Can You Freeze Leftover Guacamole?

We've all been there—made a batch of guacamole, stuffed ourselves on our favorite-shaped tortilla chips, and then faced the inevitable: leftovers. Suddenly, that mid-afternoon snack becomes a race against the clock to beat the notoriously short shelf life of avocados. Sure, you can immediately toss it in the fridge for later, but are you really going to finish it off before it starts turning brown? With the clock ticking, it would certainly be easier to freeze leftover guacamole for later, but does that mean that you can? The answer is yes, but with some important caveats.

Freezing guacamole can cut down on food waste and fluctuating avocado costs. But it's not as simple as just tossing it in the freezer and calling it a day. Incorrect storage could cost you the texture, flavor, and color of your guac. Knowing the right steps to freeze—and thaw—guacamole can help preserve that fresh flavor and creamy texture for your next Taco Tuesday or game-day party.

The trick for freezing guacamole is preparing it with certain ingredients in mind. So, if you're making a big batch, you should leave out ingredients like tomatoes, onions, and jalapeno, which don't freeze well and could turn watery when thawing. Instead, you should whip up just the basic avocado mixture and add the other ingredients after thawing—or just mix in some store-bought pico de gallo to really make things easy. But if all the ingredients are already mixed, don't worry. You can still freeze it.

You'll want to first put the guacamole into a freezer bag or wrap it in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container. If you're using a freezer bag, spread out the guacamole evenly and do your best to squeeze out as much air as you possibly can. For extra precaution, add some lemon or lime juice. This can help prevent browning because of the acidity of lemons and limes. Give the bag an extra squeeze to make sure there's no air left, label it with the date, and lay it flat in the freezer for up to three months.

When it comes time to thaw, you can either put the airtight bag or container in a bowl of cool water for 30 minutes to an hour or leave it in the fridge overnight. Next, enjoy! Because even frozen guac is better than no guac at all. Just be sure to eat it before it's too late; otherwise, you'll be back to square one.