11 Baked Goods You Shouldn’t Freeze
Updated: Feb. 18, 2024
Not all baked goods freeze beautifully. From meringues to pizzelles, keep these treats out of the freezer.
When it comes to freezing your favorite baked goods, most will do well, like bread and cake. But not everything can handle the extra-cold temps. Freezing the treats on this list could produce less-than-desired results, like soggy toppings, watery puddings and—gasp—split custards.
You can avoid disappointing desserts by keeping these baked goods out of the chill chest! Next, read our guide to freezing food for tips on food you can freeze.
Meringues
Whether it’s a classic lemon meringue pie or vanilla meringue cookies, meringue desserts should only be kept in the refrigerator. When frozen, the whipped eggs whites can get rubbery. No one wants rubbery meringues!
Gelatin Desserts
Using gelatin in baked goods, like this pretzel Jell-O dessert, is a refreshing summer treat. The ultra-cold temperatures of the freezer, however, will break down the gelatin, turning your dessert into a watery mess.
Cream Pies
While cream pies are some of our favorite desserts, they just aren’t suitable for the freezer. The dairy in these pies just doesn’t hold up well in cold temps. When defrosted, the pies can weep and ruin the texture.
Custards
As a filling or on its own, creamy and delicious custard is best enjoyed fresh. The freezer causes the custard to separate, becoming watery and lumpy. You can master this old-fashioned treat in our step-by-step guide.
Delicate Cookies
Lacy, thin cookies, like pizzelles and Florentines, are beautifully thin and crisp. Because of their high moisture content, putting them in the freezer can ruin the texture, resulting in slightly soggy cookies that lose their crispness. Instead, store these cookies in an airtight container.
Chocolate Truffles
While not technically a baked good, chocolate truffles are a sweet treat that shouldn’t go in the freezer. The change in temperature could result in bloom or the white film that appears on the surface. Bloomed chocolate is safe to eat, but it could affect the taste slightly.
Pudding
Puddings have a high water content, so they’ll become watery after defrosting. Plus, the bananas in this banana pudding will become brown and mushy when frozen and thawed. Freezing unpeeled bananas, however, is great if you’re planning on baking with them later.
Trifles
The perfect summer treat, trifle can contain whipping cream, sour cream or even jelly—all ingredients that could separate after being frozen and defrosted. Trifle desserts are best when enjoyed fresh!
Jelly-Filled Cookies
Your jelly-filled cookies, like thumbprints or sandwich cookies, won’t do well in the freezer. If you want to make these ahead of time, you can freeze the baked cookies, and then add the jelly and assemble before serving.
Cream-Filled Desserts
Like cream pies, desserts filled with whipped cream or pastry cream—think eclairs, fruit tarts, cream puffs—just won’t hold up in the freezer. Eat these treats as quickly as possible and share with friends and neighbors.
Crumb-Topped Desserts
Whether it’s a crumb-topped coffee cake or apple pie, crumb and streusel toppings can become soggy after being frozen. The extra moisture causes the topping to lose its satisfying crispness.
You can revive these desserts if you must freeze them, by popping them in the oven for five minutes.
Originally Published: April 21, 2020
