Can You Freeze Hamburger Buns?

Yes, you can freeze hamburger buns that are homemade, store-bought or uncooked dough for 3 to 6 months. Simply make sure that they are wrapped well and in an airtight container.

How to Freeze Hamburger Buns

Hamburger buns are great no matter if you bought them from the store or made them on your own. They're an essential part to having a perfect hamburger or cheeseburger.

Perhaps you've found a great sale at the store and would like to stock up on hamburger buns. Or, maybe you want to make some from scratch for an upcoming cookout but no you won't have time to bake them the day of and want to make them ahead.

In any case, hamburger buns only lost for 5 to 7 days if they're homemade. While store bought ones can last a little longer especially if you get them fresh, they still don't last more than a week or two without starting to get stale.

So, you will need to look at how to extend their shelf life. Freezing your hamburger buns is a great solution since it only takes a few minutes to do and when they are a thawed they're almost as good as fresh. This process is almost the same as freezing hot dog buns, freezing croissants and freezing sourdough bread.

Store-bought in the package

If you purchased a whole package or perhaps several packages of hamburger buns at the store and you know that you will be using a whole package at a time you can freeze it all together.

• Freeze it. You can literally just toss the entire package into your freezer. Of note, only do this if you know that it won't be frozen for a super long time say a month or less. This is due to the fact that the store-bought package is not going to be as airtight as say a freezer bag so it won't maintain quality as long.
• Extra packaging. If you know that you're going to be freezing your store bought buns for longer than a month or so. You can take the package you purchase them in toss it into a freezer bag and then freeze it so that it has more protection.

In freezer bags or airtight container

If you've already opened your package of freezer buns, made them at home on your own, or no you only use one or two at a time when you saw them then it's best to freeze them individually in freezer bags or an airtight container.

• Cool it. If you have made these at home, make sure they are fully cooled before getting started otherwise condensation will build up and will ruin the texture of your buns.
• Flash freeze. This is an optional step, it will help your buns from getting a smushed in the freezer and also will help them from sticking together. Simply place them in a single layer on a cookie sheet and pop it into the freezer for a few hours until your buns are frozen.

• Wrap them. This is also an additional step. I highly recommend it if you know that you're going to be keeping your buns frozen for an extended period of time. To do this, simply securely and completely wrap each bun with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. This will help to give them better protection and keep them from getting freezer burn.
• Package them. Place your buns into an airtight container or a freezer bag.

• Seal and label. Go ahead and press any extra air out of your freezer bag and then zip it closed. If you use an airtight container instead, simply place the lid on top of it. Then, write the date on your bag or container so you know when you have frozen them.
• Freeze them. Toss your bag or container into your freezer. If using a freezer bag make sure that the buns aren't going to get smashed.

Uncooked dough

If you don't want to bake your buns right away you can freeze them as uncooked dough.

• Prepare it. Use your favorite recipe to whip up a batch or two of dough.
• Portion it. Decide what size portion you'll want to bake and split the dough up into those portion sizes.
• Flash freeze. This step is optional to help the dough from sticking together and to help it from getting smashed. Place your balls of dough on a cookie sheet and place it in the freezer for a few hours until it is frozen solid.
• Wrap it. In order to keep your balls of dough from sticking together and also to provide a little extra protection from freezer burn, take some plastic wrap or aluminum foil and securely and completely wrap each ball of dough in it.
• Package it. Go ahead and toss your individually wrapped balls of dough into an airtight container or freezer bag.
• Seal it and label it. Pop the top onto your airtight container. Or, if you're using a freezer bag instead, squeeze any extra air out of the bag and then zip it closed. Make sure to also write the date on the outside of the bag or container so you know when it's been frozen.
• Freeze it. Go ahead and toss your bag or container into your freezer.

Successful freezing tips

It doesn't matter which method above you choose, make sure to follow following tips in order to maintain the best quality for your hamburger buns.

• Do it fresh. Make sure that you freeze your buns as soon as possible. You want them to be super fresh so that they maintain a high quality. If they've already started to get stale freezing them will not reverse that process.
• Think about portions. Make sure you know how many buns you'll need to use when you thaw them. If you only need one or two at a time make sure that you freeze them individually and not is an entire package.
• Know how long. Have an idea of how long you might be needing to keep your buns frozen. This will let you know if you need to do extra wrapping to provide extra protection from freezer burn. If you know you'll only be keeping them for a short period of time, you can skip all the extra wrapping which saves time and money.
• Don't smush them. Make sure that when you place your buns in the freezer, they're in a place where they're not going to get smashed or smushed as this will lead to texture and quality issues when they are thawed.

Supplies/Equipment Needed:

• Ziploc Bags
• Plastic Wrap
• Aluminum Foil
• Marker or Pen
• Airtight Freezer Container

How to Defrost Hamburger Buns

There are several ways that you can defrost hamburger buns. Each one has some pros and cons.

On the counter

You can remove your frozen hamburger buns from the freezer and defrost them on the countertop at room temperature. If you wrapped them individually before freezing them, you can either unwrap them if there seems to be any moisture build up or you can leave them wrapped.

This method takes the longest at several hours two to five depending on how thick your buns are. As they defrost you'll likely have moisture build up so if you want to keep them from getting soggy, you can unwrap them and place them on a paper towel to help absorb some of the moisture.

In the microwave

Defrosting and heating your buns in the microwave is the fastest way to do it. However, this can come at a price and that if you're not super careful they can get a little rubbery.

To defrost in the microwave simply place your bun in the microwave and set its setting to the defrost power. Then, heat for around 15 second intervals checking your buns and flipping them in between until they are defrosted.

If they seem to be drying out some, you can either sprinkle a little water on them, wrap them in a paper towel, or add a mug of water to the microwave.

In the oven

This method takes around 5 to 10 minutes so it's a bit longer than the microwave but not nearly as long as the countertop method.. However, it leaves you with nice toasty buns.

Play your buns in the oven at around 350° and let them heat for around 5 to 10 minutes depending if you just want them thawed or if you want them a little heated as well. Make sure to check part of the way through and flip them so that they don't get too crispy on one side.

You can also defrost and heat your buns on the grill or even by steaming them.

Freezing Hamburger Buns FAQ

Can you freeze store bought hamburger buns?

Yes, you can freeze store-bought hamburger buns for three up to 6 months either in their package or by wrapping them and putting them in an air tight container or freezer bag.

Can you put frozen buns in the microwave?

Yes, you can put frozen buns in the microwave to thaw and heat them. Just make sure to use the defrost setting and do small burst of time like 15 to 20 seconds flipping the buns in between.

How long do hamburger buns stay good frozen?

Hamburger buns stay good Frozen for 3 to 6 months as long as they are wrapped super well. They are fine to stay frozen indefinitely and still will be safe to eat, but the longer they are frozen the more the texture and quality will decrease.

Can you freeze un-baked hamburger buns?

Yes, you can freeze unbaked hamburger buns for 3 to 6 months.

Can you refreeze hamburger buns?

You can technically refreeze hamburger buns, however, with the several different temperature changes they'll go through their quality won't be the best and so it is not recommended.