There are several reasons why you might want to have cookie dough in the freezer. One of my favorites is that it's an easy way to provide fresh, gooey cookies in no time. I use to be anti-freezing, but now with kids and limited time, it's a convenient way to store cookie dough for any time I need a quick treat to serve.
Why freeze cookie dough
Convenience. Let's face it, life can get hectic, and we don't always have time to run to the store or make a full recipe. For those unexpected visitors or if you are hosting a get-together, having cookie dough made from scratch in your freezer is easy and a time saver. I always figure if I'm taking the time to make a recipe, why not make multiple batches for future use.
Small batch baking. If you want to make a small batch of cookies for one person or just a couple of people, you can pull out the exact quantity you want from the freezer.
Gifting. Frozen cookie dough balls are such a simple, yet well-received gift! People love them! They're perfect as a hostess gift, for new parents who are up all night with a newborn, or a simple way of bringing joy to a friend.
Holiday and event baking. The holidays can become overwhelming with writing cards, baking, cookies, parties, etc. Freezing cookie dough will help you get ahead of the game. This is also true for any baking events such as bake sales.
Fresh baked cookies. I love cookies, and there is nothing more delicious than a warm cookie out of the oven. With frozen cookie dough, you can bake cookies more often without the time to make the dough. It's the perfect afternoon treat for kids.
Cookie dough that freezes well
There are so many types of cookies, and most will freeze well. Here are three categories of doughs that are great for freezing.
Drop cookies. These types of cookies are made by dropping scoops of dough onto a baking sheet pan, just like chewy chocolate chip cookies. Drop cookie dough has a high fat and sugar content making it too moist to roll out.
Slice-and-bake cookies. Slice-and-bake cookie dough is rolled into a log, wrapped in plastic wrap, refrigerated, and then sliced into cookies and baked to perfection.
Cut-out cookies. Also referred to as rolled cookies, cut-out cookies have a firmer dough that is rolled into a thin layer, cut into shapes, and baked similar to funfetti cut-out cookies and pumpkin spice sugar cookies.
Unlike these three types of cookies, more delicate cookie doughs do not freeze well. These include cookies made from a liquid batter such as French macarons, tuiles, florentines, and pizzelles. Madeleines is another batter that does not freeze well because of its cakey texture.
Before you begin
Prepare your cookie dough according to the recipe's instructions.
Take out the following baking equipment for drop cookies.
Cookie scoop
Baking sheet pan
Parchment paper
Freezer-safe bag or container
Permanent marker, optional for labeling
Take out the following baking equipment for slice-and-bake cookies and cut-out cookies.
Plastic wrap
Freezer-safe bag or container
Permanent marker, optional for labeling
How to freeze cookie dough
Drop Cookies
- Scoop dough. Scoop and roll the dough into balls. If a recipe calls for chilling time, first chill the dough as recommended and then proceed with this step.
- Freeze the dough. Place the shaped dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- Cover the dough. Transfer the chilled dough to a freezer-safe bag or container.
- Freeze. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, allow the dough to come to room temperature and bake as directed in the recipe. If baking without thawing, allow for an extra 2-3 minutes of baking time.
Slice-and-Bake Cookies
- Form a dough log. Shape the dough into a log according to your recipe's specifications for size.
- Wrap. Tightly wrap the log with plastic wrap, ensuring that the surface is entirely covered and place in a freezer-safe bag.
- Freeze. Freeze for up to 3 months. Once ready to bake, transfer the wrapped dough to the refrigerator to thaw overnight.
Cut-Out Cookies
- Form a dough disc. Shape the dough into a disc similar to refrigerating pie dough.
- Wrap. Tightly wrap the disc with plastic wrap, ensuring that the surface is entirely covered and place in a freezer-safe bag or container.
- Freeze. Freeze for up to 3 months. Once ready to bake, transfer the wrapped dough to the refrigerator to thaw overnight.
Dough Cut-Outs
If you prefer to slice your dough log or roll your dough disc and cut into shapes, you can freeze the cut-outs.
- Cut out the cookie dough. Cut out the cookie dough shapes using cookie cutters or slice your log.
- Place on a sheet pan. Line a baking sheet pan with parchment paper. Place the dough cut-outs in a single layer allowing enough space so that they do not touch each other.
- Freeze. Place the baking sheet pan in the freezer for 2-3 hours, depending on the thickness, or until the dough is frozen.
- Wrap. Transfer the dough cut-outs to a freezer-safe storage container, gently stacking the cookies in layers. For delicate shapes, layer with parchment paper. Freeze for up to 3 months.
How to freeze baked cookies
Freezing cookie dough is easy and convenient, but so is freezing baked cookies. Many cookies can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months such as funfetti cookies and candy bar cookies. You can even freeze cookies bars like speculoos blondies. Here's how to freeze cookies that are completely cooled:
- Freeze on a sheet pan. Place cookies on a baking sheet pan and freeze until solid.
- Store cookies. Place the frozen cookies in a freezer-safe container layered with parchment or into a freezer-safe bag.
- Freeze. Freeze cookies for up to 3 months.
- Serve. Remove the cookies from the freezer and allow them to thaw overnight in the refrigerator or on the counter.
Tips and takeaways
- When placing cookie dough balls onto your parchment-lined baking sheet pan, leave enough space between each ball so that they are not touching and will not freezer together.
- You do not have to cover the sheet pan when you freeze the dough. Just ensure that the pan lays flat so that your dough doesn't shift.
- For cookies that call for rolling in sugar, such as snickerdoodle cookies, prepare the dough as directed without rolling in the sugar. Freeze the cookie dough as directed above for drop cookies. When ready to bake, allow the dough to thaw overnight in the refrigerator and roll in the topping just before baking.
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