Storing homemade cookie dough in your freezer to bake off later is LIFE-CHANGING! You'll thank your future self when your next dessert craving hits.
This post will teach you all of the tips and tricks on how to freeze cookie dough and bake cookies from frozen dough. Get perfectly baked cookies every time with this helpful guide!
Nothing beats a freshly baked cookie and now you can enjoy a warm chocolate chip cookie or snickerdoodle whenever you want - without having to get out your mixer and loads of ingredients!
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I am a firm believer that everyone needs to have a stash of emergency cookie dough tucked away in their freezer for last-minute cravings. Freezing cookie dough comes in handy when you're too tired to make cookies from scratch, you have an unexpected guest stop over, or you need to bring a dessert to a gathering ASAP.
My journey with freezing cookie dough started when I kept making this eggless chocolate chip cookie recipe and the cookies would get eaten up so fast that I blinked and it was magically time to make more again.
Freezing cookie dough is also a great way to reduce food waste if you live alone or are a household of two. I often bake a few cookies from my freezer stash for me and my boyfriend to enjoy after dinner or a date night.
If I have more time on my hands or I'm feeling ambitious, I'll make a few batches of different cookie dough flavors in one day so I can get the hard part out of the way and save time in the kitchen in the long run.
If you have a larger family or kids or you're prepping for holiday baking (I see you Christmas cookie trays!), you can also choose one or two flavors and make double batches of these instead of making a single batch for several varieties of dough. Doubling up your cookie dough recipes is another good time-saving hack when it comes to baking because you already have all of your ingredients out in the kitchen, so why not tackle your baking all in one go?
Can You Freeze Cookie Dough?
Freezing cookie dough is easy peasy and almost impossible to mess up. The trick is to make sure your cookie dough balls are not touching when you put them in the freezer so they don't freeze together.
How To Freeze Cookie Dough
There are two easy methods you can follow when freezing cookie dough:
Flash freeze on a tray
- Scoop your cookie dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, plate or serving dish that easily fits into your freezer. Make sure the cookie dough balls are not touching.
- Pop your tray into the freezer for a few hours or until they are firm to the touch. Once frozen, transfer to a plastic storage bag (such as a Ziplock bag or reusable silicone bag like a Stasher bag).
- This method ensures your cookie dough balls will not stick together.
Marley's "lazy" method
- Sometimes you just cannot be bothered to follow all of the extra steps in a recipe and that's okay! When I don't feel like following the flash freeze method, I will simply arrange the cookie dough balls into a Ziplock freezer bag and make sure there is some space between each one.
- Then, I carefully lay the (open) plastic bag flat in the freezer and make sure each cookie dough ball is separated if any of them have moved around in the transition. Once separated and secure, I will seal the plastic bag. Voilà!
How To Prevent Freezer Burn
The key to avoiding freezer burn on your cookie dough or frozen cookies is to store them in a well-sealed container or freezer bag. The goal is to keep the air out so they stay fresher for longer!
You can also wrap baked cookies in plastic wrap and store them in a second container or bag to protect them from freezer burn.
How To Bake Cookies From Frozen Dough
Should you adjust the baking time and temperature for frozen dough?
How To Thaw Frozen Cookie Dough
Transfer the frozen cookie dough balls to the refrigerator the day before to ensure they are fully thawed before baking. Bake thawed cookie dough balls according to the traditional directions.
Alternatively, place them in the fridge a few hours before baking so they are partially or mostly thawed before baking. You may need to bake the cookies for another minute or two if the dough is still slightly frozen.
Either one of these options is a great way to thaw frozen cookie dough!
This method can also work for frozen cookie dough logs for slice-and-bake cookies. Be sure the dough is thawed enough to cut with a knife easily.
How To Freeze Baked Cookies
How To Thaw or Defrost Frozen Baked Cookies
If you freeze baked cookies to thaw and enjoy for later, let them sit at room temperature to defrost before taking a bite.
How To Reheat Frozen Cookies
Yay! Now, you have thawed fresh cookies that are ready to eat. But, how should you reheat them? Once the defrosted cookies are near room temperature, you can pop them into the oven for a few minutes or the microwave for a few short seconds to reheat!
Be careful not to overbake when reheating to maintain a delicious soft cookie texture.
Expert Tip:
- Label your storage bags or freezer containers with the name of the cookie dough recipe and the date you made the dough. This will help you keep track of what types of cookie dough you have on hand and how long they will stay good.
Frequently Asked Questions
Raw cookie dough will last up to 2 months in the freezer. For best results, keep the cookie dough in a tightly sealed container or bag and bake off within 2 months after freezing.
It takes a few hours to thaw frozen cookie dough. Transfer the dough to the fridge the day or night before you plan to use it if you want the dough to be fully thawed.
Bake frozen cookie dough balls at the same oven temperature that the recipe calls for. You may need to bake the cookies for a few extra minutes since they are baked from frozen.
Follow the instructions in your recipe and slightly increase the bake time if needed.
Yes! Unlike meat, you can safely refreeze baked goods like cookies, breads, and other bakery items. Be sure to properly wrap your cookies in plastic wrap or use a freezer bag to avoid freezer burn.
Eating raw cookie dough that contains eggs or raw flour is not recommended for food safety concerns. However, if you heat treat your flour before making the cookie dough and you follow an eggless recipe, eating raw cookie dough that has been frozen should not be an issue.
My Favorite Cookie Recipes to Freeze
As mentioned earlier, I bake and freeze my egg-free chocolate chip cookies the most frequently. But here are some of my other go-to cookie doughs to make ahead of time that also freeze well:
- Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Egg Free Snickerdoodles
- White Chocolate Matcha Cookies
- Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Sprinkle Sugar Cookie Recipe
- Salted Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies
- Double Chocolate Andes Mint Cookies
- Egg-Free Chocolate Cookies
Recipe
How To Freeze Cookie Dough and Bake From Frozen
This how-to guide will teach you how to freeze cookie dough and bake cookies from frozen dough. Get perfectly baked cookies every time with these expert baking tips and tricks!
- Prep Time: 15
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Category: How To
- Method: Baking
Ingredients
- 1 batch of cookie dough of your choice
Instructions
HOW TO FREEZE COOKIE DOUGH
- Make the cookie dough according to your recipe. Scoop the cookie dough onto a lined baking sheet.
- Flash-freeze the cookie dough balls on the tray for one hour or until solid before transferring them to an airtight container or freezer storage bag.
- Place the container or bag into the freezer and store for up to 2 months.
HOW TO BAKE COOKIES FROM FROZEN DOUGH
- Transfer frozen cookie dough balls to the refrigerator the day or night before baking to thaw fully. Alternatively, transfer the frozen dough to the fridge a few hours before baking to partially thaw.
- Bake fully thawed cookie dough according to your recipe. No changes are needed. Bake partially thawed cookie dough according to your recipe, possibly adding a few extra minutes of baking time if necessary.
Notes
- See the blog post for more tips and detailed instructions.
Katie
This post has soooo many helpful tips for a beginner baker like me! Thank YOU!!! Can't wait to freeze some of your eggless chocolate chip cookie dough.