Christmas: 100 Recipes to freeze

Make-ahead Christmas Recipes: Freeze Now, Eat Later

When it comes to stress-free Christmas cooking, the freezer is your best friend.

Getting ahead means more time to enjoy the festivities and less time stuck in the kitchen — and that’s where make-ahead Christmas recipes come in.

Our collection of Delia’s freezable Christmas recipes is designed to help you prepare in advance. From festive stuffings and Christmas sauces (which only need gentle reheating) to full main courses, desserts, and Christmas cakes, we’ve got everything you need to take the pressure off. Even a classic Christmas Stollen freezes beautifully, and you can follow along with our step-by-step Cookery School video on this page to make your own.

By filling your freezer with delicious dishes ahead of time, you’ll free up precious hours to relax, celebrate, and soak up the season. Think of it as the ultimate in stress-free Christmas cooking.

Explore our A to Z list of freezable Christmas recipes with instructions and start filling your festive freezer stash today.

So, clear a little space, make your list, and let Delia’s Christmas freezer recipes help you stay ahead of the game this holiday season.

Mascarpone Nutmeg Ice Cream

This very easy ice cream is made with mascarpone and has a rich, velvety texture. The freezing process s...

This very easy ice cream is made with mascarpone and has a rich, velvety texture. The freezing process seems to draw out the aromatic flavour of the nutmeg superbly...

Mincemeat and Apple Crumble Flan

If you've got leftover mincemeat this will cheer up a January Sunday lunch beautifully. A ready-ma...

If you've got leftover mincemeat this will cheer up a January Sunday lunch beautifully. A ready-made pastry flan case will also save you time, which we have d...

40 minutes

A picture of mincemeat mixture inside a puff pastry case on a baking sheet

Mincemeat and Apple Jalousie

All you need here is some mincemeat, a Bramley apple and some ready-rolled puff pastry, and from there on i...

All you need here is some mincemeat, a Bramley apple and some ready-rolled puff pastry, and from there on it's all plain sailing. The Delia Online Cookery School: A...

30 minutes - 35 minutes

Mini Christmas Puddings

These are made in moments and are cooked in less than an hour, are light textured but have all the flavours...

These are made in moments and are cooked in less than an hour, are light textured but have all the flavours of Christmas. You don’t have to make them at the last mi...

a picture of a white plate full of little puff pastry tarts with assorted toppings

Mini Tarts with 3 Toppings

These are so easy and quick to make once you’ve assembled all the filling ingredients. They can be made ...

These are so easy and quick to make once you’ve assembled all the filling ingredients. They can be made ahead and warmed through in a hot oven for 3-4 minutes, or c...

18 minutes

Mini Yorkshire Puddings with Rare Beef

Mini Yorkshire Puddings with Rare Beef and Horseradish-and-Mustard Crème Fraîche Sauce - top image This ...

Mini Yorkshire Puddings with Rare Beef and Horseradish-and-Mustard Crème Fraîche Sauce - top image This recipe is from Lindsey Greensted-Benech, former Caterin...

Miniature Choc Ices

This is an unashamedly fun recipe, great for special parties and at Christmas, or to serve instead of choco...

This is an unashamedly fun recipe, great for special parties and at Christmas, or to serve instead of chocolates or mints at the end of a meal. But although it's fu...

Mulled Wine Sorbet

This is a truly special sorbet, perfect for serving to anyone suffering from a surfeit of Christmas indulge...

This is a truly special sorbet, perfect for serving to anyone suffering from a surfeit of Christmas indulgence. I am indebted to Caroline Liddell and Robin Weir for...

Old-fashioned Raised Pork Pies

These were originally raised by hand using old-fashioned wooden pie moulds but, in the 21st century, deep m...

These were originally raised by hand using old-fashioned wooden pie moulds but, in the 21st century, deep muffin tins make everything so much simpler. The most famo...

50 minutes - 55 minutes

Parmesan Twists

These are a doddle to make and can be served plain with Parmesan, as in the picture, or with seeds, chopped...

These are a doddle to make and can be served plain with Parmesan, as in the picture, or with seeds, chopped anchovy or a mixture of them all. Just perfect for servi...

