Learn to Properly Freeze Cookie Dough and Your Future Self Will Thank You (2024)

FAQs

How to properly freeze cookie dough? ›

You can freeze that dough, too. Prepare the cookie dough according to the recipe's instructions. Refrigerate the dough for about 30 minutes, and then wrap the cold dough tightly in plastic wrap and add a label with the name of the recipe and the date. Freeze for up to 3 months.

For best quality, freeze for two months. Homemade cookie dough should be stored in small containers in the refrigerator for two to four days or freeze for two months. Alternatively, small quantities of dough can be frozen and thawed in the refrigerator as needed.

Popping your dough in the fridge allows the fats to cool. As a result, the cookies will expand more slowly, holding onto their texture. If you skip the chilling step, you're more likely to wind up with flat, sad disks instead of lovely, chewy cookies. Cookies made from chilled dough are also much more flavorful.

After baking, allow cookies to cool completely. Place them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet to freeze them, then store them in a freezer-safe zip-top storage bag labeled with the name and date. Squeeze out extra air and place flat in the freezer. To save space, you can flat-stack freezer bags.

Frozen cookie dough balls do not need to be thawed out before baking unless you've been given specific instructions that say to do so. For many cookie doughs, for example, shortbread-style or slice-and-bake cookies, baking immediately from frozen will give you the best results.

As a general rule of thumb, you should refrigerate cookie dough for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. More than that, and you won't see a noticeable difference in the final product. Once the dough has chilled, let it warm up at room temperature until it's just pliable (about 5 to 10 minutes).

The taste will remain, but the cookies will not spread as large. If you want the spread to be the same, we recommend thawing the dough for 24 hours in the fridge. Some cookie doughs just don't freeze well. These are doughs that rely on egg whites rather than butter for volume and texture in the cookie.

The most obvious way to tell if your cookie dough has gone bad is to look at it. If it has grown any mold, then you can safely trash that dough and work on another batch. You will also notice that the edges start to discolor and turn darker as they go bad—they will likely be hard instead of doughy as well.

Airtight containers: Place the cookie dough in an airtight container, such as a Tupperware or glass container, and store it in the fridge for 2-4 days or the freezer for up to 3 months. Parchment paper: Scoop the cookie dough onto a sheet of parchment paper and use the paper to wrap the dough into a ball.

In most cases, I prefer to freeze cookie dough over freezing baked cookies. That way, you still get the nice homemade smell and softness of the cookies when they come out of the oven. But if you want to get the whole job done, you can certainly bake the cookies, then freeze them later.

Does freezing cookie dough prevent spreading? ›

Dough that is frozen can be baked straight from frozen, but it will need several minutes longer in the oven. I recommend prepping a half-sheet of cookies and testing how long it takes to bake them before baking any additional cookies. Note that some cookies don't spread as well when baked from frozen.

The fridge constantly circulates cool air to keep things cold, but this will also result in drying out your dough. (There are some recipes that call for chilled dough and typically the recipe will have been created to account for this.)

Do not freeze frosted, glazed or drizzled cookies because they can become too moist under the frosting, glaze or drizzle. Thaw the cookies in the plastic food container at room temperature. Remove from container any cookies that should be crisp when thawed.

Place baked cookies in sealable plastic containers designed for the freezer. Freeze cookies for up to one year. Don't use themed tins (say, for Christmas cookies). Transfer cookies to such containers once you've removed them from the freezer.

Which Kinds of Cookie Dough are Best to Freeze? Pretty much ANY drop-style cookie can be frozen successfully. Whether that be chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal, peanut butter, double chocolate… or anything in between.

* The freezer temperature should be 0 degrees Fahrenheit or less. * Use moisture-proof, vapor-proof wraps or containers such as plastic containers with tight-fitting lids, heavy duty foil and freezer-weight plastic bags and wraps. * Cool baked goods completely before preparing for the freezer.