Freezing Cookie Dough Made Easy: Step By Step Guide

How to freeze cookie dough is key to a better life. A freezer containing ready to bake balls of homemade chocolate chip cookie dough is one of life's great joys.

resealable freezer bags containing cookie dough on a marble countertop. — Whatever you're going to freeze, be sure to label it. You won't remember what it contains or when it went into the freezer.

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What Types of Cookie Dough Freeze Best?
Tips for Freezing Already Baked Cookies
How to Thaw Frozen Cookies
Label Your Cookie Freezer Packaging
How Long Can I Freeze Cookie Dough?
How to Bake Frozen Cookie Dough
Best Cookie Dough Storage
What Kind of Cookies Can I Freeze?
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One question I hear all the time is "Can I make cookie dough ahead of time" or "when can I start baking cookies for Christmas?"

Here's the upshot: you can freeze cookie dough or already baked cookies up to three months ahead of time.

Just be sure to seal the cookies or raw dough well.

The easiest way to freeze raw cookie dough is to portion the dough into balls using your cookie scoop or teaspoon.

Put those balls on a rimmed baking sheet and flash freeze them until frozen.

Wrap the balls once in wax paper or plastic wrap. Tuck that package in a freezer container or a freezer safe bag.

rows of chocolate chip cookie dough balls on baking sheet. — This photo is for fun only. These balls of chocolate chip cookie dough are spaced way too close together for baking. You want to leave at least 1.5 inches to two inches between each cookie unless the recipe specifies otherwise. These balls of cookie dough were portioned with a #40 cookie scoop.

Most all cookie doughs freeze well.

You can also freeze lemon bars.

The best cookies to freeze are drop cookies, shortbread cookie dough and cut-outs.

Drop cookies are doughs that you form into balls and then bake like chocolate chips, peanut butter, gingersnaps, sugar cookies.

Shortbread, however, also freezes very well.

And remember the key to successfully freezing cookie dough or baked cookies for that matter is to make sure you double wrap them in wax paper or plastic wrap then put them in a resealable freezer bag or an airtight container.

If you’ve got one of those fancy, put it in and seal it and suck all the air out automatic machines, then by all means use that .

Pizzelles don’t need to be frozen because they last for a long time at room temperature if kept inside a tin with a good fitting lid.

You can also freeze snowballs quite well. Those are also called Mexican wedding cookies. I have a similar recipe on my site for something called Butter Balls that freeze great.

More storage tips for bars and cookies you might find useful include how to freeze lemon bars. You can also find out how to freeze lemon zest.

Tips for Freezing Already Baked Cookies

Freezing dough or freezing already baked cookies is really a matter of personal choice.

You can get great results with both.

Be sure to cool cookies completely before freezing.

Freeze in a base layer of wax paper or plastic wrap. Make sure you have a layer of wax paper or plastic over the top of the cookies to protect them from the air.

Tuck this into a freezer bag or an airtight container.

You could also wrap cookies individually before putting them in freezer containers.

If you’re going to freeze frosted cookies, put them on a cookie sheet and flash freeze them until they’re hard and then package them up.

How to Thaw Frozen Cookies

When ready to defrost, take the package of cookies from the freezer and leave it on your kitchen counter for an hour or two.

Keep the packaging sealed until the cookies have thawed so you don't have moisture or condensation issues with the thawing cookies.

There's no need to put the cookies back in the oven if you've already baked them.

Sticking already baked cookies back in the oven is just going to dry them out.

Mark your containers or freezer safe bags with the name of the dough or cookie and the date the package is going in the freezer.

Use a permanent marker.

Or put a piece of freezer tape on the package and mark the tape.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wrapped up cookie dough and stuck it in the freezer and thought about marking the package and decided 'oh no need, I'll remember.'

Dear friend, I did not remember. I do not remember. And neither will you.

Frozen cookie dough will last for three months without losing quality if well wrapped without losing any quality.

Follow the time and temperature listed in the recipe of the cookie you've made.

Frozen balls of dough are pretty small. You might need to add an extra minute or two to the baking time but that's it.

Set of 3 Snapware containers, lightweight, lots of great reviews.

FreezerWare made by Glad is also a good choice.