I’m always grateful to my past self when dessert is already made and waiting. Whether I’m hosting a gathering or bringing something sweet to someone else’s party, having dessert prepared ahead of time takes one thing off my plate.
These make-ahead desserts are built for exactly that. Some need an overnight chill, others hold up beautifully—and even taste better—a day or two later, and a few can be tucked into the freezer until you’re ready to serve. Whichever recipe you choose, it’ll help you check dessert off your to-do list well before it’s time to serve.
01 of 19
Credit: Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
“The ingredients are crushed Ritz, sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, and toffee bits. That’s it! I saw the recipe and couldn’t picture how they’d taste, so I made them. Then I had to make them again because my family ate them all.” —Sara Bir, Simply Recipes Editor
02 of 19
Credit: Simply Recipes / Jessica Furniss
“If there’s one thing I learned at my first kitchen job, it’s that store-bought pudding mix and whipped topping are the best-kept secrets for simple, quick desserts. A chef at a small-town church in South Carolina taught me this lesson, showing me how to make incredible desserts like this easy lemon lush with just a few simple ingredients.” —Jessica Furniss, Recipe Developer
03 of 19
Credit: Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek
“One of these tried-and-true desserts was Mom’s eclair cake. I have many, many memories of devouring this no-bake ‘cake’ at barbecues and group dinners, with exclamations of ‘delicious!’ ringing out from the adults all around me.” —Laurel Randolph, Simply Recipes Editor
04 of 19
Credit: Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
“It is so ridiculously easy to make that even when I’m tired, stressed, or crazy busy, I can whip up a bowl of chocolate comfort. It’s also made with ingredients that are easy to keep on hand, and any leftover yogurt or chocolate (ha, leftover chocolate!) will not languish in the fridge.” —Robin Asbell, Recipe Developer
05 of 19
Credit: Simply Recipes / Photo by Morgan Hunt Ward / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Phoebe Hausser
“Fluffy mascarpone cream and soft, soaked ladyfingers get a bright, citrusy transformation—a fresh take on tira mi sù, meaning ‘pick me up.’ When warm weather cookouts are in full swing, this is exactly the dessert I want after hearty grilled meats, smoky sides, and big bowls of fattoush salad. It’s my favorite potluck contribution, simple to assemble, and best made the day before so the layers have time to meld.” —Anne Wolf, Recipe Developer
06 of 19
Credit: Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Phoebe Hausser
“Use chocolate cake mix as the base and dress it up with a luscious cream cheese layer topped with a thick, shiny ganache. A playful crown of crispy chocolate cereal dusted with cocoa powder caps it all off. Lazy cat cake is as impressive as a bakery dessert but totally doable at home. Think of it as the love child of tiramisu and a Hostess chocolate cupcake.” —Sara Bir, Simply Recipes Editor
07 of 19
Credit: Simply Recipes / Alison Bickel
“To serve Caramel Brownies in an even more spectacular presentation, try them in a brownie sundae! Place a brownie in a dish and top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, drizzle with warm caramel sauce. For the finishing touches, add whipped cream, sugared pecans, chocolate sprinkles, and, of course, a cherry on top.” —Rachel Knecht, Recipe Developer
08 of 19
Credit: Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Phoebe Hausser
“Wherever the pistachio pudding-filled cake came from, recipes for it were in print as early as a month after Nixon’s resignation, and it embodied the Watergate zeitgeist. The joke floating around with the recipe was that the cake features a bunch of nuts, covered up (as was the Watergate break-in). The nuts in this Watergate cake are on top, where they belong, so they stay nice and crunchy.” —Sara Bir, Simply Recipes Editor
09 of 19
Credit: Simply Recipes / Cindy Rahe
“Fast forward many years and many tastes of peanut butter pie later. Now, I’ve come up with my own ‘perfect’ version—it’s silky and mousse-like with lots of peanut butter flavor. I also use a crunchy chocolate cookie crust and a ridiculous amount of whipped cream on top. As if that weren’t enough, I’ve added chopped peanut butter cups and drizzles of more peanut butter and chocolate.” —Cindy Rahe, Recipe Developer
10 of 19
Credit: Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
“Italian love cake is a great cake for making ahead of time. You can make the whole cake from start to finish in one day and hold it in the fridge overnight, or you can bake, cool, and refrigerate the cake, then add the topping just before serving.” —Rachel Knecht, Recipe Developer
11 of 19
Credit: Simply Recipes / Alison Bickel
“The perfect bars for me and my family pack a pucker that’s tamed by a slightly sweet, buttery, and crisp shortbread crust. The lemon curd is firm enough to hold its shape when cut, but still rich and creamy like pudding.” —Summer Miller, Former Senior Editor
12 of 19
Credit: Simply Recipes / Annika Panikker
“The beauty about this sheet cake, apart from the chocolate, of course, is that it’s a great make-ahead dessert that comfortably feeds a crowd. You can bake it in a throwaway aluminum container, making it travel-friendly for picnics. I love making this recipe when I am invited over to a friend’s house, as it is not only polite to go with something, but also chocolate is a good icebreaker.” —Annika Panikker, Recipe Developer
13 of 19
Credit: Simply Recipes / Photography by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
“They’re peanut buttery, creamy, chocolate-topped, and make anyone’s day just a little bit brighter: a Reese’s cup lover’s dream! No wonder it’s something that stuck with generations from their own school experiences. Seems like everyone wants to claim Lunch Lady Bars as their own.” —Sara Bir, Simply Recipes Editor
14 of 19
Credit: Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek
“No matter which kind of chocolate you use, it’s a pretty decadent pie. Rich, thick, and chocolatey, this s’mores-inspired dessert is sure to make any gathering into a party.” —Jeanette Hurt, Recipe Developer
15 of 19
Credit: Photography by Morgan Hunt Ward, Prop Styling by Abby Armstrong, Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey
“Made with packaged corn muffin mix, these cookies come together with almost no effort, and have a warm, buttery sweetness and gentle corn flavor that feels nostalgic and comforting—like cornbread in cookie form. The texture is tender and slightly chewy, with crisp edges.” —Theodora Kaloudis, Content Updates Editor
16 of 19
Credit: Simply Recipes / Photo by Jake Sternquist / Food Styling by Shannon Goforth / Prop Styling by Dera Burreson
“Tiramisu is kind of like the cool, older Italian cousin of an American icebox cake. They’re both essentially desserts of layered cookies with a light, creamy filling.” —Cindy Rahe, Recipe Developer
17 of 19
Credit: Simply Recipes / Jessica Furniss
“As a nod to this nostalgic treat, I created these sliceable, no-bake orange creamsicle bars. A graham cracker crust is topped with a creamy filling that uses both orange juice and orange Jell-O for punchy orange flavor. Vanilla pudding is mixed in for that classic creamsicle orange-vanilla combo.” —Jessica Furniss, Recipe Developer
18 of 19
Credit: Simply Recipes / Molly Allen
“Choose your favorite flavor combination for the ice cream and crust and dress it up with everything from whipped topping and fudge sauce to sprinkles, candy, caramel, and fresh fruit.” —Molly Allen, Recipe Developer
19 of 19
Credit: Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
“This cake tastes even better the day after you make it—the milk mixture would have had a chance to really soak through the cake.” —Maria J. Ritchie, Recipe Developer
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