45 Make-Ahead Dessert Recipes That Make Hosting Easier Than Ever

Recipe: Creamy Peach Icebox Cake

You only need a handful of ingredients to put this impressive-looking cake together.

Recipe: Gingerbread Cheesecake with Lemon-Ginger Glaze

This beautiful cheesecake combines festive gingerbread with bright lemon for a holiday dessert that’s totally new. Not only does the cheesecake need to chill for at least eight hours, but the glaze can be made up to two days in advance, so you can make this recipe piece by piece leading up to your Christmas dinner.

Recipe: Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies

Cake mix cookies? Count us in! The higher oil content in these cookies helps them save better than other recipes.

Recipe: Chocolate-Coconut Pavlova Cake

If you have family with dairy sensitivities or allergies, they’ll be amazed that this stunner is actually dairy-free.

Recipe: Fudgy Pecan Bourbon Balls

Bourbon balls are an amazing cocktail party dessert that guests can grab and go as they please without stopping to cut a slice of cake or requiring you to clean dessert spoons once the party is over. They can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week or frozen for as long as you need.

Recipe: Banana Pudding Poke Cake

It’s preferred for this moist cake to be chilled overnight for the best results, so it’s the perfect big-batch way to make banana pudding ahead.

Recipe: Crème Brûlée Cheesecake

This elegant cheesecake will wow dinner guests with its presentation, and you can get it done the night before and let it chill overnight before finishing off the gorgeous caramelized top.

Recipe: Buttermilk-Pecan Pralines

This New Orleans favorite treat is a go-to food gift during the holidays, and it can be stored in an airtight container for up to one week.

Recipe: Fresh Peach Ice Cream

There’s nothing better than a bowl of homemade ice cream on a steaming summer day, and with this easy recipe, you can have it at the ready all season long.

Recipe: Luscious Lemon Bars

Classic lemon squares are a luncheon staple, and this recipe can be stored in the freezer for up to one month for every last-minute drop-by.

Recipe: Chocolate Parfaits

This simple layered dessert is perfect for when the kids have company, as everyone gets the same portion and it’s easy to make ahead.

Recipe: Tres Leches Cake

This luscious cake needs ample time to chill to soak up all three milks in the recipe, so your only option is to make it ahead, which helps out the day of your party.

Recipe: Mamie Eisenhower’s Chocolate Fudge

This vintage fudge recipe has been a go-to of Southern cooks for decades, and it keeps for up to two weeks, so it’s the gift that keeps on giving.

Recipe: Crunchy Pecan Pie Bites

This adorable mini dessert is easy for cocktail parties or gift-giving during the holidays.

Recipe: Oreo Cheesecake

This kid-friendly cake will bring back a wave of nostalgia for adults, too.

Recipe: Red Velvet Ice-Cream Cake

When topped with fresh blueberries, this chilled dessert is ready for your Fourth of July celebration. Your family will be incredibly impressed when you show up with this layered stunner.

Recipe: Caramel-Pecan-Pumpkin Bread Puddings

This comforting bread pudding has all of your favorite fall flavors, and it can be made in individual ramekins or your trusty 13x9 dish.

Recipe: Salty-Sweet Nut Brittle

This holiday staple can be stored for up to two weeks, so you can have it on hand for any last-minute gift needs.

Recipe: Orange-Buttermilk Trifle

Every element of this impressive-looking trifle can be made in advance, so you can work on it little by little the week of your dinner party.

Recipe: Cappuccino Swirl Bars

These layered bars look and taste fancier than they are to make, and they can be refrigerated for up to three days before you have the girls over to enjoy them.

Recipe: Vanilla Macarons

A tip from the Test Kitchen: Macarons are actually best the day after assembly, so they’ll save you time and taste even more delicious the next day.

Recipe: Key Lime Icebox Cake

Southerners have been turning to icebox cakes and pies for decades when they’re in need of a no-cook, make-ahead dessert that will feed a crowd, and this is one of our best.

Recipe: Salted Butter-Pecan Shortbread Cookies

Make this yummy fall cookie dough up to two days in advance and bake it the day of your get-together so your house smells amazing.

Recipe: Banana Pudding Cheesecake

Packed with all the traditional flavors of banana pudding, this dreamy cheesecake will both impress and delight your crowd.

