This time of year sometimes I feel like I’m swimming in baked goods! I tend to bake a lot myself and then by the time you get some baked goodies from neighbors and friends, you have too much that you could ever possibly eat before they aren’t fresh anymore. Well, thankfully Dorothy, one of my favorite bloggers from crazyforcrust.com shared her tips for freezing ANY type of baked good. Even things like gooey cupcakes, pudding pies, or cheesecake. I’m going to quote a lot of what she says and it’s a lot of information but I found it to be very helpful! I hope you find these tips to be helpful as well!

In order to successfully freeze pretty much any baked good, you need some supplies. 3 essentials are:

• Paper towels (the kind that are select-a-size)

• Gallon size Ziploc storage bags (you don’t need to buy the more expensive freezer bags-regular is fine)

• Airtight containers (like Tupperware or the Ziploc/Gladware ones)

With those three things, you can freeze pretty much anything.

HOW TO FREEZE COOKIES AND BARS:

Basic cookies and bars are the easiest things to freeze. Layer the cookies or bars in a single layer inside your gallon size bag. You’ll probably fit about 12-15 cookies or bars to a layer (depending on size). Place a paper towel on top (inside the bag) and add another layer. I find that three layers are as many as will fit, and each layer will hold less cookies, so you may need more than one bag. Seal and freeze.

To defrost: Let them set on the counter to come to room temperature. Don’t remove the paper towel--that will absorb the moisture as they thaw.

Note: you can also freeze cookie dough. Scoop balls of dough and place them on a wax paper lined cookie sheet. Freeze until firm, then place the balls in a bag or airtight container in the freezer. Pull out a few as needed and bake as directed.

HOW TO FREEZE FROSTED COOKIES, BARS AND CUPCAKES:

Yes, you can even freeze things with frosting! This works with anything that’s gooey and/or you can’t stack when room temperature for fear of crushing the decorations.

Place the items in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Place the cookie sheet in your freezer. (Remember to use a pan that will fit in your freezer!) Let them freeze for about 30 minutes to one hour, then take them out of the freezer. Large airtight containers work best for cupcakes and you can stack frozen cookies and bars between paper towels in gallon size bags like regular cookies/bars. Refreeze until needed.

To defrost: If your items are in a single layer in an airtight container or in one layer in a bag, just leave them on the counter to thaw. If you stacked the items, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet to thaw so that the frosting doesn’t smudge when it gets to room temperature.

HOW TO FREEZE CANDY AND FUDGE

Yes, you can freeze fudge!

Layer the candy or fudge in a single layer inside your gallon size bag. Place a paper towel on top (inside the bag) and add another layer. Keep going until your bag is full. Note: if you’re dealing with small truffles, you might want to use a quart size bag instead.

To defrost: Let them set on the counter to come to room temperature. Don’t remove the paper towel--that will absorb the moisture as they thaw. The only issue there is with freezing chocolate dipped candy is that it is sometimes less shiny after thawing. So, if the truffles are for a gift, you may not want to freeze them.

HOW TO FREEZE MUFFINS, QUICK BREADS, PANCAKES AND WAFFLES

Muffins: Freeze them like you would cupcakes, in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Once they’re frozen you can throw them in a large gallon size bag, seal, and store in the freezer. Just take a muffin out as you need one and either let it come to room temperature or microwave it for about 30 seconds.

Quick Breads: Slice the loaf of quick bread and place each slice in a sandwich size Ziploc bag. Seal and freeze. Take one bag out at a time, as needed. Either let it come to room temperature, or microwave for about 30 seconds to thaw.

Pancakes and Waffles: The best thing to do is layer your pancakes and waffles between pieces of paper towel. Then stack them up and place them in a bag and freeze. That way they’re easy to separate, because the paper towel keeps them from sticking to each other. Pancakes can be microwaved and waffles are fabulous to reheat in the toaster. (This also works for French toast!)

HOW TO FREEZE PIE, CAKE AND CHEESECAKE

Yes, she even freezes her cheesecakes! It is a thing.

There are two ways to freeze a cake, cheesecake or pie.

1. Freeze them whole. Let them cool completely. Wrap them in plastic wrap and freeze. To defrost, unwrap and let them thaw in the refrigerator. (For a frosted cake you probably want to freeze it first on a cookie sheet, then wrap it in plastic.)

2. Freeze the slices. Slice your pie or cake or cheesecake. If your slices are firm (like a cheesecake or a cookie pie) place each in a Ziploc sandwich bag, seal, and freeze. If your slices are messier, like a cream pie, place the slices on a cookie sheet and freeze for 30-60 minutes, then place each in a bag and re-freeze.

There are some caveats with freezing pies, cakes and cheesecake. If your cheesecake has a topping, like chopped cookies, they may soften in the freezer, so beware. You will have more success freezing firmer pies, like chess or cookie pie, that pudding pie, but you can freeze them all. It’s just a matter of how pretty they look once defrosted.

Do you ever freeze your baked goods? Is there anything you’re planning to make ahead for the holidays? Are you going to freeze it? I’d love to know in the comments below :)