How to Freeze Cookies and Cookie Dough for Easy Holiday Baking (2024)

FAQs

How to Freeze Cookies and Cookie Dough for Easy Holiday Baking? ›

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap and place in a Ziploc bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.

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.

For frozen chocolate chip cookies, the recommended oven temperature is typically around 350°F (175°C). Baking time can vary depending on the cookie size and thickness, but a good starting point is 10-12 minutes.

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).

Cool down your dough for a tastier, chewier cookie.

As little as 30 minutes in your fridge or freezer can help your cookie brown better, spread less, and develop a richer chewy texture. There's a few reasons why, but one important part is it gives the butter in your dough a chance to firm up before baking.

What cookie dough can you not freeze? ›

Think of macarons, pizzelles, madeleine, Florentine, and fortune cookie dough. These don't hold up well in the freezer, and even if you thaw them, they won't bake as well. These cookies usually require a fresh cookie dough batter to be baked successfully.

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.

Drop cookies, like chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin, are the easiest to freeze. To do so, place portioned dough in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until firm, then you can transfer the dough to zipper-lock bags, says Schreiber.

You'll find that most of your favorite Christmas cookie recipes can be made anywhere from a month to six months before the 25th of December. (Consult this handy how-to guide to the matter.) Generally, most recipes will be best if baked and then frozen.

Shape the dough into two disks roughly 1-inch thick. Package and freeze: Wrap the disks in plastic or wax paper and transfer to a plastic freezer bag or other freezer container. Press out as much air as possible, label the bag, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Use Airtight Containers

Once your cookies have cooled, store them in layers in airtight containers. Separate each layer with a sheet of wax paper to prevent the cookies from sticking together. Do so, and you should be able to store Christmas cookies at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, notes Auxer.

Here's what our Test Kitchen recommends when quickly chilling cookie dough in the freezer: Place the cookie dough in the freezer for one-quarter of the recommended refrigerator time. The dough can be wrapped in plastic, scooped into balls for baking on a cookie sheet, or left in the mixing bowl, covered.

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.

Cutout Cookie Dough:

Cover each disk in plastic wrap, then place in a resealable gallon freezer bag. Freeze the wrapped dough on a flat surface to help hold its shape (this makes it easier to roll out later). To thaw cookie-dough disks, unwrap one and place on a lightly floured surface to start rolling out.