Recipe: Cookies-and-Cream Ice Cream

A scoop of homemade ice cream adds the most delicious personal touch to any dessert.

Recipe: Apple Stack Cake

Because this gorgeous cake needs to “ripen” for two to three days before serving, you have no choice but to make it ahead. This stunner is a labor of love, but the payoff is unreal.

Recipe: Rebecca’s Black Bottom Icebox Pie

Chill this decadent chocolate pie for at least eight and up to 24 hours before adding the whipped topping and serving to hungry guests.

Recipe: Peach Bread Pudding with Bourbon Caramel

You might think of bread pudding as a cold-weather treat, but fresh summer peaches bring it right into the season.

Recipe: Chocolate Chip Cherry Cookies

Chef Damaris Phillips shared this sweet recipe with us (the first one she ever wrote!). To be sure no sweet tooth goes without tending to, this dough can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for one week or the freezer for six.

Recipe: Ice Cream Sandwich Cake

A cake made with layers of ice cream sandwiches says one thing and one thing only: Let’s celebrate! (No occasion required.)

Recipe: Rum Balls

This boozy confection first appeared in our December 1993 issue, and it’s been popping up on dessert tables and in gift boxes ever since. They keep in the refrigerator for up to one month, so have a stash handy throughout the holidays for drop-by guests.

Recipe: Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake

If you’ve been assigned to bring dessert to this year’s Friendsgiving, don’t show up with a store-bought pumpkin pie. Wow everyone with this multi-layer, Instagram-worthy cheesecake.

Recipe: No-Bake Fudgy Toffee Bars

We can assume that just from reading “No-Bake, “Fudgy,” and “Toffee,” you already want to make these insanely delicious bars, but you’ll love them even more when you find out you can put them together the night before.

Recipe: Plum Pudding

Although the name is misleading (no plums here), this classic holiday confection is truly a must-try for avid bakers.

Recipe: Strawberry-Mango Semifreddo

This recipe tastes as beautifully bright as it looks on your summer table, and you can make it up to five days before serving—no joke.

Recipe: Homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies

Serve up some major nostalgia with these homemade sweets that will bring you right back to childhood summers. They hold in the fridge for three days or freezer for two weeks, so make a big batch.

Recipe: Cherry Spice Cake Trifle

There’s no need for a Christmas centerpiece when you have this gorgeous creation to show off! Layers of holiday spice cake, cherry and cranberry filling, homemade custard, and a fluffy, fresh whipped topping make each bite unbelievable.

Recipe: Blackberry Gelato

Make this creamy chilled treat in the height of summer, when blackberries are at their freshest. This recipe needs two days to chill before going into the ice-cream freezer, so plan accordingly.

Recipe: Classic Gingerbread

This year, all Santa wants by the tree is old-fashioned gingerbread—he told us himself. This recipe can be stored for up to three days in advance. Don’t forget a wintry sprinkle of powdered sugar and dollop of Brown Sugar-and-Ginger Whipped Cream.

Recipe: Chocolate Peanut Butter-Fudge Bars

Who doesn’t love peanut butter and chocolate together? Cover and store these for up to three days after baking for school functions or neighbors in need of a treat.

Recipe: Red Velvet Crackle Sandwich Cookies
Video: Red Velvet Crackle Sandwich Cookies

These blissful bites have everything you love about red velvet cake, including the cream cheese icing. The filing and cookies can both be made up to three days in advance if stored separately.

Recipe: Strawberry-Pretzel Icebox Pie

Remember that Strawberry-Pretzel Salad Grandma brought to every potluck when you were a kid? This reimagined pie version of it will give your generation a whole new reason to love the flavor combo.

Recipe: Ice Cream Sandwich Layer Cake

For the best results, this kid-favorite cake should be chilled overnight, so mark it off your to-do list the night before your event.

Recipe: Fruitcake Bark

Your memories of Aunt Nancy’s fruitcake might not be so fond, but this festive candy recipe will flip the script on fruitcake in your family this holiday season. Store at room temperature for up to a week.

Recipe: Chocolate Trifle

Easy enough for any novice baker, this chocolate-lover’s trifle needs at least eight hours to chill before serving, so you can finish it up well in advance of your party.