5 Desserts to Make Now and Freeze for the Holidays
The holidays are coming and with that unexpected guests, being asked to bring a dessert at the last minute and the need to finish your meal with something sweet. None of that needs to come with any panic because we’re prepping our freezer to do all the heavy lifting for us. These five desserts can be made ahead, frozen and pulled out when you need them.
All of these freeze beautifully and taste just as good, if not better, than if you made it that day. The key is knowing which ones to freeze unbaked and which to freeze after baking, so I’ll walk you through exactly how to handle each one.
Why Freezer Desserts Are a Holiday Lifesaver
The festive season has a way of sneaking up on you. There’s so much to do between sorting out gifts, entertaining and still doing everything you do on a normal day so it’s no wonder 4pm rolls around and you remember you have guests coming and you have nothing sweet to offer. A freezer stocked with desserts solves that problem in an instant.
When you freeze desserts properly, they come out tasting fresh and delicious (they essentially are). So no freezer-burned, sad offerings here. The other reason I love this approach is it spreads out the work. Instead of spending an entire day in the kitchen before a gathering, you can bake one thing here, another on a lazy Sunday morning and by the time the holidays hit, your freezer is doing all the work.
1. Salted Caramel Ice Cream Bombe
This one is a showstopper and it literally lives in the freezer, so there’s no thawing or reheating. Build it, freeze and whip it out at the last minute to wow everyone at the table.
How to serve it: Flip the bowl onto a serving plate, peel off the plastic wrap, pour over the magic shell coating then slice and serve.
2. Easy Apple Crumble
A fully assembled apple crumb;e goes straight from the freezer to the oven with zero day-of prep. You just add a few extra minutes to the baking time and it comes out golden and bubbling.
How to freeze: Assemble the crumble completely in an oven-safe dish (foil baking containers also work well here): apple filling on the bottom, crumble topping scattered over the top. Wrap the dish tightly in plastic wrap and then foil. Freeze unbaked for up to 3 months.
How to serve: Bake straight from frozen at 350℉/180℃, adding 15 to 20 extra minutes to the normal bake time. It’s ready when the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbling at the edges. Let it cool for a few minute then serve warm with ice cream or custard.
3. Cookie Dough Balls
This is the one I have in my freezer, all year round, but it becomes especially useful around December. Not only is it a great last-minute dessert served with a scoop of ice cream, it’s also a great way to prep gifts ahead of time (a showstopper cookie box is always a good idea). Scoop the dough (literally any cookie dough works), flash-freeze on a tray until solid then toss them into a freezer bag. Pull out as many as you need and bake straight from frozen.
How to freeze: Scoop cookie dough into balls (I always use a cookie scoop for this) and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze until solid, about 2 hours, then transfer to a freezer bag or airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
How to serve it: Place frozen dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake as your recipe directs, adding 1 to 2 extra minute to the bake time. No thawing needed.
4. Chocolate Pound Cake
This cake recipe freezes like a dream and nobody will ever know it wasn’t baked that day. Pound cake is dense and moist by nature, which makes it one of the best cakes for freezing because it holds its moisture well.
How to freeze: Bake the cake, cool it completely on a wire rack, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap followed by a layer of foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. You can freeze it whole or slice it first and wrap individual slices for easy grab-and-go portions.
How to serve: Thaw on the counter for 2 to 3 hours (or overnight in the fridge for a slower, more even thaw). Pour over chocolate ganache or dust with powdered sugar before serving.
5. Cinnamon Rolls
Less dessert than indulgent morning treat, but cinnamon rolls are a fantastic addition to your freezer stash for the holidays (especially if your family loves them on Christmas morning).
How to freeze: Shape the rolls and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Flash-freeze for 2 hours until solid then transfer to freezer bags. Store for up to 3 months.
How to serve it: Place frozen cinnamon rolls in a baking dish, cover with plastic wrap and allow to thaw overnight in the fridge (or on the counter if it’s not too warm). This will allow them to to start their second rise too. Pour over cream and bake then slather with cream cheese frosting before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Dense, buttery desserts freeze best: pound cakes, cookie dough, shortbread, brownies, crumbles and anything with high fat and sugar content. Those ingredients act as natural preservatives and protect the texture during freezing. Lighter dessert with whipped cream, custard or fresh fruit don’t freeze as well.
You can, but it’s better to freeze them unfrosted and ice them after thawing. Buttercream freezes reasonably well, but cream cheese frosting and glazes can get weepy or change texture. For the pound cake in this list, freeze it plain and add any toppings after thawing.
Wrap tightly and minimize air contact. Plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface of the food, followed by foil, is the best method. Freezer bags with the air squeezed out work well for smaller items like cookie dough balls. The less air touching the food, the less chance of freezer burn.
It depends on the dessert. Apple crumble and cookie dough balls go straight from the freezer to the oven with no thawing. The pound cake and cinnamon rolls need to thaw first. The ice cream bombe goes straight from the freezer to serving.
Up to 3 months ahead, so you could start as early as October for Christmas. I usually start about 6 weeks out and add one or two things to the freezer each week so it never feels like a big project.