Freezing ingredients is a great way to prepare in advance for family meals or quick breakfasts. One example of this is freezing egg whites. This is a common method of storing extra egg whites. It’s almost always done with fresh egg whites, but can you freeze cooked egg whites?

While you can freeze cooked egg whites, it will turn them rubbery and tough when thawed.

Eating cooked egg whites that have been frozen and then thawed wouldn’t be harmful and the taste isn’t going to change much. However, the tough and rubbery texture turns most people off this method of storing them.

Freezing fresh egg whites is almost always the best choice when you’re storing your extra egg whites or prepping in advance.

Freezing cooked egg whites

Although it is possible to freeze cooked egg whites, it’s not usually the preferred method of storing egg whites overall. Fresh egg whites freeze much better than cooked ones do.

This is because cooked egg whites will turn quite rubbery when stored in the freezer. They will still be safe to eat, so if you don’t mind the rubbery texture, you can definitely freeze your cooked egg whites.

However, most people don’t prefer the rubbery feel of reheated egg whites. There are other ways to freeze your egg whites, though!

Freezing fresh egg whites

Freezing fresh egg whites is a great way to store your egg whites for later. Prepping ahead of time can save you loads of time later and will make it easier to prepare dishes and desserts. By portioning out your egg whites in advance and freezing them, you’ll have easy access to a prepared and measured-out bag or container of eggs.

There are a couple of ways you can freeze your fresh egg whites

Ice cube trays

One way you can store your fresh egg whites is by using ice cube trays. This is a great method of freezing them because they’ll be portioned out ahead of time and easy to thaw quickly when you need them.

To freeze your fresh egg whites using ice cube trays:

Separate your egg whites from your egg yolks as cleanly as possible and drop them into a bowl
Measure out 2 tablespoons of egg whites per ice cube
Do this until your ice cube tray is full
Once your tray is full, pop it into the freezer
When they are completely frozen, take the ice cube tray out of the freezer
Transfer your egg white “ice cubes” into a freezer-safe bag or airtight container
Put your bag or container of egg whites back into the freezer

See also Can You Freeze Crab Meat?

To thaw, transfer the desired amount of egg whites into the fridge overnight.

This is some people’s preferred way of freezing fresh egg whites because it makes it so easy to use when needed. 2 tablespoons of egg white equals the egg white of one egg, so by having these cubes ready ahead of time, you’ll be able to thaw and use the exact amount of egg whites you need for each dish or recipe.

Containers or bags

Another way you can store fresh egg whites is by simply storing them in a freezer-safe container or bag.

Cleanly separate the egg whites from the egg yolks of as many eggs as you’d like to store for later
Transfer them into either a freezer-safe airtight container or a freezer-safe sealable bag
Date and label your bag or container of fresh egg whites
Put your bag or container into the freezer

You can take out your frozen egg whites and transfer them to the fridge overnight to thaw them.

The egg white of one egg is equal to about 2 tablespoons of egg whites. Now that you have your egg whites frozen and stored, you can simply thaw them whenever you need to use them in your recipes or for a quick and easy breakfast.

Thawing frozen egg whites

One thing to note is that you should always thaw your egg whites in the fridge and never on the table or counter. Any place where your egg whites could reach room temperature should be avoided. This can cause your eggs to spoil and invite bacteria growth.

Freezing hard-cooked eggs

If you’re looking to freeze your cooked egg whites, you might be wondering if you can freeze your hard-cooked eggs. This is generally not a preferred method of storing egg whites overall.

Although it is possible and wouldn’t be harmful, the egg won’t hold up well to being frozen and thawed. It will become tough, rubbery, and watery. Yolks of eggs will hold up much better than egg whites when frozen.

If you’re looking to freeze egg whites, the best way is to freeze them fresh and not cooked in any way.

How to use frozen egg whites

Once you’ve frozen your egg whites, what can you use them for when you decide to thaw them? There are many different ways to use egg whites.

Egg whites contain health benefits and are a great source of protein. They’re also keto-friendly and gluten-free which makes them a desirable ingredient for many recipes and meals.

Try using your egg whites for things like

Meringue cookies
Royal icing
Macaroons
Muffins
Cakes
Pancakes
Cookies
Cocktails
Omelets

These are only a few of the many ways you can use egg whites.

Conclusion

While you can absolutely freeze your cooked egg whites, this most likely isn’t going to be the preferred method of freezing egg whites. This is due to how cooked egg whites will turn tough and rubbery when frozen. It won’t be harmful to your health to eat egg whites that have been frozen after being cooked, but they aren’t incredibly appetizing.

Try freezing your egg whites while fresh and uncooked. When you need to use them, simply thaw them overnight for a quick and easy fix.