Freezer Friendly Lunch Box Ideas

Freezable lunch means happy mornings. Make the freezer your best friend and fill it with goodies made for smooth-sailing school days. Read on our list of freezer-friendly lunch box ideas and learn a thing or two on how to freeze them properly for a longer shelf life.

Cookies and Scones

• How to freeze. For baked cookies and scones, stack them in freezer-safe containers, lined with parchment paper in between then freeze. For unbaked ones, portion your dough, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, then freeze until solid. Transfer the frozen dough into labelled freezer-safe bags then freeze. 

• Freezer shelf life. Up to 3 months.

• Reheating tips. For baked cookies and scones, thaw them out at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Warm them up in the microwave for a few seconds to a minute or at a 135C oven for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on size. For unbaked ones, place them on a baking tray with parchment paper then bake them as usual. Note that baking frozen cookie or scone dough may take about a minute or two longer.

• Recipe. This Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookie Recipe adds rewarding treats to any lunch box. See Note below for good nut substitutes for baked goods.

Cake Loaves and Muffins

• How to freeze. Place loaves or muffins on a baking tray, cover the top loosely with plastic wrap, then freeze them for an hour or until solid. Wrap each tightly in plastic wrap, then place them in double resealable freezer bags. Make sure to remove all the air before sealing the bag to prevent freezer burn. Portion and label each bag. You can also slice your cooled loaf then store the slices in the freezer, following the same steps.

• Freezer shelf life. Up to 3 months.

• Reheating tips. Thaw out your whole or sliced loaf at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Warm them up in the microwave for a few seconds to a minute or at a 175C oven for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on size.

• Recipe. Bake some make-ahead quickbreads with this Blueberry Muffin or Banana Loaf Recipe. See Note below for good nut substitutes for baked goods.

Mini Quiche

• How to freeze. Flash freeze your cooled mini quiches for an hour or until solid. Transfer your frozen quiche to a labelled resealable freezer bag.

• Freezer shelf life. About 2 months.

• Reheating tips. Reheat your still frozen quiches in the microwave for a few seconds or in a 190C oven for about 10 minutes. Make sure not to overheat as they can become tough.

• Recipe. This Mini Quiche Recipe is great for lunch boxes and quick tea times, too!

Bread Rolls

• How to freeze. These breakfast or snack favourite can be frozen by means of par-baking. Instead of fully baking your rolls, bake them for 10 or 15 minutes or until the buns look set but still pale in colour. Let the buns cool in the baking pan, then wrap them with plastic for freezing.

• Freezer shelf life. About 6 weeks.

• Reheating or baking tips. Thaw them in the refrigerator the night before you want to serve them, then bake them the next morning for another 15 minutes or until completely baked and golden. While baking, make sure to whip up a quick glaze!

• Recipe. These fragrant Orange Rolls will surely have every one up early. See Note below for good nut substitutes for baked goods.

Pancakes and Pikelets

• How to freeze. Place your cooled pancakes in parchment-lined baking trays, then freeze for about 30 minutes or until solid. Stack your frozen pancakes with parchment paper in between then transfer them into labelled freezer bags.

• Freezer shelf life. About 1 to 2 months.

• Reheating tips. Warm your frozen pancakes in the microwave for a few seconds to a minute. If you’re reheating them in the oven, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover it with aluminium foil to protect them from drying out, then bake at 175C for about 10 minutes or until warm and soft.

• Recipe. Try this Pikelet Recipe for a quick and delicious school snack.

Scrolls

• How to freeze. Completely cool baked scrolls at room temperature. Place them on a baking tray, cover the top loosely with plastic wrap, then freeze them for an hour or until solid. Stack and store them in freezer-safe bags in between sheets of baking paper.

• Freezer shelf life. About 4 to 6 months.

• Reheating tips. Thaw out the frozen scrolls in the refrigerator overnight then reheat them in the microwave or oven for a few minutes until warm and soft.

• Recipe. Go Danish with our all-time favourite Cinnamon Scrolls Recipe.

Ideas for making school lunches are indeed endless. And with a trusty freezer, packing delicious home-cooked meals and snacks is stress-free even on your busiest days!

Notes

• While nuts are nice to add to baked goods, they can easily be substituted with other ingredients. You can try rolled oats toasted in at bit of butter, granola, rice cereal, pumpkin or sunflower seeds, raisins or dried cranberries, and chocolate chips.
• Pair your substitute ingredient with the flavours of your baked goods. For instance, dried cranberries are wonderful with orange rolls, banana bread goes well with chocolate chips, and toasted oats are perfect for cookies. Enjoy experimenting while baking!