Learn how to freeze cookie dough for later. It’s so easy, and one of my favorite ways to get your cookie fix whenever the craving hits!

rounds of chocolate chip cookie dough in a ziplock bag, with some on the side

Stashes of cookie dough in the freezer are my secret weapon for easy entertaining or satisfying a craving. It’s so convenient to be able to pull out a few balls of cookie dough at a time to bake when you like!

It also solves the problem of what do I do with a whole batch of baked cookies? and it saves me from eating them all. I bake off one sheet pan and freeze the rest for freshly baked cookies later.

So what’s the best way to freeze cookie dough? Come find out!

bowl of chocolate chip cookie dough, and a scoop full

How to freeze cookie dough

1. Prepare cookie dough. Follow the instructions on the recipe.

2. Portion. Use a cookie scoop or spoon to portion the dough. Roll into a ball, if you like.

3. Do a quick freeze. Place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or wax paper, making sure that they aren’t touching. Place sheet pan in the freezer for 30-60 minutes.

Note: Freezing cookie dough balls individually before sticking them in a bag or plastic container prevents them from sticking together, which makes it easy to pick out just a few balls at a time to bake as you like.

4. Transfer to plastic bag or container. Remove cookie dough balls from the sheet pan and place in a zipped bag or plastic container.

5. Freeze for a month or more. The cookie dough will keep for even longer, but I’ve found that cookies taste their best when baked within a few weeks of preparing.

rounds of chocolate chip cookie dough on a sheet pan

Bake as you like!

When ready to bake, grab as many cookies as you like from the freezer— the whole batch, or maybe just a few.

You can bake straight from the freezer of let cookie dough balls thaw a little while you preheat the oven. Bake as directed in the original recipe, adding 1-3 minutes of baking time as needed.

Cookie doughs you’ll most often find in my freezer

These are the recipes I have stashed in my freezer most often for on-demand cookie baking:

rounds of chocolate chip cookie dough in a ziplock bag

My favorite cookie tools


This post was originally published March 2014.