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You’ve been asking how to get a head start on Christmas baking. Good news: a lot of your holiday tray can be made right now. Make it, freeze it, and pull it out when December gets busy. Here’s what I make ahead and exactly how to freeze each one.

A white plate holding four Christmas-themed sugar cookies: a red mitten, a white snowflake, a green tree, and a red and white candy cane.
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Why Bake Ahead

December fills up fast. Parties, school events, cookie plates for neighbors, and somewhere in there you’re supposed to bake five kinds of cookies and three kinds of candy. Spreading the work over November takes the pressure off. You bake when you have a free afternoon, not when the calendar forces you to.

Everything on this list holds up in the freezer, and none of it needs a special setup. A few freezer bags, some plastic wrap and a baking sheet that fits in your freezer will cover all of it. Pick one or two this weekend and you’re already ahead.

My Freezer Rules

A few rules carry across almost everything here. Freeze anything that can stick together in a single layer on a baking sheet first, then bag it once it’s firm. Wrap well and press out as much air as you can.

Label every bag with what’s inside and the date. Wrapped fudge and wrapped bark look exactly the same in the freezer. Thaw most of it in the fridge so nothing sweats, and check each section below for the exceptions.

Any cookie dough can be frozen in balls. Scoop the dough, freeze the balls on a lined baking sheet until firm, then move them to a freezer bag. They keep for 3 to 6 months.

Bake them straight from frozen. No thawing. Add 1 to 2 minutes to the bake time if needed.

Rolled cookies are the exception. For snickerdoodles, crinkle cookies or rolled sugar cookies, freeze the dough balls plain. Let them sit for a few minutes on the counter so the coating sticks, then roll them in their coating right before baking.

That means fresh baked cookies in December without making a single batch of dough that week.

Cookies

Christmas

Perfect Sugar Cut Out Cookies

Finally, a cut out sugar cookie recipe that results in perfectly chewy cookies that actually hold the shape of the…

Cut Out Sugar Cookies

These give you three make ahead options. You can freeze the dough as flat discs, freeze it already rolled and cut into shapes, or freeze the baked cookies. All three keep for 3 to 6 months.

  • Dough discs: Wrap each disc well in plastic wrap and put it in a freezer bag. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
  • Cut shapes: Freeze the shapes on a lined sheet for 1 to 2 hours, until firm. Wrap like shapes together, then bag them. Before baking, set them on a lined sheet on the counter for 15 to 25 minutes. They should still be cold, not frozen.
  • Baked cookies: Freeze them unfrosted. Stack 4 or 5 like shapes with parchment between each cookie, wrap the stacks, and bag them. Thaw on the counter still wrapped, then decorate.

Get the recipe for Cut Out Sugar Cookies. Reminder, frosting comes after thawing. Get my royal icing and buttercream recipes.

Fudge

Fudge is one of the best things to make ahead, and this works for any fudge recipe. Freeze it as the whole slab. Thaw it on the counter or the fridge, and cut it after it thaws. It keeps for 3 to 6 months.

Want the full wrapping and thawing steps? Read my guide: Can You Freeze Fudge?

Fudge Recipes

Bark

Peppermint Bark

All three of my peppermint barks freeze the same way. Put the pieces in an airtight container or freezer bag. They keep for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.

Turtle Bark

Break the bark into pieces before it goes in the freezer. Divide it into 4 piles and wrap each pile tightly in plastic wrap. Cover the bundles in foil and put them in a freezer bag. It keeps for 3 to 6 months.

To thaw, put the whole bag or just the bundles you need in the fridge overnight. Unwrap once thawed. Get my recipe for turtle bark.

Close-up of turtle bark chocolate topped with swirls of caramel and scattered whole and chopped pecans. The pieces are broken into irregular shapes and overlap each other.

Christmas Candy That Freezes Well

Peppermint Patties

Freeze the patties in a single layer on a baking sheet for at least 2 hours or overnight. Move them to a freezer bag or container. They last 6 months or more frozen, so these are a great one to start now. Thaw in the fridge.

Peanut Brittle

Store it in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. The texture can change slightly in the freezer. Thaw in the fridge overnight or on the counter.

Peanut Butter Cups

Freeze the cups in a single layer until firm, then move them to a freezer bag. They keep for 2 to 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge so they don’t sweat.

Buckeyes

Flash freeze the balls on a lined baking sheet until firm. Then move them to a freezer bag. They keep for 2 to 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge so they don’t sweat. Blot any condensation with a paper towel.

Tiger Butter

Cut it into squares and put them in a freezer bag. Press out the extra air and freeze. It keeps for 3 to 6 months. Thaw the whole bag in the fridge overnight.

Crockpot Candy

Put them in an airtight container or freezer bag. They keep for up to 3 months. Thaw them on the counter.

Butter Mints

Let the mints air dry completely first, 12 to 24 hours, until the outside is firm. Skip this step and they turn sticky after thawing. Then freeze them in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet for 1 to 2 hours, until solid, so they don’t clump.

Pack them in an airtight container with parchment or wax paper between the layers, or use a heavy duty freezer bag. Label with the date. They keep for up to 3 months.

Thaw them in the fridge overnight. Let them sit at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes before serving so they don’t sweat.

No Bake Cookies and Bars

Haystack Cookies

Put them in an airtight container or freezer bag. They keep for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.

Church Window Cookies

You can freeze the whole log or the slices. Either way, they keep for 3 to 6 months.

Whole log: Wrap it well in plastic wrap and freeze. Thaw in the fridge overnight.

Slices: Slice with a serrated knife. Wrap bundles of 3 to 4 cookies in plastic wrap and put them in a freezer bag. Thaw the bag in the fridge overnight.

Butterscotch Marshmallow Bars

Put them in an airtight container or freezer bag, with parchment paper between the layers. These keep in the freezer for 3 to 6 months. Thaw them in the fridge.

Avalanche Cookies

Put them in an airtight container or freezer bag. They keep for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.

The Plan

Pick two or three things from this list and make them this month. Your December baking day turns into baking cookies from dough that’s already scooped and pulling candy out of the freezer.

All Christmas Desserts

About Beth

I believe that everyone should have a go-to dessert to bring to parties! With hundreds of recipes, I'll help you find yours!

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