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    Home » Baking Basics

    How To Freeze Cookie Dough

    Published: Nov 12, 2022 · Last modified: Nov 12, 2022 by Leslie Kiszka / This post may contain affiliate links.

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    Smooth balls of tan colored dough on a baking sheet

    Learn the best ways to freeze cookie dough for different kinds of cookies, which cookie doughs you should avoid freezing, and all my favorite tricks and tips for freezing cookie dough and baked cookies for Future You to enjoy!

    Smooth balls of tan colored dough on a baking sheet

    I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I’ve ever complained about having too many cookies. Okay, fine, maybe in a joking way – but I certainly didn’t mean it.

    As far as I’m concerned, the kindest thing you can do for Future You is to make a whole bunch of cookie dough and freeze it so you always have some options ready to go.

    Future You will thank you when they can just pop a few balls of dough in the oven and be snackin’ without any effort.

    Why should I freeze cookie dough?

    There are lots of reasons you may want to freeze your freshly prepared cookie dough:

    • You simply made too many to eat before they’d get stale
    • You live alone and want some portion control so you can just bake one at a time when a craving hits
    • You’re a hostess with the most-ess and always like to have treats for impromptu guests and special occasions
    • You’re preparing for the holidays and want to cut back some of the chaos ahead of time
    • You want to prepare a treat for Future You because you’re a gem of a human like that

    What kind of cookie dough can I freeze?

    I find that drop cookies, slice and bake “icebox” cookies and cookie cutter cookie dough freeze very well.

    You’ll want to avoid any kinds of cookies that rely on egg whites and are low on butter and fat. Some examples of that would be meringues and macarons – they’re simply too delicate to handle the process of being frozen.

    Chocolate chip cookie dough balls on a baking sheet
    A stack of chocolate chip cookies on a small white plate

    How to freeze cookie dough

    This is the process I follow to freeze the cookie dough for drop cookies like chocolate chip, oatmeal, or other chunky varieties – for more specific instructions based on other different types of cookies, scroll down!

    1. First things first, you need to ensure you have a baking sheet or similar freezer-safe baking dish that will fit in your freezer. Prepare it with a piece of parchment paper.
    2. After you’ve prepared your cookie dough, grab a cookie scoop (aff link) and portion your dough into uniformly-sized balls on your prepared baking sheet.
    3. Roll each ball between the palms of your hands to ensure the dough is packed together and the shape is smooth. No need to worry about spacing them out like you normally would, because you’re not baking them and they won’t be spreading!
    4. Cover the sheet and cookies with a layer of plastic wrap (optional, but encouraged) and pop it in the freezer for at least 1 hour or as long as it takes to allow the dough to get firm and frozen solid.
    5. Transfer the frozen dough balls to a freezer-safe bag or other airtight container and label it with the date that you prepared it, along with the baking temperature and bake time so that Future You knows what to do with them. Store in the freezer.

    That’s it, my friends! Now you have prepared cookie dough just ready and waiting for Future You.

    Here are some examples of drop cookies you could freeze following this process:

    • No Chill Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • Easy, One Bowl Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • Chewy Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

    Why do you freeze the cookie dough twice?

    We do the first freeze of the freshly prepared cookie dough to allow them to firm up and become frozen solid. If we skipped this step, the dough balls would stick to each other inside the storage container and Future You would not be happy about trying to separate globs of frozen cookie dough.

    How to freeze cookie dough rolled in sugar

    If you’re preparing cookies like snickerdoodles that are rolled in cinnamon sugar, or ginger molasses cookies rolled in sparkling sugar, just hold off on the coating until you’re ready to bake.

    Freeze the cookie dough without the topping, and when you’re ready to bake, let your cookie dough thaw in the fridge or come to room temperature and then roll it in the topping and bake.

    Chewy Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookie dough balls on a plate

    How to freeze cookie dough logs (slice and bake cookies)

    1. Prepare your dough as instructed, then turn the dough out onto a clean surface.
    2. Roll the dough into a log about 2″ in diameter.
    3. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and place into a freezer-safe bag or other freezer-safe container.
    4. Label it with the date that you prepared it, along with the baking temperature and bake time so that Future You knows what to do with them.

