35 Christmas Desserts You Can Make Ahead and Freeze
There is always so much to do in December, which is why I love getting a head start on Christmas baking whenever I can!
Many Christmas desserts can be made weeks (or even months!) ahead of time and stored in the freezer. Bake when you have the time, freeze your treats and pull them out as you need them for Christmas parties, cookie trays, family gatherings or even homemade gifts.
I do this every year, and to me, it is one of the best time savers during the busy holiday season. But it made me realize that many people are missing out on this easy holiday hack!
So, I’ve gathered some of the best Christmas desserts you can make ahead and freeze, including cookies, candies, fudge, bars, cakes and even pie. Every recipe on this list includes specific freezing instructions, so you know exactly what you can make ahead this Christmas.
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How to Freeze Christmas Desserts
One of the best things about Christmas baking is that so many desserts freeze beautifully. Baked goods are truly one of the easiest things to freeze. I start my Christmas baking early every year and slowly fill my freezer so I don’t have to do everything at once in December.
Personally? I like to freeze most baked goods completely ready to serve, but there are some times I prep just the dough and freeze it for later. It’s up to you. But for Christmas? One less thing you have to do in December is always a win in my book.
Here are a few simple tips I’ve learned for freezing Christmas desserts.
- Cool everything completely before freezing. Never put warm cookies, bars or cakes in the freezer. Let them cool completely first so condensation doesn’t create extra moisture or ice crystals.
- Freeze desserts in airtight containers. I like to freeze most of my Christmas desserts in stackable plastic containers. I buy multiples at Walmart in this similar size which is great for desserts.
- Cut bars before freezing. Simple but important! This makes it much easier to serve.
- Separate layers with wax paper or parchment paper. This keeps cookies, bars and candies from sticking together and makes it easy to take out only what you need.
- Freeze cakes before decorating when possible. Many cakes freeze best without frosting, glaze or other toppings. You can freeze the cake itself ahead of time and finish decorating it after it thaws.
- Label everything. Write the dessert name and date on the container or freezer bag. It is amazing how quickly everything starts to look alike once your freezer fills up!
- Follow the individual recipe instructions. Every dessert freezes a little differently. Some can be frozen completely finished, while others are better frozen before frosting or decorating. I’ve specifically chosen recipes below that include directions for freezing so you don’t have to guess.
Most importantly, don’t wait until the week before Christmas to do all your baking! Even making one or two desserts a week throughout November and December can give you a freezer full of treats without spending an entire weekend in the kitchen.
And remember, I am sure many of your favorite Christmas cookies already would freeze, so feel to try freezing some of your tried and true favorites – as well as some new recipes this Christmas.
Christmas Cookies You Can Make Ahead and Freeze
Candy Cane Cookies
These candy cane cookies have been a Christmas tradition in my family since I was a child. The red and white twisted cookies look so festive on a Christmas cookie tray, and they are a great recipe to make ahead for the holidays.
Get my Candy Cane Cookies recipe here.
Christmas Sugar Cookies
You can’t have a Christmas cookie tray without at least one classic sugar cookie! These buttery Christmas sugar cookies hold their shape beautifully and can be frozen plain or completely decorated for up to 3 months.
Get the full recipe at Sally’s Baking.
Jam Thumbprint Cookies
These buttery thumbprint cookies are filled with colorful jam for a simple Christmas cookie that looks pretty on any cookie tray. You can freeze the dough ahead of time or freeze the completely baked cookies.
Get the full recipe at Spend With Pennies.
Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Chocolate and peppermint are such a classic Christmas combination! These chocolate cookies are dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with crushed candy canes, and you can freeze either the dough or the finished cookies.
Find the complete recipe at Spend With Pennies.
Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies
Cranberry and orange make these buttery shortbread cookies taste like Christmas! The slice-and-bake dough makes them especially convenient for holiday baking, and the finished cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Get the complete recipe at I Heart Naptime.
Christmas Spritz Cookies
Spritz cookies are a classic Christmas cookie and one that I have loved for years. They are simple, buttery and perfect for decorating with Christmas sprinkles—and best of all, they freeze perfectly so you can make them early in the season.
Get my easy Spritz Cookies recipe here.
M&M Christmas Cookies
Red and green M&Ms turn a classic chocolate chip cookie into an easy Christmas treat! These soft and chewy cookies freeze perfectly for 3 to 6 months, so they are a great cookie to bake early and have ready for Christmas.
