Can You Freeze Danish Pastries?

Whether they are bought from the store or homemade, danish pastries are delicious. They are the perfect addition to an afternoon tea or great to have as a snack with a cup of coffee. If you like, you can even have these as a delectable breakfast treat to have on the go.

But what about giving yourself a bountiful supply of Danish pastries? Can you freeze them with success?

How To Freeze Danish Pastries

You have a few options when it comes to freezing Danish pastries. You can either freeze them baked and ready or unbaked but assembled and ready to cook.

How to Freeze Baked Danish Pastries

This method is perfect if you have leftover pastries to freeze.

If you are baking these at home for the freezer, you can bake them so that they are slightly underbaked. This means you can heat them in the oven and they will crisp up and be perfectly cooked and ready to eat.

1. Bake and Cool
   Bake your Danish pastries and let them cool completely before freezing.
2. Wrap
   Wrap each pastry in cling film individually. You want to keep the pastries as protected from the air as possible so double layer the cling film.
3. Portion
   Stack the wrapped pastries into a freezer-safe container with a lid. If you don’t have one available then you can stack them carefully into a freezer bag instead. Just make sure you squeeze the air out and seal the bag tightly.
4. Freeze
   Label the bag or container with the date and contents and place it into the freezer carefully.

How to Freeze Unbaked Danish Pastries

If you want to freeze completely unbaked Danish pastries which can then be cooked freshly to order then this is the approach to use instead:

1. Assemble Pastries
   Make your pastry and assemble them into delicious Danish pastries.
2. Lay onto a Baking Sheet
   Grab a baking sheet and add a layer of parchment paper. Lay the Danish pastries onto the baking sheet. Make sure they are not touching.
3. Flash Freeze
   Pop the baking sheet and Danish pastries into the freezer to freeze.
4. Bag Up
   After a couple of hours, the pastries should be frozen and you can take them back out of the freezer. Transfer the pastries from the baking sheet into a freezer bag or container with an airtight lid.
5. Seal
   Seal the bag or container tightly and label with the date and contents. Don’t forget to add a note to say that the Danish pastries are unbaked, so you don’t forget that they still need cooking.
6. Freeze
   Pop the pastries back into the freezer until you need them. Now, you can grab out a Danish pastry or two whenever you need it.

How to Freeze Danish Pastry Dough

If you don’t want to make your Danish pastries fully, you can always make the dough and freeze it. Then you can make your pastries fresh whenever you need them.

1. Chill
   Make your dough and then pop it into the fridge for two hours.
2. Portion
   Divide the Danish pastry dough into portions and wrap each portion in cling film. You want to wrap it in at least two layers.
3. Bag Up
   Put the dough into a freezer bag, seal it tightly and then label it with the date and contents.
4. Freeze
   Put this into the freezer and freeze for up to three months.

3 Tips for Freezing Danish Pastries

Now you know how to freeze them, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing Danish pastries to have the best results:

Don’t Overbake Them
If you’re going to freeze baked Danish pastries then try to do so with slightly underbaked pastries. When reheating, they will bake a little further which can cause them to then become overbaked. 

Try Baking to Order
Instead of freezing cooked pastries, try freezing them unbaked using the method above and then baking them to order. This will mask any major changes to the texture and is the best way to freeze them. 

Experiment With Fillings
Fortunately, most fillings freeze well. This includes jam and chocolate. Custard does not freeze well, however, can become split. Try experimenting with different fillings but avoid freezing custard-based fillings. 

How Long Can You Freeze Danish Pastries?

How long you can freeze Danish pastries depends on if you froze them unbaked or baked. Baked and ready to eat danish pastries should only be kept in the freezer for up to two weeks. This is because the pastries and ingredients are delicate.

However, if you have unbaked Danish pastries, you can freeze them for up to a month. Perfect for preparing your pastries ahead of time.

You Can Freeze Danish Pastries for Around 1 Month

How Do You Defrost Danish Pastries?

When thawing out your baked pastries the best method is to let them fully defrost slowly. To do this take them out of the freezer, put them onto a plate and pop them into the fridge. You may find that they have moistened during the thawing process.

You can fix this while reheating them. Pop them into the oven for eight to ten minutes until they are fully heated through.

If you have frozen unbaked pastries then you don’t need to defrost them at all. To get the best results, you can pop them into the oven and cook from frozen. This method has advantages because it results in fewer changes and more delicious pastries.

Can You Refreeze Danish Pastries?

We wouldn’t recommend that you refreeze your Danish pastries. These are made from a delicate pastry and they are unlikely to freeze and thaw out well for a second time.

Do Danish Pastries Freeze Well?

Baked or leftover Danish pastries freeze fairly well but there are likely to be some changes to the texture. You can often fix these by popping them into the oven to crisp up as they reheat.

If you are freezing unbaked Danish pastries, ready to bake, then they do freeze well. By the time they are baked, you will be hard-pressed to tell the difference between fresh and frozen pastries!

Related FAQs

If you’ve still got questions about freezing Danish pastries or pastries in general, then these may help: