Shavuot season is here and we’re getting a head start on our holiday cooking! The best way to do that? Cook and freeze ahead! It might seem unnecessary and overwhelming to start cooking a few weeks before the holiday, but if you think about it, cooking and freezing ahead can make your holiday a total breeze. Simply cook one dish every other day or so, and before you know it, you’ll have your holiday menu complete and ready to reheat! The trick is to start now before you’re in a time crunch!
Here are some of our favorite Shavuot recipes. You can thank us later.
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Ice Cream and Frozen Treats
1. Lotus Ice Cream Sandwiches by Gitty Friedman
A delicious, bite-sized dessert that’s sophisticated enough for the adults and yummy enough for the kids.
2. Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Cake by Leah Leora
The combination of cookie crust, vanilla ice cream, and strawberry-flavored cookie crumble makes this an ideal dessert. The best part? It’s really easy to put together!
3. Coffee Fudge Ice Cream Pie by Brynie Greisman
Calling all coffee lovers to enjoy a sweet, rich, and decadent dessert lekavod Yom Tov! It starts with a coffee cookie base, topped with a store-bought or easy homemade vanilla ice cream, and garnished with a fudge sauce with a creamy velvety texture that’s irresistibly delicious.
4. Strawberry Daiquiri Mousse by Chavi Feldman
Who doesn’t love all things strawberry? An easy and refreshingly light dessert, this mousse was devoured by all of my testers, adults and kids alike. Spiking the strawberry puree topping with rum adds that subtle twist that takes it from ordinary to extraordinary.
5. Easy Ice Cream Sandwiches from the Nitra Cookbook
Super easy and fast to prepare, this is sure to become a family favorite! Kids absolutely love these ice cream sandwiches, with the soft tea biscuits and creamy vanilla ice cream filling. These will disappear quickly, so make sure to hide one for yourself!
6. No-Churn Tahini Ice Cream by Rosa Seidenwar
Craving rich, decadent ice cream, but don’t have an ice cream machine? This no-churn Tahini Ice Cream is the perfect solution!
7. Decadent Halvah Ice Cream Cake by Estee Kafra
8. Caramel Crunch Ice Box Cake by Esty Wolbe
Esty Wolbe is back with another amazing, easy dessert! Watch Esty put together this ice cream ice box cake in minutes. Layered with rich caramel, chocolate, and nutty Viennese crunch, this will look beautiful on your table.
9. Cookie Crunch Ice Cream Pie from the Dining In Cookbook
This frozen dessert has cookie crunch on the bottom, Viennese crunch on the top, and homemade ice cream in the middle. And good news – since the recipe makes two pies, you may even have enough for seconds.
10. Chocolate Pudding Pie with Nutty Chocolate Crunch by Brynie Greisman
A creamy chocolate filling nestled between a chocolate chip cookie crust and a nutty chocolaty crunch. Delicious!
11. Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream by Victoria Dwek and Leah Schapira
I first prepared this dessert in the summertime, and I made it over and over that year. During the winter, I moved on to try new recipes. After a few months without strawberry cheesecake ice cream, though, my family complained. Now, it’s on the winter menu too. (We also enjoy the parve version after meat meals.)
12. Peanut Butter Popsicles by Rachel Goodman, RD CDN
These popsicles are creamy, high in protein and healthy fats, and make a great ready-to-go snack, dessert, and even breakfast!
13. Cherry Ice Pops by Temi Philip
Cherry ice pops with a touch of white chocolate.… What a cool idea!
14. Crunch Ice Cream Cake by Leah Schapira
The Crunch Bar made by Nestle isn’t exactly an Israeli innovation, but until local stores began importing Nestle’s Israel ice cream to the US, the only place to eat chalav Yisrael crunch bars was in Israel. If you haven’t had an ice cream crunch bar, you haven’t eaten ice cream. Ok, I’m kidding. All ice cream is good, regardless if it’s Nestle’s or Klein’s. But it never fails, every time we land in Israel, one of the first requests my children have is to go out and buy the Crunch Bar. (Let’s not mention that today they sell it in my local grocery.)