    Helpful tip for storage: Slice a cardboard paper towel tube lengthwise down one side and wrap it around your dough to help it hold it’s shape while it’s being stored. This works even better if you’ve divide your dough into two portions and use two paper towel rolls, because then they each fit inside the rolls completely.

    Here is an example of slice and bake cookies you could freeze following this process:

    • Chocolate Chunk Espresso Slice and Bake Cookies
    Chocolate Chunk Espresso Slice and Bake Cookies

    How to freeze cookie cutter cookie dough

    1. Prepare your dough as instructed, then turn the dough out onto a clean surface.
    2. You have a couple different options at this point – you can freeze the dough as a disc, or in a ball:
      1. Disc: Roll the dough out into a disc to around ¼″ thick (or whatever thickness your recipe calls for) and wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and place into a freezer-safe bag or other freezer-safe container.
      2. Ball: Roll the ball into one big ball, then wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and place into a freezer-safe bag or other freezer-safe container.
    3. Label it with the date that you prepared it, along with the baking temperature and bake time so that Future You knows what to do with them and store in the freezer.

    Thaw before using: Whether you chose to store the dough as a disc so that it’s ready to be cookie cutter-ed, or as a ball that still needs to be rolled out, you’ll want to place the dough in the fridge to thaw overnight before using it.

    Here are some examples of cookie cutter cookies you could freeze following this process:

    • No Chill Sugar Cookie Cutouts
    • Maple Sugar Cookies (No Chill Cookie Cutter)
    • Chocolate Sugar Cookie Cut-Outs
    Four photo collage showing the process of rolling out dough

    How to bake frozen cookie dough

    I know plenty of people bake their cookies straight from the freezer and just add a couple minutes to the bake time that was indicated in the recipe.

    But in my experience, if I bake cookies straight from the freezer the edges bake faster than the middle, and they’ll bake unevenly. Kinda like a Hot Pocket that’s piping hot on the outside and still frozen in the middle – no thank you, please!

    Personally, I like to let the dough come to room temperature before baking. If I’m really planning ahead, I’ll place the dough in the fridge to let it thaw out and then bake it straight from the fridge.

    That said… if I am going to bake my cookies straight from the freezer, I will lower the temperature about 25 degrees lower than what the recipe instructions call for and add a few minutes to the bake time.

    This bakes them in sort of a “low and slow” technique and helps prevent that Hot Pocket situation.

    A stack of red velvet cookies on a white plate broken in half to show the sift middles

    How long can you freeze cookie dough?

    Generally speaking, cookie dough can be frozen for up to 3 months.

    I’m not going to lie to you and say that’s a hard deadline – I have most definitely kept some longer than that and everything has turned out A-OK. But as a guideline, 3 months is a good rule of thumb.

    Does freezing cookie dough change the taste?

    In my opinion, no! But generally speaking, the colder the dough is when you put them in the oven, the thicker and softer the cookies are going to be.

    Keep in mind, if the cookie dough is not tightly wrapped and stored properly it could absorb odors or become freezer-burned. No one wants a sugar cookie that tastes vaguely like a frost-bitten mozzarella stick.

    Can I freeze baked cookies?

    You can! But you’ll want to avoid freezing decorated or iced cookies – save that for after they’re thawed.

    After your baked cookies have cooled completely (I mean it – completely):

    1. You’ll do the same thing you’d do with the cookie dough balls – place them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid so they don’t stick together when stored.
    2. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container, and add parchment paper between each layer of cookies. I prefer using a tupperware container for storing baked cookies so ensure they don’t get misshapen and crushed.
    3. Freeze up to 1 month, and thaw overnight in the fridge or on the counter to room temperature before eating.
    Pile of crinkly brownie cookies on a white surface
    Overhead shot of oatmeal M&M cookies in a white bowl

    I hope this helps! Are there any questions about this topic that I didn’t answer? Let me know in the comments below.

