Make-Ahead Desserts That Taste as Good as They Look

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It’s no surprise that apple pie would top this list—it’s our most-googled, most-loved dessert recipe. Each 9-inch pie can be fully baked and frozen ahead of time, and you can even fit a whole pie inside a gallon-size freezer bag for the easiest storage ever. So go ahead and stockpile this freezer-to-oven beauty, and instantly potluck-proof your life with homemade apple pie whenever you need it! (Also known as Thanksgiving-proofing your life, baby shower-proofing your life, bake sale-proofing your life….)

It’s no surprise that apple pie would top this list—it’s our most-googled, most-loved dessert recipe. Each 9-inch pie can be fully baked and frozen ahead of time, and you can even fit a whole pie inside a gallon-size freezer bag for the easiest storage ever. So go ahead and stockpile this freezer-to-oven beauty, and instantly potluck-proof your life with homemade apple pie whenever you need it! (Also known as Thanksgiving-proofing your life, baby shower-proofing your life, bake sale-proofing your life….)

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These bars are the greatest thing to happen to raspberry lemonade since…ever. Those beautiful swirls! The sugar cookie crust! The creamy cheesecake! There’s no way on earth this dessert could be better, because it is absolute perfection.

These bars are the greatest thing to happen to raspberry lemonade since…ever. Those beautiful swirls! The sugar cookie crust! The creamy cheesecake! There’s no way on earth this dessert could be better, because it is absolute perfection.

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You can pop this cobbler in your freezer a month ahead of time, but it smells so good, you might not be able to wait that long before digging in—so just go ahead and make two!

You can pop this cobbler in your freezer a month ahead of time, but it smells so good, you might not be able to wait that long before digging in—so just go ahead and make two!

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Oh. Fer. Cute. Would you just look at these adorable little cookies? For maximum make-ahead benefit, you can make both parts of this cookie—the graham cracker sugar cookie thumbprints and the key lime filling—a day or two before, and assemble closer to when you’re ready to serve. But if you only prep one thing in advance, make it the filling—the longer it chills in the fridge, the firmer it gets, and the easier it is to handle and add to the center of each cookie.

Oh. Fer. Cute. Would you just look at these adorable little cookies? For maximum make-ahead benefit, you can make both parts of this cookie—the graham cracker sugar cookie thumbprints and the key lime filling—a day or two before, and assemble closer to when you’re ready to serve. But if you only prep one thing in advance, make it the filling—the longer it chills in the fridge, the firmer it gets, and the easier it is to handle and add to the center of each cookie.

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This recipe is make-ahead. It’s on-demand. It’s everything. Just pop these little pies in the freezer after assembling, and take them out when it’s time to fry them. If you’ve got guests, you can make them all at once in batches of two, or you can pull just a couple from the freezer when you need a little something sweet. Sounds like one perfect recipe (dad joke!) for on-demand fruit pies, if you ask us.

This recipe is make-ahead. It’s on-demand. It’s everything. Just pop these little pies in the freezer after assembling, and take them out when it’s time to fry them. If you’ve got guests, you can make them all at once in batches of two, or you can pull just a couple from the freezer when you need a little something sweet. Sounds like one perfect recipe (dad joke!) for on-demand fruit pies, if you ask us.

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If you can resist the temptation of cutting into this icebox cake before it’s had a minimum of 8 hours in the freezer, you’re in for the treat of treats—not to mention one superb reveal of all those pretty layers inside.

If you can resist the temptation of cutting into this icebox cake before it’s had a minimum of 8 hours in the freezer, you’re in for the treat of treats—not to mention one superb reveal of all those pretty layers inside.

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We have a lot of feelings about this small-batch cheesecake, and they’re all good ones. We love that you don’t need a special pan; not everyone has a springform and we’re never a fan of having to buy a new pan just for one recipe. We love the creamy, slightly lemon-y cheesecake filling and the buttery crumb crust. And we really love that it can be stored in the fridge for 3 to 5 days, so you can make it when it’s most convenient for you. (Did we mention it has instructions for freezing, too?)

We have a lot of feelings about this small-batch cheesecake, and they’re all good ones. We love that you don’t need a special pan; not everyone has a springform and we’re never a fan of having to buy a new pan just for one recipe. We love the creamy, slightly lemon-y cheesecake filling and the buttery crumb crust. And we really love that it can be stored in the fridge for 3 to 5 days, so you can make it when it’s most convenient for you. (Did we mention it has instructions for freezing, too?)

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This candy bar “lasagna” saves you time twice! First, you can make the cookies used for the crust ahead of time. Second, it needs to set for a minimum of 5 hours once you’ve assembled it, so it’s perfect for making the night before you need it.

This candy bar “lasagna” saves you time twice! First, you can make the cookies used for the crust ahead of time. Second, it needs to set for a minimum of 5 hours once you’ve assembled it, so it’s perfect for making the night before you need it.