go brown! Here’s how to do it:
Cut. After halving your avocado and removing the pit, create long slices across the length of each avocado half. (Stop here for freezing avocado slices, or slice again across the width to create chunks.) Scoop out with a spoon.
Toss. Add avocado pieces to a bowl and toss with 1-2 tsp lemon juice (depending on the size of the avocado), which prevents browning.
Seal & freeze. Place slices or chunks into a bag, then use a vacuum sealer to suck the air out and seal. Freeze.
Method 2: Freezing Avocado Puree For Smoothies
Can you freeze avocado puree? Most definitely. It’s great for blended recipes!
Mash. Add avocado flesh and 1-2 tsp lemon juice to a bowl and mash with a fork, or use a high-powered blender to puree.
Transfer. Add avocado puree to an ice cube tray. I like this silicone ice cube tray most of the time, but I also have a plastic one shown below.
Freeze. Place in the freezer to set.
Method 3: Freezing Avocados Whole
Can I freeze avocado without any prep work? YES! Freezing avocado with the skin on is the easiest way to preserve it. How do you do it? When your avocado is perfectly ripe (this is key!), just put it in the freezer. That’s it! FYI: This method is slightly more prone to browning than others. The water content in the avocado can shift a bit when frozen, so sometimes they come out brown afterward. But other times, they are fine. If you’re in a rush and you know your avocado is about to go bad, you might as well try it instead of letting it spoil.
Method 4: Freezing Guacamole
Can you freeze guacamole? Absolutely. Guacamole freezes well, just like pureed avocado:
Mash. Mash up your guacamole, incorporating a generous amount of lime juice to prevent browning.
Freeze. Add guacamole to a 1-quart freezer bag and push out the air. Lay flat in the freezer until set.
How To Thaw Frozen Avocado
So, you have frozen avocado chunks, puree, or whole fruit — how to you un-freeze it? It’s easy!
How to thaw frozen avocado chunks, slices, or puree:
Remove pieces from the freezer and thaw at room temperature for 30-60 minutes. You can also place in the refrigerator overnight. FYI: Even though avocado chunks or slices can be frozen, I don’t recommend using them in this form after thawing. The texture will change, making them not the most ideal for something like a salad. You can try it to see for yourself if you like the texture, but I prefer avocado in mashed form after it has been frozen.
How to thaw frozen whole avocado:
Briefly rinse the whole avocado under hot water, then thaw on the counter for about 1 hour. If you have more time, you can also thaw the whole fruit in the refrigerator overnight.
How to thaw frozen guacamole:
Thaw frozen guacamole overnight in the refrigerator, or immerse the bag in cold water for 30-40 minutes.
What To Do With Frozen Avocado
Since the texture of the fruit can change after freezing, the best frozen avocado recipes incorporate other flavors and textures, too.
Smoothies – Can you freeze avocados for smoothies? It’s a great idea! Add to a strawberry avocado smoothie, green smoothie bowl, Vietnamese avocado smoothie, or triple berry smoothie (from my keto cookbook!) Sandwiches – Use thawed avocado slices or mashed avocado chunks in sandwiches, such as avocado toast on keto bread or a BLT sandwich. Dips – Spice up your thawed avocado by adding it to homemade guacamole or salsa verde. Mashed salads – Mix avocado chunks into satisfying lettuce-free salads, such as avocado egg salad, chicken salad, or tuna salad. Desserts – Try frozen avocado in sweet treats like key lime pie and avocado brownies!
Why not use thawed avocado in traditional salad recipes? Since these dishes call for whole chunks of avocado, the texture change is more apparent and not as appetizing. It’s much better to use frozen avocado in recipes that don’t rely on its classic creamy texture.
Conclusion: What Is The Best Way To Freeze Avocado?
Now that you know how to freeze avocados and how to use frozen avocado, which method is best? It depends on how you want to use your avocado afterward. For easier blending and a little extra citrus flavor, freeze avocado pieces or puree. For no flavor change, freeze them whole instead. Share your recipe picture by tagging @wholesomeyum and hashtag it #wholesomeyum on Instagram, or in our Facebook support group, too - I’d love to see it!
