Danish pastries come in all sorts of guises, the most popular being the cinnamon swirl. However, they can be filled with all sorts of fillings such as apple or raspberry, vanilla custard, and almond paste. They can be enjoyed at any time of the day with a cup of coffee or tea. They can even be enjoyed as a sweet treat for breakfast.
However, they will only last for a couple of days at room temperature even if stored in an airtight container and they dry out quickly if you put them in the fridge. You don’t want to make just a few at a time as it does take some effort, so can you make them in bulk and freeze some to enjoy at a later date?
The simple answer is yes but you can’t freeze them for that long and you will have to avoid ones with custard as dairy tends to split when put in the freezer. In this article, we will tell you how to freeze Danish pastries and how to defrost them.
How To Freeze Danish Pastries
You can freeze Danish pastries either baked or assembled and ready to bake (see also Is Freezing Cannolis A Good Idea?).
How To Freeze Baked Danish Pastries
If you have leftover Danish pastries, this is the method to use. You might have bought them in bulk from the bakery or you might have made your own. If you make your own, it is a good idea to slightly underbake them so that you can crisp them up in the oven when you have defrosted them. This is the way to freeze baked Danish pastries:
1. If you have baked the pastries yourself, cool them down.
They need to be completely cold when you put them in the freezer, otherwise, they will end up soggy. In addition, they will put up the temperature in the freezer and other food may start to defrost and may even spoil.
2.Wrap the pastries individually in cling film.
The pastries need to be protected from the air so double-wrap them in cling film. If air gets in, freezer burn can occur, and this will ruin the taste and texture of your Danish pastries.
3. Put the Danish pastries in a freezer bag or airtight container.
If you are using a freezer bag, squeeze out all the air to prevent freezer burn. Put a label on the bag or container with the date and contents.
4. Freeze.
How To Freeze Unbaked Danish Pastries
1. Make the dough for the pastries and assemble them.
Just don’t bake them!
2. Flash-freeze the Danish pastries.
Get a baking tray and line it with parchment paper. Put the Danish pastries on it, ensuring that they aren’t touching. This will stop them from sticking when you come to bag them up. Put the tray in the freezer for a few hours, until the Danish pastries have frozen solid.
3. Put the Danish pastries in a freezer bag or airtight container.
Remove the tray from the freezer and put the pastries in a bag or container. If you are using a freezer bag, make sure that you squeeze out all the air to prevent freezer burn. Put a label on the bag or container with the date and contents. It is also useful to note that the pastries aren’t baked.
4. Freeze.
How To Freeze Danish Pastry Dough
It is possible to freeze Danish pastry dough (see also How To Freeze Croissant Dough) without assembling the pastries and this is the way to do it:
1. Make and chill the dough.
Put the dough in the fridge for two hours.
2. Portion the dough into pastry sizes.
If you don’t want to use the dough all at once, you can freeze the dough in pastry portions. Wrap the dough in at least two layers of cling film to prevent freezer burn.
3. Put the dough in freezer bags.
It is a good idea to put meal-size portions of dough into separate freezer bags so that you defrost only as much as you need. Put labels on the bags with the date and contents.
4. Freeze.
Tips For Freezing Danish Pastries
- Squeeze out all the air from freezer bags to avoid freezer burn.
- If you decide to freeze baked Danish pastries, don’t overbake them as you will need to warm them up when you defrost them. They will then finish baking so should be delicious and will taste fresh.
- It is better to freeze unbaked Danish pastries as they will taste fresher. There is more likely to be a change of texture if you freeze baked Danish pastries. However, if you have leftovers, you can still freeze baked pastries. They will be fine but perhaps not as fresh tasting.
- Freeze Danish pastries with different fillings so you have a good choice. Chocolate and jelly freeze well but avoid dairy products as they can split when frozen.
For How Long Can You Freeze Danish Pastries?
This depends on whether you have frozen the Danish pastries baked or unbaked. If you have baked them, the Danish pastries will only last for up to two weeks in the freezer. However, unbaked Danish pastries will be good for up to a month in the freezer. Freezer dough, on the other hand, will last for three months in the freezer.
How Do You Defrost Danish Pastries?
The best way to defrost baked Danish pastries is to do it slowly and steadily. This ensures that they retain their taste and texture. Take them out of the freezer and put them in the fridge for a few hours. You may find that they have moistened but this will be corrected when you heat them. Put them in the oven for eight to ten minutes at 300 F.
You don’t need to defrost unbaked Danish pastries. Just put them in the oven and heat up for around half an hour at 300 F. You will probably find that they taste better than defrosted baked Danish pastries.
Can You Refreeze Danish Pastries?
We don’t recommend that you refreeze your Danish pastries. Every time you freeze, ice crystals are formed and having this happen twice can mean that your Danish pastries end up soggy. Anyway, Danish pastries are made from delicate pastry so they will start to fall apart the more times they are frozen.
Is It A Good Idea To Freeze Danish Pastries?
Unbaked Danish pastries freeze very well. You will find it difficult to tell the difference between them and fresh Danish pastries. However, you will find some differences in texture between a fresh Danish pastry and a defrosted baked one. However, if you warm it up, you won’t be able to taste that much difference.
Frequently Asked Questions
Hopefully, you now know all there is to know about freezing Danish pastries but in case you still have questions, we have answered a few here.
Cinnamon swirls are one of the favorites when it comes to Danish pastries, and they do freeze well.
Custard doesn’t freeze well as it can split and even become grainy, so we don’t advise freezing this type of Danish pastry. You can always add the custard when you defrost the Danish pastries
Of course, you can but because they are smaller, they won’t take as long to defrost or warm up. They are a nice addition to an afternoon tea with scones and clotted cream, mini sandwiches, and cakes.
Danish rye bread can be heavier than normal bread but you can freeze it. Slice it and wrap each slice in cling film. Divide the slices into meal-size portions and bag up, squeezing out all the air to prevent freezer burn. You can freeze Danish rye bread for three months.
