Quick answer: Yes — you can freeze most cheese, but the texture changes. Hard cheeses such as cheddar freeze well (best grated and used for cooking afterwards), while soft and fresh cheeses like cream cheese, cottage cheese and ricotta tend to split and turn grainy. Wrap cheese tightly, freeze it for up to three months for the best quality, and defrost it slowly in the fridge.
“Can you freeze cheese?” is one of those questions that comes up the moment you spot a multipack on offer or find half a block left over after a weekend of cooking. The short answer is yes — but cheese is not one single ingredient, and how well it freezes depends entirely on what kind it is. This guide sets out which cheeses freeze beautifully, which are best avoided, exactly how to freeze and defrost cheese, and how to get the most out of it once it comes out of the freezer.
Which cheeses freeze well (and which don’t)
Freezing turns the water inside cheese into ice crystals, and when it thaws those crystals leave the texture slightly drier and more crumbly. Firm cheeses cope with this far better than soft, high-moisture ones. As a rule of thumb, the harder and lower-moisture the cheese, the better it freezes.
| Cheese | Freezes well? | Best use after freezing |
|---|---|---|
| Cheddar, Red Leicester, Gruyère (hard) | Yes — especially grated | Cooking, sauces, toasties, gratins |
| Mozzarella (block / low-moisture) | Yes — block & grated; fresh buffalo less so | Pizza and bakes (not fresh in salads) |
| Halloumi | Yes | Frying and grilling |
| Brie and Camembert (soft, rinded) | Only for cooking — softens and can turn grainy | Baking and melting (not a cheeseboard) |
| Blue cheese (Stilton) | Yes, but more crumbly | Crumbled into sauces and dressings |
| Cream cheese | Poorly — tends to split | Cooked dishes only (cheesecakes, sauces) |
| Cottage cheese and ricotta | No — turns watery and grainy | Not recommended |
The trick I always come back to is simple: if you plan to cook with the cheese after thawing rather than eat it fresh on a cheeseboard, almost any change in texture stops mattering. A slightly crumblier cheddar melts into a cheese sauce exactly the same as a fresh block.
How to freeze cheese
Good wrapping is everything — the enemies are air (which causes freezer burn) and large blocks (which thaw unevenly). Here is the method that gives the best results.
- Portion it first. Cut a large block into meal-sized pieces, or grate hard cheese — you will only thaw what you need, and grated cheese can go straight from freezer to pan.
- Wrap tightly. Wrap each portion closely in greaseproof paper, baking parchment or foil so there are no air pockets against the surface.
- Bag and squeeze out the air. Put the wrapped portions into a freezer bag or airtight container and press out as much air as you can before sealing.
- Label and date. Write the cheese and the date on the bag — cheese all looks much the same once it is frozen and wrapped.
- Freeze. Lay it flat in the freezer. For grated cheese, freezing the bag flat lets you break off just the handful you need.
Can you freeze grated cheese?
Yes — and grated is the single best way to freeze hard cheese. Grating before freezing means the cheese freezes in small pieces that don’t clump, and you can take a handful straight from the freezer onto a pizza, into a sauce or over a gratin with no defrosting at all. A light dusting of cornflour tossed through the grated cheese before bagging helps keep the strands separate. Shop-bought grated cheese freezes just as well in its bag.
Can you freeze cheddar, mozzarella, brie and halloumi?
Cheddar freezes very well, particularly grated, and is ideal for cooking afterwards. Mozzarella freezes well for cooking in its firmer block or grated low-moisture form — use it on pizzas and in bakes rather than fresh in a salad, as it loses its springy texture. Fresh buffalo mozzarella holds much more water and fares less well, so it is best enjoyed fresh. Halloumi freezes well and fries and grills straight from frozen or after a short thaw. Brie and Camembert are soft, rinded cheeses that freezing affects more than most: only freeze them if you plan to bake or melt them, as the texture softens and can turn grainy. They are not recommended for serving fresh on a cheeseboard. Cream cheese is the one to be cautious with: it separates as it thaws, so only freeze it if you intend to use it in a cooked dish such as a cheesecake filling or a sauce, where a quick whisk brings it back together.
How to defrost frozen cheese
Defrost cheese slowly in the fridge overnight rather than at room temperature or in the microwave — a slow, cold thaw keeps the texture as close to fresh as possible and keeps the cheese safely chilled. Grated cheese is the exception: there is no need to thaw it at all, as it cooks perfectly from frozen. Once cheese has thawed, treat it like any fresh food — the Food Standards Agency advises using defrosted food within 24 hours — and don’t refreeze it.
How long can you freeze cheese?
For the best flavour and texture, use frozen cheese within about three months. It remains safe to eat for longer if it has stayed properly frozen, but the texture continues to dry out the longer it is stored. This is exactly why labelling with the date is worth the ten seconds it takes.
Correct as of June 2026. Freezing guidance follows standard UK food-storage advice — when in doubt about any food’s safety, follow the storage and use-by guidance on the packaging.
Can you refreeze cheese?
It is best not to refreeze cheese that has fully thawed — each freeze-and-thaw cycle draws out more moisture and leaves the texture drier and more crumbly still. If you have grated a block and frozen it in one bag, simply take out what you need and return the rest to the freezer straight away, before it has a chance to thaw.
Best ways to use frozen cheese
Frozen-then-thawed cheese is at its best wherever it is cooked: cheese sauces, lasagne and pasta bakes, toasties and jacket potatoes, pizza, gratins, quiches and tarts. Keeping a bag of grated cheddar in the freezer is one of the easiest ways to cut food waste and always have the makings of a quick family supper to hand.
More family-friendly cookery
- Can you freeze scones? How to freeze and defrost them
- Jamie Oliver’s easy family lasagne (healthy & budget-friendly)
- All our family recipes
Sources & further reading
- Food Standards Agency — How to chill, freeze and defrost food safely (a freezer acts as a “pause button”; wrap airtight to avoid freezer burn; defrost in the fridge; use defrosted food within 24 hours).
- Academy of Cheese — Can You Freeze Cheese? (which cheeses freeze well by type, and why soft, high-moisture cheeses lose texture).
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