18 Freezer-Friendly Desserts for Holiday Entertaining

By Jenn Segal

Get ahead of the game this holiday season by making your desserts in advance. From New York cheesecake to chocolate biscotti, these freezer-friendly desserts will help take some pressure off on the big day.

Classic New York Cheesecake

With this recipe, a creamy, gorgeous, crack-free New York-style cheesecake is totally doable, even for beginners!
French Apple Cake

With chunks of sweet apples nestled in a tender and buttery rum cake, this French apple cake is the essence of simplicity.
Brookies (Brownie and Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars)

Made from marbled layers of brownie batter and chocolate chip cookie dough, brookies are a fun treat for all ages.
Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust and Caramel Sauce

This pumpkin cheesecake is the ultimate sweet ending to your Thanksgiving feast — and no one will miss the pumpkin pie.
Shortbread Cookies

Buttery, crisp and just barely sweet, this Scottish shortbread is simple to make with ingredients that are always on hand.
Perfect Pumpkin Pie

For such a seemingly simple dessert, pumpkin pie can be tricky to make. This recipe promises a tender, flaky crust and gently spiced pumpkin filling that won’t crack as it cools.
Perfect Pound Cake

Elegant and simple, this pound cake is the little black dress of dessert.
Sticky Toffee Banana Cake

This warm and comforting banana cake is loved by kids and adults alike.
Gingerbread

Loved by kids and adults alike, this old-fashioned gingerbread is the perfect treat to keep on hand during the holidays.
Perfect Apple Pie

With a crisp, flaky crust and thick, cider-flavored apple filling, this is my idea of the perfect apple pie.
Brown Butter and Bourbon Pecan Pie

Made with brown butter and bourbon, this pecan pie has a richer, more complex flavor than the typical pecan pie.
15-Minute Chocolate Walnut Fudge

This 15-minute chocolate walnut fudge from Cook’s Illustrated is delicious and foolproof – and you don’t need strong arms or a burly assistant to stir it.
Sweet Potato Pie

Fluffy and flavored with brown sugar and autumn spices — this is a wonderful Southern sweet potato pie.
Apple Crisp

Apples bubbling under a crunchy oat-pecan streusel, this rustic apple crisp is the ultimate fall dessert.
Kentucky Butter Cake

This old-fashioned vanilla butter cake drenched in syrup is the 1963 winner of the Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest.
Pecan Squares

With a buttery shortbread crust and rich caramel-pecan topping, these pecan squares make a wonderful potluck dessert for the holidays.
Marble Cake

This marble cake may look fancy, but its flavor is pure old-fashioned goodness.
Double Chocolate Biscotti

These crisp double chocolate biscotti are tailor-made for dunking into coffee, warm milk, or hot chocolate.