Get the full recipe at The Recipe Rebel.
Italian Christmas Cookies
Soft Italian Christmas cookies topped with a simple almond icing and colorful sprinkles are a pretty addition to a Christmas dessert tray. Make them early and freeze the finished cookies for a couple of months.
Find the full recipe at I Heart Naptime.
Gingerbread Cookies
You can’t have a list of Christmas cookies without classic gingerbread cookies! These traditional gingerbread cookies are full of molasses and warm spices, and you can freeze either the baked and decorated cookies or the unbaked cookie dough for up to 3 months.
Get the full recipe at Sally’s Baking.
Christmas Candy and Fudge You Can Make Ahead and Freeze
Homemade Buckeyes
Buckeyes are the Christmas candy my family is known for, and we have made hundreds of them every Christmas for as long as I can remember. I always start making them early because these peanut butter balls dipped in chocolate freeze wonderfully.
Get my family’s Classic Buckeye recipe here.
Easy Peanut Cluster Candies
If you want a really easy Christmas candy, make a batch of peanut clusters. They are my husband’s favorite Christmas treat…and maybe mine too. I often give these in a tin with buckeyes as teacher gifts each Christmas. Peanut clusters use only four ingredients, make a large batch and freeze wonderfully, which checks all the boxes for easy Christmas baking in my book!
Get my easy Peanut Cluster Candies recipe here.
Pretzel Toffee Bark
This easy pretzel toffee is made with only four ingredients, but everyone loves the salty-sweet combination of pretzels, homemade toffee and chocolate. Break it into pieces and store it right in the freezer until you need another Christmas treat.
Get my Easy Pretzel Toffee Bark recipe here.
Peppermint Fudge
Chocolate fudge gets a Christmas twist with peppermint flavor and crushed candy canes on top. This easy fudge doesn’t require a candy thermometer and can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Get the full recipe at Buns In My Oven.
Eggnog Fudge
If you love eggnog at Christmas, here’s another way to enjoy it! This creamy white chocolate fudge gets its Christmas flavor from eggnog and nutmeg and can be made ahead and frozen.
Find the complete recipe at I Heart Naptime.
Christmas Fudge
It doesn’t get much simpler than a three-ingredient Christmas fudge! Red and green swirls give this white chocolate fudge its festive look, and you can make and freeze it well before your Christmas celebrations.
Get the full recipe at Desserts on a Dime.
Old-Fashioned Divinity Candy
Old-fashioned divinity is a classic Christmas candy with a light, fluffy texture that almost melts in your mouth. Make this traditional treat ahead of time and freeze it, then thaw it overnight in the refrigerator when you’re ready to serve.
Get the full recipe at Hearts Content Farmhouse.
Homemade Peppermint Patties
Make your own creamy peppermint patties for a refreshing chocolate Christmas candy. They can be wrapped and frozen for up to 3 months, making them another easy candy to prepare well before Christmas.
Find the full recipe at Simply Stacie.
Gingerbread Truffles
You only need three ingredients to make these cute gingerbread truffles! The gingerbread centers are coated in white chocolate for an easy Christmas candy that can be made in advance and frozen.
Get the full recipe at Mom On Timeout.
Homemade Turtles Candy
Chocolate, caramel and pecans are hard to beat, especially when you combine them into homemade turtles! Even better, these candies freeze beautifully, so they are a great choice for getting your Christmas candy making done early.
Find the complete recipe at The Carefree Kitchen.
Christmas Truffles
These festive Christmas truffles have a creamy peanut butter center covered in white chocolate and Christmas sprinkles. Make a batch ahead of time and freeze the finished truffles for up to 2 months.
Get the full recipe at Princess Pinky Girl.
Christmas Bark
Christmas bark is one of those easy treats that looks impressive without taking a lot of work. This festive chocolate bark can be frozen in layers for up to 2 months, so it’s an easy one to cross off your Christmas baking list early.
Get the complete recipe at The Cookie Rookie.
Christmas Bars and Brownies You Can Freeze
Ooey Gooey Butter Bars
These ooey gooey butter bars are one of my favorite easy desserts for feeding a crowd. They use only six ingredients, freeze fantastically and have been on our family’s Christmas baking list for years.
Get my Ooey Gooey Butter Bars recipe here.
Cranberry Date Bars
Don’t let the unusual combination of cranberries and dates scare you away from these bars! The sweet-tart cranberry filling is layered between a buttery oatmeal crust and topped with orange glaze, and these bars freeze wonderfully. It’s a great contrast to all the chocolate bars of Christmas!
