Recipes & Cooking Desserts & Baking Cookies Brownies & Bars 24 Make-and-Freeze Bar Cookies that Will Make Your Holidays Sweet Even if you don't want to turn on the oven, we have no-bake options that will freeze for months. By Sarah Martens Sarah Martens Sarah Martens is the Senior Editor overseeing food at Better Homes & Gardens digital. She has been with the BHG brand for more than 10 years. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on October 11, 2023 Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Karla Conrad Preparing for the holidays is stressful enough without spending days in the kitchen baking your favorite holiday desserts. To help ease some of your worries in the last few days, start baking these bar cookies now so you can serve them later. Even if you're not in the mood to turn on your oven, we have no-bake bars you can make now, freeze for months, and serve as a holiday dessert when you need them most. 01 of 24 Orange Cream Sugar Cookie Bars View Recipe Blaine Moats If you need a break from cutouts, make sugar cookie bars instead for the holidays. A pinch of orange zest gives the bars their citrus flavor, and fluffy white chocolate frosting makes them scrumptious enough for a holiday treat. Freeze: Up to 3 months 02 of 24 Honey-Roasted Peanut Butter Bars with Chocolate Ganache View Recipe Andy Lyons Sandwich creamy honey-roasted peanut butter between two layers of rich chocolate. A smooth, creamy chocolate ganache forms the top layer, while decadent devil's food cake mix makes up the bottom. Freeze: Up to 3 months 03 of 24 Red Velvet Cheesecake Bars View Recipe Jacob Fox Add a burst of bright red to your cookie plate when you serve these festive Red Velvet Cheesecake Bars. A drizzle of melted milk chocolate on top makes each bar look almost like its own individual gift. Freeze: Up to 3 months 04 of 24 Creme Brulee Cheesecake Bars View Recipe Andy Lyons Crème brulee has never been easier than this. Make classic cheesecake bars, then use a kitchen torch or your broiler to caramelize the sugar on top. The caramelized sugar softens with storing, so for a crisp topper, add the sugar and heat just before serving. Freeze: Up to 3 months 05 of 24 Copycat Musketeer Bars View Recipe Andy Lyons There's no need to buy your kids' favorite candy bar for their Christmas stockings: You can make a batch at home instead! With no bake time and just 25 minutes of prep, you can whip up enough of these creamy chocolate bars to share with all your holiday guests. Freeze: Up to 1 month 06 of 24 No-Bake Butterscotch Bars View Recipe Kritsada Panichgul These bars stack up three layers of deliciousness: Peanut butter and cereal on the bottom, butterscotch pudding in the middle, and luscious chocolate frosting on top. Sprinkle in chopped peanut butter candies to make these holiday treats even more decadent. Freeze: Up to 3 months 07 of 24 Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars View Recipe Andy Lyons A cinnamon sugar topping is the perfect finish for these shortcut cheesecake bars. Make a batch using refrigerated biscuit dough, cinnamon cream cheese, and orange zest. A drizzle of honey just before serving adds a sweet touch. Freeze: Up to 3 months 08 of 24 Coconut Joy Candy Bars View Recipe Andy Lyons If you need a little taste of the tropics when snowflakes start falling, try these coconut-filled bars with a rich milk chocolate ganache topping. All your dessert cravings will be satisfied. Freeze: Up to 3 months 09 of 24 Cinnamon Bars View Recipe Andy Lyons These simple cookie bars can be ready in an hour, but you can store them for up to a month (if they don't disappear when they're fresh out of the oven). A quick sprinkle of cinnamon-sugar is the only topper these bars need. Freeze: Up to 1 month 10 of 24 Chocolate Revel Bars View Recipes Carson Downing Sandwich a rich chocolate filling between layers of oat and nut dough to create these freezer bars. As one reviewer raves, "Have made these for years. Most requested recipe by my kids and their friends. Always leave with an empty pan when I bring to the potluck." Freeze: Up to 1 month 11 of 24 Snickerooni Bars View Recipe Andy Lyons Don't miss out on holiday baking fun in favor of store-bought treats! These homemade peanut butter, chocolate, and nougat bars taste just like they came from the store, but your guests are sure to be impressed when you reveal they came from your kitchen. Freeze: Up to 3 months 12 of 24 Twixy Shortbread Bars View Recipe Blaine Moats They don't come in twos, but these bars might remind you of a candy bar that does. Start with a cookie crust, then layer on dulce de leche and a chocolate topping. When your guests taste these bars, they won't be able to stop at just one. Freeze: Up to 3 months 13 of 24 Holiday 7-Layer Bars View Recipe Jason Donnelly Seven layers might seem overly decadent, but the holidays are worthy of each and every one. Our favorite addition? The candied orange peel sprinkled on top. Freeze: Up to 1 month 14 of 24 Greek Baklava Bars View Recipe Jason Donnelly Go Greek this holiday season and serve classic baklava bars once the dishes are cleared away. Don't let the long ingredient list intimidate you: These bars are worth every extra sprinkle of spice. Freeze: Up to 3 months 15 of 24 White Chocolate and Nutmeg Bars View Recipe Kritsada Panichgul We couldn't make this Christmas dessert more festive if we tried. Cranberries and white chocolate make a stunning presentation, while a few pinches of nutmeg add holiday flavor. Freeze: Up to 3 months 16 of 24 Cherry-Crumble Pie Bars View Recipe Scott Little We don't know about you, but our holiday isn't complete without a slice of cherry pie. Get the same flavor with this bar recipe, which makes a big batch so everyone can have a taste. Freeze: Up to 3 months 17 of 24 Chocolaty Caramel-Nut S'more Bars View Recipe Andy Lyons You'll need just seven ingredients to whip up these freezer-friendly bar cookies. Start with a base made with crushed chocolate wafer cookies and top it with creamy caramel. Finish the bars with crushed nuts, chocolate chips, and mini marshmallows. Freeze: Up to 3 months 18 of 24 Fruitcake Cookie Bars View Recipe Carson Downing These moist fruitcake bars are loaded with the traditional dried fruit, chopped nuts, and seasonal spices. We've dressed them up with bittersweet chocolate chunks and freshly grated nutmeg. Freeze: Up to 3 months 19 of 24 Pistachio Gelato Brownie Bars View Recipe Carson Downing Bake up a pan of brownies and use them to make these creamy pistachio ice cream bars. To create the crunchy top, brush the brownies with chocolate syrup and roll them in salted pistachios. We find these are easiest to cut with a serrated knife. Freeze: Up to 2 weeks 20 of 24 Gooey Chocolate-Caramel Bars View Recipe Andy Lyons The secret to these gooey make ahead dessert bars? Squares of milk chocolate covered caramel. Our Test Kitchen recommends using Ghirardelli brand. Freeze: Up to 3 months 21 of 24 Marcona Almond-Toffee Bars View Recipe Andy Lyons This make ahead Christmas dessert idea tops our list of bar cookies that freeze well. Rolled oats and crushed graham crackers form the base. As one BHG reviewer raves, "Everyone asked for this recipe. I think I will be enjoying these again next month." Freeze: Up to 3 months 22 of 24 Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars View Recipe Karla Conrad You're just six ingredients away from whipping up these creamy chocolate chip cheesecake bars. Start with chocolate chip cookie dough and top it with a homemade cheesecake batter. Stash them in the freezer and they're ready when you are. Freeze: Up to 1 month 23 of 24 Chewy Cherry Almond Bars View Recipe Blaine Moats This Christmas bar cookie recipe is easy to customize. As one BHG home cook shares, "Gooey cherries, crunchy almonds and tasty oats combine to make these bars a sweet treat any time of year. I substituted thawed frozen blueberries mixed with some blueberry jam and the result was terrific!" Freeze: Up to 1 month 24 of 24 Maple-Bourbon Cheesecake Bars View Recipe Andy Lyons Fall flavors, like maple and bourbon, shine in this make-ahead bar recipe. This freezer cheesecake recipe makes 32 bars—perfect for holiday hosting. Freeze: Up to 3 months Was this page helpful? 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