    Smooth balls of tan colored dough on a baking sheet

    How To Freeze Cookie Dough

    Be the first to rate this recipe!
    Learn the best ways to freeze cookie dough for different kinds of cookies, which cookie doughs you should avoid freezing, and all my favorite tricks and tips for freezing cookie dough and baked cookies for Future You to enjoy!
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Total Time 15 minutes

    Recommended Equipment

    • Baking sheets
    • Parchment paper
    • Cookie scoops
    • Freezer-safe storage bag

    Instructions
     

    Freezing drop cookies

    • First things first, you need to ensure you have a baking sheet or similar freezer-safe baking dish that will fit in your freezer. Prepare it with a piece of parchment paper.
    • After you’ve prepared your cookie dough, grab a cookie scoop and portion your dough into uniformly-sized balls on your prepared baking sheet.
    • Roll each ball between the palms of your hands to ensure the dough is packed together and the shape is smooth. No need to worry about spacing them out like you normally would, because you’re not baking them and they won’t be spreading!
    • Cover the sheet and cookies with a layer of plastic wrap (optional, but encouraged) and pop it in the freezer for at least 1 hour or as long as it takes to allow the dough to get firm and frozen solid.
    • Transfer the frozen dough balls to a freezer-safe bag or other airtight container and label it with the date that you prepared it, along with the baking temperature and bake time so that Future You knows what to do with them. Store in the freezer.

    Freezing slice and bake cookie logs

    • Prepare your dough as instructed, then turn the dough out onto a clean surface.
    • Roll the dough into a log about 2″ in diameter.
    • Wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and place into a freezer-safe bag or other freezer-safe container. Label it with the date that you prepared it, along with the baking temperature and bake time so that Future You knows what to do with them.
    • Helpful tip for storage: Slice a cardboard paper towel tube lengthwise down one side and wrap it around your dough to help it hold it’s shape while it’s being stored. This works even better if you’ve divide your dough into two portions and use two paper towel rolls, because then they each fit inside the rolls completely.

    Freezing cookie cutter cookies

    • Prepare your dough as instructed, then turn the dough out onto a clean surface.
    • You have a couple different options at this point – you can freeze the dough as a disc, or in a ball:
    • Disc: Roll the dough out into a disc to around ¼″ thick (or whatever thickness your recipe calls for) and wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and place into a freezer-safe bag or other freezer-safe container.
      Ball: Roll the ball into one big ball, then wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and place into a freezer-safe bag or other freezer-safe container.
    • Label it with the date that you prepared it, along with the baking temperature and bake time so that Future You knows what to do with them and store in the freezer.
    • Thaw before using: Whether you chose to store the dough as a disc so that it’s ready to be cookie cutter-ed, or as a ball that still needs to be rolled out, you’ll want to place the dough in the fridge to thaw overnight before using it.

    Baking frozen cookie dough

    • Personally, I like to let the dough come to room temperature before baking. If you're planning ahead, place the dough in the fridge to let it thaw out and then bake it straight from the fridge as the recipe instructs.
    • To bake cookies straight from the freezer, lower the temperature about 25 degrees lower than what the recipe instructions call for and add a few minutes to the bake time.

    Freezing baked cookies

    • You’ll do the same thing you’d do with the cookie dough balls – place them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid so they don’t stick together when stored.
    • Transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container, and add parchment paper between each layer of cookies. I prefer using a tupperware container for storing baked cookies so ensure they don’t get misshapen and crushed.
    • Freeze up to 1 month, and thaw overnight in the fridge or on the counter to room temperature before eating.

    Notes

    Storage: Generally speaking, cookie dough can be frozen for up to 3 months. Keep in mind, if the cookie dough is not tightly wrapped and stored properly it could absorb odors or become freezer-burned. No one wants a sugar cookie that tastes vaguely like a frost-bitten mozzarella stick.
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Author Leslie Kiszka
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating!

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    About Leslie

    I'm the hot mess behind every recipe you see here! I use baking as an outlet for relieving stress and anxiety to provide you with approachable homemade recipes and a little humor, for good measure.

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    1. Russ Haasch

      November 13, 2022 at 8:14 am

      5 stars
      This is really excellent information, with lots of great tips and advice, and I like how you identify the pros and cons of varying from your recommended procedures. Nicely done!

      Reply
      • Leslie Kiszka

        November 13, 2022 at 8:28 am

        So glad you find the information helpful!

        Reply

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