Get my Cranberry Date Bars recipe here.
Peanut Butter and Chocolate Fudge-Full Bars
These rich bars combine peanut butter, chocolate and a sweet fudge filling into one decadent Christmas dessert. I also like that these start with a doctored-up cake mix which makes them easy to bake. They are another longtime family Christmas recipe that freezes great, so I make them well before I need them.
Get my Peanut Butter and Chocolate Fudge-Full Bars recipe here.
Cranberry Bliss Bars
These homemade cranberry bliss bars have a soft blondie base filled with dried cranberries and white chocolate, topped with cream cheese frosting. They freeze for up to 3 months and the cranberry-white chocolate combination fits perfectly on a Christmas dessert tray.
Get the full recipe at Ahead of Thyme.
Christmas Cheesecake Bars
Cranberry jam, creamy vanilla cheesecake and white chocolate mousse turn these bars into a special Christmas dessert. Freeze the cheesecake portion ahead of time, then thaw and add the topping when you’re ready to serve.
Find the complete recipe at Will Cook For Smiles.
Christmas Brownies
Sometimes you don’t need to reinvent a favorite recipe—just add Christmas M&Ms and sprinkles! These fudgy brownies are simple, festive and can be frozen for several months.
Get the full recipe at Crazy for Crust.
Christmas Cakes, Pie and Other Desserts You Can Freeze
Gingerbread Roll Cake with Eggnog Cream Filling
Think of this as the Christmas version of a pumpkin roll! A spiced gingerbread cake is rolled around a creamy eggnog filling for a beautiful Christmas dessert that can be made ahead and frozen until you need it.
Get the full recipe at NeighborFood.
Holiday Yule Log Cake
A Yule Log is a classic Christmas dessert, and this chocolate version is filled with whipped cream and covered with chocolate ganache. The completely assembled cake can be frozen for up to 3 months, which makes this impressive dessert much easier to prepare ahead of time.
Find the complete recipe at Ahead of Thyme.
Cranberry Bundt Cake
Fresh cranberries and orange give this simple Bundt cake plenty of Christmas flavor without requiring any complicated decorating. Freeze the cake for up to 3 months and add the simple glaze after thawing for an easy make-ahead Christmas cake.
Get the full recipe at Bake or Break.
Gingerbread Bundt Cake
Warm gingerbread spices make this easy Bundt cake taste like Christmas. Bake and freeze the unfrosted cake for up to 3 months, then thaw and add the vanilla glaze before serving.
Get the complete recipe at The Feathered Nester.
Hoosier Pie
This Indiana sugar cream pie gets a hint of nutmeg that makes it especially good for Christmas. RecipeGirl tested freezing the finished pie herself, and you can make it up to 3 months ahead and thaw it in the refrigerator.
Find the full recipe at RecipeGirl.
Snowman Cake
How cute would this snowman cake be on a Christmas dessert table, especially with kids? You can bake and freeze the individual cake rounds for up to 3 months, then all you have to do is decorate the cakes when you’re ready to make your snowman!
Get the complete recipe at Lil’ Luna.
White Christmas Cake
This beautiful white Christmas cake has layers of white cake and bright cranberry filling for a festive red-and-white dessert. Both the cake layers and cranberry filling can be frozen for up to 3 months, so you can do most of the work well ahead of Christmas.
Find the full recipe at Eats Delightful.
Christmas Ice Cream Cake
Here’s one Christmas dessert that’s actually meant to stay in the freezer! An Oreo crust, peppermint ice cream, whipped topping, hot fudge and crushed candy canes make a fun Christmas dessert you can prepare weeks before you need it.
Get the full recipe at Salt & Baker.
Make Christmas Baking Easier This Year
Christmas baking doesn’t have to happen all at once. Pick a couple of your favorite recipes, make them when you have time and slowly fill your freezer. When December gets busy, you’ll be very glad you did!
And if you’re looking for even more Christmas baking ideas, I have several more collections to help you plan your holiday baking.
Find 50 easy Christmas cookies that are perfect for a cookie exchange.
Try one of these 35 easy Christmas desserts made with 5 ingredients or less.
Find 45 easy Christmas desserts for a crowd when you’re feeding a big group.
Remember, doing some of your baking ahead of time is one simple way to make the Christmas season a little easier—and still enjoy plenty of homemade treats!