12 minutes - 15 minutes

Perfect Roast Potatoes

The amounts here are not vital because it depends on who's greedy and who is on a diet and so on. I find...

The amounts here are not vital because it depends on who's greedy and who is on a diet and so on. I find that 8 oz (225 g) per person is enough – yielding three eac...

50 minutes - 1 hour

Petits Monts Blancs

Chestnut has an amazing affinity with meringue, and here the creamy richness of mascarpone is lightened by ...

Chestnut has an amazing affinity with meringue, and here the creamy richness of mascarpone is lightened by fromage frais. The Delia Online Cookery School: If you ha...

Pheasant Roasted in Butter Muslin

If you want to roast pheasants that are guaranteed to be moist and tender, then this is the best way I've c...

If you want to roast pheasants that are guaranteed to be moist and tender, then this is the best way I've come across. Do remember, though, to check with your suppl...

1 hour - 1 hour 30 minutes

Pheasant Terrine

This is excellent served as a light lunch with lovely crisp gherkins and lightly toasted bread. It also ...

This is excellent served as a light lunch with lovely crisp gherkins and lightly toasted bread. It also goes a long way at a help-yourself buffet party, or as a fir...

1 hour 45 minutes - 2 hours

Preserved Ginger Ice Cream

This is one of the creamiest ice creams I know, and it provides a perfectly luscious backdrop to the strong...

This is one of the creamiest ice creams I know, and it provides a perfectly luscious backdrop to the strong, assertive flavours of stem ginger. Serve in some crisp ...

Proper Custard

This is the ultimate custard, perhaps traditional British sauce. I offer it here as it has been made dow...

This is the ultimate custard, perhaps traditional British sauce. I offer it here as it has been made down the centuries - with thick double cream, but you can, if y...

Vegetarian

three pretty white dishes of ice cream on a white plate with spoons resting by the side

Prune and Armagnac Ice Cream

Home-made ice cream is in a different league from anything you can buy, and it means you've always got a de...

Home-made ice cream is in a different league from anything you can buy, and it means you've always got a dessert tucked away in the freezer. The Delia Online Cooker...

Rillettes of Duck with Confit of Cranberries

This is one of my favourite starters: a terrine of tiny shreds of tender, succulent duck melded together li...

This is one of my favourite starters: a terrine of tiny shreds of tender, succulent duck melded together like a pâté, then served with the dazzling depth of colour and...

Roast Goose with Forcemeat Stuffing

The sharpness and freshness of both the cranberries and apple make an excellent accompaniment to roast goos...

The sharpness and freshness of both the cranberries and apple make an excellent accompaniment to roast goose as they balance the richness of the meat. Also, giving ...

3 hours - 3 hours 30 minutes

Roast Pheasant with Chestnut Stuffing

Those of us who lament the loss of real free-range flavour need look no further than pheasant, one of the f...

Those of us who lament the loss of real free-range flavour need look no further than pheasant, one of the finest flavoured game birds. Chestnuts, which have a great...

1 hour 15 minutes

Roast Stuffed Goose with Prunes in Armagnac

There was a time when goose, rather than turkey, was the traditional family treat at Christmas. In the p...

There was a time when goose, rather than turkey, was the traditional family treat at Christmas. In the past few years it has come back into its own and supplies are...

3 hours 15 minutes - 3 hours 45 minutes

Savoury Mini Muffins with Two Flavourings

For a fresh approach to party nibbles, I offer you these magic little savouries that can be served warm fro...

For a fresh approach to party nibbles, I offer you these magic little savouries that can be served warm from the oven or, if made in advance, frozen, defrosted and re-...

20 minutes

Vegetarian

A picture of braised belly pork with bacon apples and cider on a white plate

Slow Braised Belly Pork

This is a very special recipe which could make a great meal for the family on Christmas Eve. Once assemb...

This is a very special recipe which could make a great meal for the family on Christmas Eve. Once assembled, it sits happily in a slow oven for three hours, leaving...

3 hours

Smoked Salmon and Dill Tart

You can now watch how to make Smoked Salmon and Dill Tart in our Cookery School Video on this page.

35 minutes - 40 minutes

Christmas: 100 Recipes to freeze

Make-ahead Christmas Recipes: Freeze Now, Eat Later