Learn how to properly freeze your dough and baked goods for quick, anytime treats that will satisfy every craving and occasion.
DOUGH VS. BATTER: CAN YOU FREEZE BOTH?
Most baked goods that start with a dough (cookies, bread rolls, biscuits, pie crust) are good to be stored in the freezer in their raw, unbaked state. However, most baked goods that start with a loose batter (cakes, muffins, brownies, blondies) are best baked before frozen. Freezing the batter will change the consistency of the final baked good.
PIES AND TARTS
FREEZE PIE AND TART DOUGH
PREP: Shape pie or tart dough into a disk. Alternatively, press rolled-out dough into pie plate or tart pan, crimping as desired.
PACKAGE: Wrap pie or tart dough disk tightly in plastic wrap, and store in an airtight container or resealable bag. For dough already pressed into pie plate or tart pan, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and store in an airtight container.
FREEZE: Dough can keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
DEFROST: Let wrapped pie or tart dough disk thaw at room temperature until pliable. Dough pressed into pie or tart dish can be directly filled or baked.
FREEZE FILLED & BAKED PIES AND TARTS
PREP: Freeze fruit or nut pies and tarts only. The consistency of creamy or custardy pies and tarts (usually made with dairy and eggs) will change if frozen. Bake and then let cool completely. Although most fresh fruit freezes nicely, the water content can change drastically during the freezing process, leading to a runny pie or tart filling. We don’t recommend freezing unbaked fruit filling.
PACKAGE: Wrap pie or tart, still in dish, completely in plastic wrap. Seal in a resealable bag.
FREEZE: Baked pies and tarts will keep for up to 3 months.
DEFROST: Let thaw, wrapped, overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat gently in the oven, if desired.
CAKES
FREEZE UNFROSTED BAKED CAKE LAYERS
PREP: Make sure baked cake layers, Bundts, and other unfrosted cakes are completely cool. For optimal freshness, keep Bundt cakes, pound cakes, and other one-layer cakes whole.
PACKAGE: For cake layers, wrap each tightly in plastic wrap and then place into resealable bags. For Bundt cakes, tube cakes, and other one-layer cakes, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and seal in a resealable bag.
FREEZE: Baked cakes can keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
DEFROST: To frost, remove cake layers from wrapping and frost while still frozen. Let frosted and unfrosted cakes come to room temperature, about 3 hours or let thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
FREEZE FROSTING
PREP: Stick to freezing buttercream and cream cheese frosting; their high fat content will help them become firmly solid in the freezer.
PACKAGE: Scoop frosting into an airtight container or resealable bag.
FREEZE: Frosting will keep for up to 3 months.
DEFROST: Let thaw, in container, in the refrigerator overnight. Once pliable, stir frosting with an off-set spatula until smooth and creamy. If frosting isn’t returning to the proper consistency, try remixing with your stand mixer on medium, a few minutes, until it regains its creamy consistency.
FREEZE FROSTED, BAKED CAKES
PREP: It’s best to freeze cakes frosted with buttercream or cream cheese frosting because the high fat content helps them freeze better. After applying crumb coat and frosting, place frosted cake, uncovered, in freezer for 2 to 3 hours, or until frosting is completely firm.
PACKAGE: Wrap cake tightly in plastic wrap, several times over, keeping out all air, and store in an airtight container or resealable bag.
FREEZE: Frozen frosted cakes will keep for up to 3 months.
DEFROST: Let thaw, wrapped, overnight in the refrigerator, or let thaw at room temperature for a few hours. Slice and serve.
COOKIES & BARS
FREEZE COOKIE DOUGH
PREP: Drop/Shaped Cookies: Space cookie dough balls or shaped cookie dough out on a baking sheet. Freeze until set, about 15 minutes. Slice-and-Bake: Roll dough into tight logs with a diameter equaling the size of cookie you want.
PACKAGE: Drop/Shaped Cookies: Seal frozen cookie dough balls or shaped cookie dough in an airtight container or resealable bag.
Slice-and-Bake: Wrap dough logs in plastic wrap and then wrap again in foil.
FREEZE: Dough can keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
DEFROST: Drop/Shaped Cookies: Space frozen cookie dough out on a baking sheet, and bake as directed, adding 2 to 3 minutes to the bake time. Slice-and-Bake: Let thaw slightly, or until sliceable. Then slice and bake as directed.
FREEZE BAKED COOKIES
PREP: After baking, let cool completely. Do not freeze filled or frosted sandwich cookies.
PACKAGE: Wrap each cookie individually in plastic wrap, and store in a resealable bag.
FREEZE: Cookies can keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
DEFROST: Let thaw, wrapped, at room temperature, about 1 hour; unwrap and serve.
FREEZE BAKED BARS
PREP: After baking, let cool completely, but do not slice into individual pieces.
PACKAGE: Double wrap in plastic wrap, and store in a resealable bag.
FREEZE: Baked bars can keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
DEFROST: Let thaw, wrapped, at room temperature, a few hours; unwrap and slice.
BREAD
FREEZE BREAD DOUGH
PREP: First, make sure the recipe you’re following uses active dry yeast rather than instant yeast, or it will not freeze well. As a rule of thumb, allow the bread to go through the fi rst rise (the rise that comes before shaping), punch down dough, shape, and place into prepared greased pan. Cover bread with a well-greased piece of plastic wrap, and freeze until dough is completely solid, about 10 hours.
PACKAGE: Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and store in an airtight container or resealable bag.
FREEZE: Dough will keep frozen for about 1 month.
DEFROST: Because the dough went through only one rise, you’ll need to proof it. Remove dough the day before you plan to bake it, and let thaw, wrapped, overnight in the refrigerator. After thawing, place bread back into a prepared greased pan, and let rise until doubled in size (your proofi ng). Proceed with recipe’s bake time and temperature.
FREEZE BAKED BREAD
PREP: Let all baked bread cool completely after baking. For best results, freeze quick bread and yeast bread (like banana bread and Dutch oven bread) whole. Individual slices will work, but they have a shorter freezer shelf life.
PACKAGE: Wrap whole quick bread and yeast bread in plastic wrap, and store in an airtight container or resealable bag. For individual quick breads, like muffi ns or scones, wrap individually in plastic wrap, and store in an airtight container or resealable bag.
FREEZE: Whole quick breads and yeast breads will keep for up to 3 months. Sliced portions and rolls will last for up to 2 months.
DEFROST: Let whole quick breads and yeast breads thaw, wrapped, at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours. Let individual slices thaw, wrapped, in the refrigerator overnight.
THE FROZEN PANTRY
Freeze these baking staples now, and thank yourself later
Grated Fresh Ginger: Freeze freshly grated ginger in an ice cube tray. Once solid, you can pop the cubes into a resealable bag and have them on hand for up to 3 months.
Buttermilk: Measure out tablespoons of buttermilk into an ice cube tray, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Toasted Nuts: Fatty nuts have a notoriously short shelf life. Extend that time by pre toasting, cooling, and placing your nuts in a resealable bag. They’ll keep for up to 2 months. Untoasted nuts can keep for up to 6 months.
Almond Meal: Like its whole counterpart, almond meal can go rancid quickly. Store your almond meal in a resealable bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Whole-Grain Flour: Containing more of the germ and bran of the wheat kernel, whole-grain fl our has more oils and nutrients than all-purpose flour and, thus, spoils faster. Store your whole-grain flour in a resealable bag for up to 3 months in the freezer.
Ripe Bananas: Toss your unpeeled ripe bananas into a resealable bag, and freeze for up to 3 months for banana bread on demand.