15. Oreo Ice Cream Pie from the Dining In Cookbook
Crushed sandwich cookies form the base for a creamy homemade non-dairy ice cream pie. This dessert is always a crowd-pleaser!
16. Easy Lotus-Caramel Fudge by Gitty Friedman
Fudge is an amazing cross between candy and cake and combines the best of the two. This chewy, decadent treat is a great addition to any sweet table.
17. Double Nut Freezer Cake from the Nitra Cookbook
The bottom layer of this cake is fudgy and decadent, the top is fluffy and moist. Finish it off with a simple chocolate glaze and the end result is fabulous. Eating this cake cold is absolutely delicious, but it’s great at room temperate too.
Cookies:
18. Brown Sugar Butter Cookies by Shoshy Lefkovitz, Sarah Goldstein
If you love sugar cookies, you must try these. The brown sugar gives it a chewier bite, while the buttery flavor makes these irresistible. And they’re so pretty, too.
19. Strawberries and Cream Cookie Pockets by Shoshy Lefkovitz, Sarah Goldstein
I love how cute and different these strawberry and cream pockets are. The dough is easy to work with and is made of simple ingredients, and the strawberry in the filling takes these pockets from ordinary to amazing. File this away in your simple but delicious baked goodies recipes.
20. Caramel Crisps by Brynie Greisman
A welcome change from typical chocolate chip cookies. Chewy, crispy, and very tempting. Delicious straight from the freezer. You can’t stop at one!
21. Cinnamon-Roll Cookies with Maple-Butter Frosting by Faigy Grossman
These cookies are absolutely divine. Maple and cinnamon pair so well together, and the cookie dough is irresistible! I’ll have to add this recipe to my Shavuos repertoire. The problem is, as the “repertoire” grows, so will I!
Cheesecakes
22. Best-Ever New York Style Cheesecake by Rivky Kleiman
A unique brownie/blondie crust and creamy decadent center topped with a shiny chocolate ganache make this cheesecake an absolute showstopper.
23. The Classy Cheesecake by Renee Muller
Let me present to you this delicious cake, made with farmer cheese (read: not as fattening) and yet so creamy and good. I received this fantastic recipe from my sister-in-law; she received it from her friend Leah, who grew up in Antwerp. The recipe is her mother’s, so thank you, Mrs. Debby Zimmer, for sharing this delicious treat with me.
24. Caramel Vanilla Cheesecake by Paula Shoyer
25. Sub “Lime” Pistachio Cheesecake from the Dining In Cookbook
This unbelievably delicious, beautiful recipe requires effort – but if you love to create, or need something special for an occasion, go for it!
Cakes
26. Lemon Chiffon Loafs by Leah Klein
This chiffon cake is incredibly moist and fluffy with a fresh lemon flavor – a winning recipe!
27. Dulce de Leche Mini Bundt Cakes by The Peppermill
Deep caramel flavor makes these bundt cakes hard to refuse!
28. Honey Sour Cream Pound Cake by Miriam (Pascal) Cohen
Some people think of honey cake as something to bake once a year, just for Rosh Hashanah. But the flavor of honey is excellent in cakes, and this one has the most amazing, dense, and moist texture that it’s important to let go of this notion and put this delicious and easy cake into your regular rotation of family favorites.
More Baked Goods
29. Cinnamon Buns (Big Batch) by Chaya Ruchie Schwartz
Nothing beats the aroma of cinnamon buns baking in the oven.
30. Sour Cream Twists from the Nitra Cookbook
A yeasted dairy pastry with cinnamon sugar filling and simple glaze.
31. Chocolate Chip Caramel Danish by Brynie Greisman
Decadent and divine. The caramel syrup makes them gooey and delicious. Both the dairy and pareve versions are amazing. Start with two because one is never enough!
32. Lemon Coconut Pie by The Peppermill
A light, brightly flavored dessert!
33. Cherry Cheese Danish (Big Batch) by Brynie Greisman
This heavenly Danish, made with a soft, buttery pastry, is a welcome addition to any cake platter. Needless to say, it tastes much better than the bakery’s! Be forewarned — it’s addictive!
Originally published May 2019. Updated and improved May 2025.
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