Learn how to freeze broccoli in just a few simple steps. You’ll learn how to cut broccoli, how to blanch broccoli, then how to freeze it individually for ease of use later.
This method of freezing broccoli is simple yet effective. It reduces food waste and fills your freezer with vegetables. Broccoli will quickly become a freezer staple!
Just like our Broccoli Salad without Mayo, freezing broccoli takes minimal time to prep but adds another nutritious and delicious veggie side dish to your family meals.
Table of Contents
Freezing Broccoli
Learning how to freeze fresh broccoli is super simple and will leave you wondering why you didn’t start freezing it earlier!
As a busy family with two kids heavily involved in school, sports and extracurriculars, we rely on quick and easy yet delicious recipes to fuel the day. This veggie dish meets all our expectations!
Saving us from wasting produce, we turn to boiling broccoli, freezing it then thawing as desired. Serve it plain or incorporated into a frozen broccoli recipe. Either way, it makes a fantastic side dish any night of the week.
To get started, gather the equipment and ingredients then follow the written instructions or printable recipe card below. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 2 large heads of broccoli
Gluten-Free Guide: If you’re new to eating gluten-free we understand it’s overwhelming trying to figure out which foods may contain gluten and which ones don’t. All of our gluten-free recipes marked with this symbol ✅ represent foods that need to be checked for gluten.
How To Make
Fill the pan with water, cover, and bring it to a boil.
Prep the broccoli
Rinse the broccoli under running water. Break off any leaves. Use the knife to trim the broccoli florets from the stem.
If the florets are too large use your hands to break them into smaller pieces.
Blanch the broccoli
Add the broccoli to the boiling water. Cook for 3 minutes. Make sure to have the large bowl ready filled with ice and water.
Remove the broccoli from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and place it directly into the ice bath until it’s completely cooled.
Drain the broccoli and freeze
Drain the broccoli and pat dry with paper towel. Spread onto the baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Freeze
Freeze for 1-2 hours, then place the broccoli florets into the ziplock bag. Place back into the freezer for later use.
Frozen Broccoli Recipes
Frozen broccoli can be served steamed, roasted or incorporated into a recipe. Use any of these ideas as inspiration to turn this vegetable into one of the most desired side dishes in your home!
For steamed broccoli, you can learn How To Steam Broccoli in Microwave or create our popular Instant Pot Broccoli (without a steamer basket). Serve plain, topped with butter, salt and pepper, shredded cheese or Velveeta Cheese Sauce.
For roasting, find easy steps in our Roasted Frozen Broccoli or Roasted Frozen Vegetables recipes. Included is a comprehensive list of broccoli seasoning ideas!
Last but not least – incorporate it into a recipe! From Cheesy Broccoli Cauliflower Soup to Broccoli Cauliflower Soup, you are set to serve a flavor-packed meal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store broccoli (unwashed) in the fridge until ready to use. Wash right before use to extend shelf life.
Fresh and uncooked broccoli will last up to 5 days in the fridge.
Thawing is not required! Steam, roast or use the broccoli from frozen.
Kids In The Kitchen
Cooking tips and suggestions for kids making this recipe.
- After the water is boiling, use an oven mitt to carefully remove the lid from the pot to add in the florets. The handle may be hot!
- Before boiling, you want all the florets to be roughly the same size, so every piece cooks the same.
- Spreading the broccoli on a parchment lined baking sheet helps the broccoli from clumping together when freezing.
More How To Freeze Guides
- How To Freeze Baked Beans
- How To Freeze Cauliflower
- How to Freeze Asparagus
- How To Freeze Peaches
- How To Freeze Strawberries
- How To Freeze Muffins
- How To Freeze Butternut Squash
CKC Features both Gluten-Free Guidance and Kids Cooking Instructions: If you’re new to eating gluten-free we understand it’s overwhelming trying to figure out which foods may contain gluten and which ones don’t. All of our gluten-free recipes marked with this symbol ✅ represent foods that need to be checked for gluten or cross-contamination.
The ⭐️ symbol in the recipe below denotes the steps in which kid cooks may need a helper (depending on age). If there is no ⭐️ symbol, that step (or recipe) doesn’t require a helper.
How To Freeze Broccoli
Equipment
- large pot with a lid
- baking pan lined with parchment paper
- gallon sized ziplock freezer bag
Ingredients
- 2 large heads broccoli
Instructions
- ⭐️Bring the water to a boil. Fill the pan with water, cover, and bring it to a boil.
- ⭐️Prep the broccoli. Rinse the broccoli under running water. Break off any leaves. Use the knife to trim the broccoli florets from the stem. If the florets are too large use your hands to break them into smaller pieces.
- ⭐️Blanch the broccoli. Add the broccoli to the boiling water. Cook for 3 minutes. Make sure to have the large bowl ready filled with ice and water. Remove the broccoli from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and place it directly into the ice bath until it's completely cooled.
- ⭐️Drain the broccoli and freeze. Drain the broccoli and pat dry with paper towel. Spread onto the baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Freeze. Freeze for 1-2 hours, then place the broccoli florets into the ziplock bag. Place back into the freezer for later use.
Notes
- Store broccoli (unwashed) in the fridge until ready to use. Wash right before use to extend shelf life.
- Fresh and uncooked broccoli will last up to 5 days in the fridge.
- Thawing broccoli is not required! Steam, roast or use the broccoli from frozen.
Nutrition
If you enjoyed these recipes make sure to leave a comment and a star rating below!
Then follow us on social media and tag #createkidsclub if you make the recipe. We love seeing what you come up with!
Leave a Reply