Can You Freeze Devils on Horseback?

Devils on horseback are a popular snack of stuffed dried fruit wrapped in bacon, prosciutto or pancetta. They are often served at parties as a canape or light finger-food option and are simple to make. But, is there a way to prepare these canapes in advance?

How to Freeze Devils on Horseback

You can either freeze cooked devils on horseback when you have lots of leftovers from a party, or you can freeze them before they have been cooked. Either way, follow the steps below to ensure they are preserved perfectly:

1. Prepare Dish: Make your devils on horseback according to your favourite recipe apart from cooking them – this will come later.
2. Grab a Baking Tray: Find a baking tray of your choice and line it with greaseproof baking paper.
3. Lay Out: Place the devils on horseback on to the lined baking tray, making sure to leave enough space in between each one to prevent them from sticking together.
4. Freeze for the First Time: Place the baking tray into the freezer on a flat surface and freeze for approximately 4 hours. 
5. Remove and Contain: Once the devils on horseback a thoroughly frozen, remove from the freezer and place them either in a freezer-safe Ziploc bag or in an airtight container.
6. Label and freeze: As always, label with the date of freezing and then slot into the freezer for up to 4 months. 

3 Tips for Freezing Devils on Horseback

Now you know how to freeze them, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing devils on horseback to have the best results:

Try Prune Substitutes
Whilst prunes are the traditional centrepiece of a devil on horseback, you could also try other dried fruits such as figs or dates. They will still make a very nice sweet alternative due to their high sugar content.

Freeze Just the Bacon
If you have got some leftover bacon that you won’t be using up, you can always freeze just this and use it to make devils on horseback at a later date once it has defrosted. 

Use a Toothpick
If you are concerned about the devils on horseback losing their shape before they are fully frozen, you can put a toothpick through the middle of them, pinning them into shape. 

How Long Can You Freeze Devils on Horseback?

Devils on horseback will freeze well and last for up to 4 months.

They are quite a robust little dish, so can be stored pretty much anywhere in the freezer, but just be sure to label and date the storage container so you know exactly when they need to be used by.

How Do You Defrost Devils on Horseback?

There is no need to defrost the devils on horseback before you cook them. You can just take them out of the freezer when you are ready to cook, and then bake in the oven according to your original recipe instructions.

They may take slightly longer when being cooked from frozen, but you will save the time from needing to thaw or defrost!

Can You Refreeze Devils on Horseback?

No, you can’t refreeze devils on horseback. It is not a good idea to refreeze any food, but certainly, anything that contains meat, especially pork, is not suitable for refreezing.

Given that devils on horseback are a canape style food, they are super easy to bake in small batches so hopefully, there will not be any need to refreeze them. 

Do Devils on Horseback Freeze Well?

Whilst they are not made often, mostly around Christmas time, devils on horseback can be good finger food to make in advance of a party or a large family meal and freeze to save you some extra time.

They will freeze very well, maintain their shape and can even be cooked straight from frozen whilst still remaining as delicious as if they were fresh!

You can be adventurous with the stuffings, using various dried fruits and different stuffings, which will surely delight any guest. 

Related FAQs

If you’ve still got questions about freezing devils on horseback or devils on horseback in general, then these may help: