Holidays & Occasions Mother's Day Make Ahead Mother's Day Desserts That Will Have Mama Going Back for Seconds By Southern Living Editors Updated on May 23, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Jennifer Davick Whether you're getting together for Mother's Day brunch or a big family dinner, nothing says "Happy Mother's Day" like a delicious, homemade dessert. With all of the recipes on your plate to pull off for mom, dessert is an easy course to cook ahead of time. Dishes served cold, like cheesecake, pudding, and icebox cake, can easily be pre-arranged and ready to pull out of the fridge at a moments notice. Baked goods, like cupcakes and sheet cake, can easily be made ahead and frosted right before serving for a fresh look.The one thing sweeter than all of these treats? Stress-free time to spend with mom now that dessert is done and ready to be devoured. So, get the ball rolling on all of your Mother's Day baking with a few of our favorite make-ahead desserts. 01 of 15 Mini Strawberry Tarts Greg Dupree Recipe: Mini Strawberry Tarts As adorable as they are delicious, these mini tarts are a tasty treat you can prepare ahead of time and chill for 24 hours. 02 of 15 Buttermilk-Lime Mini Cakes with Vanilla-Mascarpone Buttercream Greg DuPree Recipe: Buttermilk-Lime Mini Cakes with Vanilla-Mascarpone Buttercream These cute, individual cakes can be covered and refrigerated until mom arrives. 03 of 15 Triple-Chocolate Buttermilk Pound Cake Alison Miksch Recipe: Triple-Chocolate Buttermilk Pound Cake If you get your chocolate lovin' genes from your mama, this dessert is a must. 04 of 15 Chocolate Shortbread Cake Iain Bagwell Recipe: Chocolate Shortbread Cake Served chilled, this chocolate shortbread sweet is just as easy to make as it is to pull out of the fridge day-of. 05 of 15 Strawberries-and-Cream Sheet Cake Hector Sanchez Recipe: Strawberries and Cream Sheet Cake We're pretty sure this swoon-worthy sheet cake will soon become a staple in your recipe box. 06 of 15 Pound Cake Cupcakes Jennifer Davick Recipe: Pound Cake Cupcakes A tiny take on the tube-pan classic, our Pound Cake Cupcakes are sure to delight. 07 of 15 Berries and Bubbles Hector Sanchez Recipe: Berries and Bubbles We're bubbling with excitement for this beautiful, fruity dessert you can make in advance and serve chilled. 08 of 15 Sweet Tea-and-Lemonade Cake Hector Sanchez Recipe: Sweet Tea-and-Lemonade Cake If mom's a sweet tea lover, she's sure to enjoy a slice (or two). 09 of 15 Petite Blueberry Cheesecakes Hector Sanchez Recipe: Petite Blueberry Cheesecakes After you make these two-bite treats, you can freeze them for up to one month. Once you're ready to eat, just thaw and top with preserves and fruit before serving. 10 of 15 Honey Custard with Berries Hector Sanchez Recipe: Honey Custard with Berries Covered and chilled for up to 24 hours, this custard can be prepared in advance and easily assembled by spooning into bowls with berries. 11 of 15 Key Lime Icebox Cake Hector Sanchez Recipe: Key Lime Icebox Cake Show mom how much you care with lots of layers of lovely lime custard. 12 of 15 Cherry Pie Bars Greg Dupree Recipe: Cherry Pie Bars If you'd like to make these crowd-pleasing cherry pie bars in advance, you can store, wrapped in aluminum foil, for up to three days. 13 of 15 Butter Toffee-Pecan Layer Cake Greg DuPree Recipe: Butter Toffee-Pecan Layer Cake This buttery vanilla layer cake topped with a tempting toffee frosting and lots of toasted pecans cane be covered and stored at room temperature for three to five days. 14 of 15 How To Make Mother's Day Paper Napkin Flowers Cocktail napkins aren't only for drinks they, also make beautiful flowers! Using scissors and some wire, you'll quickly have a vase full of them. Step-by-Step Instructions: Paper Napkin Flowers 15 of 15 Luscious Orange Panna Cotta Jennifer Davick Recipe: Luscious Orange Panna Cotta Simple to store for up to three days, this silky custard features orange sections tossed with turbinado sugar. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit