The One Baked Good You Should Never Put In The Freezer

If you've spent the day meal-prepping or baking, you're probably ready to pop your ready-to-eat meals straight into the freezer.  After all, many items can stay good for up to six months in the freezer, so long as you store them correctly. There are some tried and true meals that seem to be made for the freezer — think soups, stews, and casseroles.

When it comes to freezing other items, like desserts, there are some additional rules you need to be wary of. Cookie dough and freezers, for instance, are a match made in heaven. Many cookie recipes recommend that cookie dough chills prior to baking, making the freezer a perfect habitat for pre-made cookies. Additionally, fully cooked quick bread, like zucchini or banana bread also freeze well, as long as they're tightly wrapped in plastic and secured in a freezer bag. However, if your bread or cake has a crumb topping, all bets are off.

Before you freeze your favorite crumb-topped coffee cake or berry cobbler, think again. Unfortunately, baked goods and savory dishes with crumb toppings are not a freezer's friend. The sensitive crumb toppings can't withstand the cold, moist interior of the freezer. Once the toppings are frozen, they will invariably turn to a sloppy mess once defrosted. The same goes for fried foods, rice, and pasta, which all become water clogged and mushy once frozen. 

If you're making a crumb topping baked good and you need to freeze it, you can do it successfully by deconstructing it before freezing. You can make a berry crumble or apple crisp with everything except the topping. Once it's cooled completely, it can be popped into the freezer until ready to eat. Meanwhile, you can separately cook your crumble, and add it to your baked goods after it's defrosted. To avoid crumble mistakes, double-bake the topping, by baking it on its own, then again once it's atop the delicious fruit crumble.