How to Freeze Avocados (And What To Do With Them After)

Learn how to freeze avocados and how to use them after! Stock up and preserve ripe avocados when they’re on sale and always have frozen avocados on hand to add to smoothies or make homemade guacamole from scratch!

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I love avocados. I am a millennial after all:) and you know we love our avocado toast! I eat a lot of fresh avocado to make up my healthy fat intake on a daily basis, so I decided to learn how (and if) I could preserve avocados.

You might already know that I’m a bit of a nerd when it comes to preserving food. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about fresh produce too, especially when it’s straight out of our own garden! But I always love to put some away for the future and I definitely love to stock up on food that I can’t grow myself when it’s in season or on sale at the store.

Avocados are simply one of those things that I will never be able to grow in my little corner of the Pacific Northwest. (Well, never say never. Climate change is a real thing and we can definitely feel the heat in the summertime here now!) 

But for the moment anyway, avocados are something I have no choice but to buy from the store.

The problem is, avocados can be pretty expensive most of the time, and they have an incredibly short shelf life. In fact, I swear I’ve had avocados that weren’t even ripe at breakfast time go brown and mushy by dinner!

So when there’s a sale on fresh avocado I always want to stock up, but I know I won’t be able to use them all up at peak ripeness, so I don’t bother.

Especially for those who follow a Keto diet, avocados can become a staple for healthy fat. Personally, I’ve eaten them in many different ways – with my eggs in the morning and in my salads at dinner. I make them into dip for my veggies and eat my taco salads smothered in guacamole. But I just can’t afford to pay top dollar for ripe avocados every couple days. We’ve been on an extra strict budget since my husband lost his job in December so we need to watch our spending.

So what’s a girl to do? Learn how to freeze avocados and stock up when they’re on sale!

Can you really freeze avocados?

Yep, freezing avocados is really a thing. And it’s simpler than you might think!

I don’t really know why it took me so long to figure out that it was possible to preserve avocados. I guess it’s like most skills I eventually pick up: it just wasn’t on my radar until it was.

As it turns out, freezing avocados is stupidly easy. Aside from cutting them and scooping them out of their skins, there’s no special prep work required. The only caveat is that their texture changes a bit when they thaw, so they’re not great for eating avocado slices. However they can be made into a delicious homemade guacamole once thawed and you’d never know they were frozen!

I haven’t tried dehydrating avocados, but from the research I’ve done it doesn’t look like they’re a good candidate for dehydrating. If you have any experience with this let me know in the comments because I’d love to know!

And avocados definitely don’t make good candidates for canning. So for now, freezing them works just fine for me:) (Thank God for being a MODERN homesteader;)

So now I know when I see fresh avocado on sale, I can stock up and put them in the freezer! And you can too. Here’s how…

How to Freeze Avocados (2 Ways)

You can freeze avocados in halves, slices, cubes or mashed into guacamole. Start with firm, ripe avocados whenever possible. If they’re a little mushier, consider turning them into guacamole first and freezing it rather than freezing the actual avocado slices.

How to Freeze Avocado Slices

Step 1: Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Step 2: Slice your avocado(s) in two and remove the pit(s). If slicing or dicing, create slits with your knife first and then scoop out the avocado flesh with a soup spoon. If freezing avocado halves, simply scoop out the flesh and discard the skins. 

Step 3: Place avocado slices on cookie sheet, place in the freezer and flash freeze for a couple hours (until completely frozen). Make sure they’re not all touching each other so they don’t stick together when frozen.

Step 4: Transfer frozen avocados to a freezer bag or airtight container and return to the freezer.

To use, remove the amount of avocado slices you want to use and either add them, still frozen, to a smoothie, or place them in a bowl to thaw. Once thawed, purée or mash them into guacamole. Add a pinch of salt and a dash of lime juice for the perfect homemade guacamole anytime!

* Note: If making guacamole, the best way is to let the avocado slices thaw first before puréeing them. I tried puréeing from frozen but I just ended up with a bunch of crumbled, frozen avocado pieces. Let them thaw just enough that they get soft and then purée them for a smooth dip.

How to Freeze Guacamole

Step 1: Slice your avocado(s) in two and remove the pit(s). Create a grid of slits with your knife and then scoop the flesh out of the skin into a bowl using a soup spoon.

Step 2: Mash up the avocado (or purée it in a blender) and turn it into guacamole.

Step 3: Portion out the guacamole into small freezer bags or into ice cube trays and freeze. 

To use, take out one of the portions or a few “guacamole cubes” and let thaw. Add a pinch of salt and a dash of lime juice and serve with chips or tacos (or, if you’re doing Keto too, just eat it with a spoon;)

Have you ever tried freezing avocados? Do you know of any other different ways to preserve it? Let me know down below!

Wishing you homemade, homegrown, homestead happiness 🙂

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