How to Freeze Cookie Dough
Here’s how to freeze cookie dough for later. It’s so easy, and cookie dough in the freezer is one of my favorite hacks for fresh cookies anytime I want!
Need a treat to take to an event? Having friends over and don’t have time to make and bake dessert? Want a quick treat for movie night? Frozen cookie dough in the freezer is your secret weapon! It’s so convenient to be able to pull out cookie dough and bake fresh cookies whenever you need or want.
It also solves the problem of what do I do with a whole batch of baked cookies? When we make cookies at home, I usually bake off one sheet pan of cookies to enjoy immediately and then freeze the rest of the dough for freshly baked cookies later.
Table of Contents
- The best way to freeze cookie dough
- Bake cookies whenever you want!
- How to freeze baked cookies
- Cookie doughs you'll most often find in my freezer
The best way to freeze cookie dough
- Prepare cookie dough. Follow the instructions on the recipe.
- Portion into dough balls. Use a cookie scoop or spoon to portion the dough. Roll into a ball, if you like.
- Do a quick freeze. Place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or wax paper and freeze for 30-60 minutes. (This ensures they’re frozen individually and not as a big mass all together, so you can pull out just what you need!)
- Transfer cookie dough to zip-top bag or container. I prefer heavy-duty freezer ziplock bags. Remove as much air as you can to prevent freezer burn, and consider adding a label or write the date on the bag.
- Freeze for a month (or more). The cookie dough will keep for up to 3 months, but I’ve found that cookies taste their best when baked within about a month.
Bake cookies whenever you want!
When ready to bake, grab as many cookies as you like from the freezer— the whole batch, or maybe just a few. Let cookie dough balls thaw on a baking sheet pan while you preheat the oven. Bake as directed in the original recipe’s instructions, adding an extra minute or two of baking time if needed.
How to freeze baked cookies
Most baked cookies also freeze very well! Cool them completely, then package in a ziploc bag, pushing out as much air as possible to prevent freezer burn. Store them in the freezer flat (placing them inside a pan or container to protect them from getting squashed, if you want). Enjoy straight from the freezer anytime, or let them thaw at room temperature for about an hour.
Cookie doughs you’ll most often find in my freezer
These are the cookie recipes I have stashed in my freezer most often for on-demand cookie baking:
- Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Buttery Shortbread Cookies
- Soft and Chewy Chocolate Cookies
- Chewy Gingersnaps
- Brown Butter Snickerdoodles
This post was originally published March 2014.
These are great tips and reminders! Definitely will be making some cookies and freezing them ahead of time.
Loving this tip! It will be a lifesaver. =)
Thanks for this tip! When I freeze cookie dough I try to remember to write the baking time and temp on the outside of the container/bag…so I don’t have to dig out the recipe when I’m ready to bake.
Great suggestion, thanks for the comment!
Do you find that some cookie dough freezes better than others? I freeze mine quite often, but the last few recipes spread into thin blobs on my cookie sheet after cooking them from frozen. It was weird and they were ugly… I believe one was an oatmeal cookie of some sort and the other was a chocolate cookie with mint chocolate chips… thanks!
I really need to start doing this!! My high school boyfriends mom used to do this all the time and everyone always loved to come to their house because she would always through a tray of snickerdoodles in the oven when they had a group over!
I have been doing this for awhile! I also have zero space in my freezer but have found that leaving the balls in the fridge does the trick as well. I let the balls harden in the fridge then pop them in freezer bags for the freezer. Works great! And so easy to make any size batch. LOVE cookie dough!
Great suggestion, thanks for sharing!
we actually do this with homemade gnocchi and I see how this could work well for cookies Will have to give it a try thank you !!
This is one of those times where I wonder why I’ve never thought to do this!!
I do this all the time! Unfortunately the dough balls vary rarely make it to the oven… Love frozen cookie dough. 🙂
This is an awesome trick. I do this every year a few days before my family Christmas party so it’s one less thing to mess with that morning before everyone comes over. Just whip out the freezer bag, heat the oven and voila! Fresh cookies for everyone! Also, as an unrepentant cookie dough eater, the frozen dough balls are a fantastic treat, too.
Yes, such a great time saver for the holidays! I’m a big cookie dough eater too, thankfully I eat less from the freezer than I do from the fridge. Refrigerated dough won’t last a day if I’m around! 🙂
Great tip!! I really need to start keeping cookie handy more often!
WE love to freeze cookie dough in our house. You never know when you are going to crave some cookies.
Annalise,
Great tips. I have done this but usually extra cookie dough gets eaten raw in my house.
Annamaria
I have a hard time storing it for too long either, it’s just too yummy!
What a fantastic idea I have seen it frozen in logs before but never like this. Thanks for the tips.
What a wonderful and practical idea, except that my freezer is a minute section of my refrigerator and there would definitely be no space for a sheet pan to fit in!
Try a smaller baking dish, or even a plate. Freeze in batches if you have to! The point of this step is to freeze the outside of the cookie dough balls individually so that they don’t freeze stuck to each other in the bag.