Cookie dough freezes superbly, and this can be a nice method to plan forward for the vacation baking season, or so you’ll be able to have heat, contemporary cookies each time that craving hits. Study the best way to freeze cookie dough from this complete submit, which features a video tutorial. I’ll present you the perfect methods to freeze several types of cookie dough, from drop cookies to cut-out cookies to slice-and-bake model.
I additionally embrace directions for freezing baked cookies, in addition to cookie bars.
Have you ever ever made cookie dough simply to freeze it for later? Or freeze some cookie dough as a substitute of baking the entire batch? I do each on a regular basis, particularly with these chocolate chip cookies.
It’s so handy to have a stash of ready-to-bake do-it-yourself cookie dough available, in case you end up in want of a fast dessert on the final minute. Perhaps new neighbors simply moved in, a good friend had a child, otherwise you forgot in regards to the college bake sale till the morning of… frozen cookie dough involves the rescue.
Make the dough when you’ve got the time, and easily bake the cookies if you don’t!
This submit is a part of my Baking Ideas class. Through the years, I’ve revealed dozens of articles and movies that aren’t solely recipes, however baking success ideas that will help you achieve confidence within the kitchen.
4 Causes Why You Ought to Freeze Cookie Dough
- Cookie dough freezes properly for as much as 3 months, so it’s an effective way to get forward for the vacations or different busy instances.
- For drop cookies, you don’t want to attend for the dough to thaw—bake from frozen.
- You don’t must bake the entire batch directly—you’ll be able to bake simply 1 or 2 if you’re craving a freshly baked, heat cookie.
- Having a stash of cookie dough within the freezer means you’re all the time ready for a dessert emergency. 😉
At present I’m sharing with you my finest ideas for the best way to freeze, thaw, and bake cookie dough. Doesn’t sound revolutionary, however you received’t imagine the confusion and errors one could make in the case of freezing and baking cookie dough. I initially revealed this submit again in 2015, and have realized just a few extra tips since. Glad to share them right this moment, together with a brand new video tutorial.
Freeze Cookie Dough: Video Tutorial
Provides You Want:
- Freezer-friendly containers or zip-top baggage (I exploit and love these containers)
- Everlasting marker
- Plastic wrap if making cut-out or slice-and-bake dough
- Labels or masking tape
Freeze & Bake Drop Cookie Dough
“Drop cookies” refers to cookie doughs that you just scoop and drop onto the baking sheet, like oatmeal raisin cookies. I embrace dough that you just roll into balls on this class, as a result of it, too, requires little or no shaping—like double chocolate chip cookies and cake batter chocolate chip cookies.
Drop-style cookies take just a few further steps earlier than freezing, however it’s price it as a result of the cookie dough can go straight from the freezer to the preheated oven for a deal with that’s prepared in about 10–quarter-hour. Right here’s the best way to do it:
- Chill the dough: If the cookie recipe you’re utilizing says to sit back the dough earlier than scooping and rolling, you continue to must take that step.
- Form the cookies: After the cookie dough has chilled within the fridge, scoop and roll the cookie dough into balls (or form into tall columns, like I like to recommend for these chewy chocolate chip cookies). Place them on a lined baking sheet or plate, ensuring to maintain them from touching one another.
- Chill the cookie dough balls: Cowl the tray or plate and place within the fridge for 1 hour. This may set the cookie dough balls’ form, and forestall them from sticking collectively within the freezer container.
- Switch the cookie dough balls to a container or bag: Place the chilly cookie dough balls right into a freezer-friendly container. It’s OK in the event that they’re touching one another now (because the form has set).
- Label the bag or container with the recipe title, the date, baking temperature, and bake time (add an additional minute or two if baking from frozen), and place within the freezer.
- Freeze cookie dough for as much as 3 months: Labeling with the date will assist you decide by when the cookie dough needs to be baked.
- Bake the cookies: Once you’re able to bake, preheat the oven. Place the frozen cookie dough balls on a lined baking sheet, per your recipe’s directions. Add an additional minute or two to the bake time, as a result of the dough is frozen.
In pictures: Make and refrigerate the dough, if the recipe requires chilling the cookie dough. Then form into balls per your recipe’s directions. Refrigerate the formed dough balls to set their form:
Then place right into a labeled bag, and freeze for as much as 3 months:
Freezing Cookie Dough Coated in Sugar or Cinnamon-Sugar
For drop cookies rolled in a coating like sugar—akin to snickerdoodles, peanut butter blossoms, or chocolate crinkles—it’s finest to freeze the cookie dough balls with out the coating.
Why? I discover the coating tends to soften and disappear through the freezing and thawing course of, so it’s finest to roll the cookies within the coating simply earlier than baking.
Comply with the identical steps as above, besides if you end up able to bake the cookies, take away the cookie dough balls from the freezer and let sit out at room temperature for about half-hour. Allow them to thaw just a bit bit in order that the coating will stick. After half-hour, roll the dough balls into the sugar or no matter coating your recipe requires. No must bake for an additional minute or two right here, as a result of the cookies could have defrosted barely.
Freeze Reduce-Out Cookie Dough (Like Sugar Cookies)
For cut-out cookie dough that must be rolled out earlier than reducing into shapes with cookie cutters, like sugar cookies or gingerbread cookies, the method is a little bit totally different. Right here’s the best way to do it:
- Divide the dough in half: After you’ve made your dough, divide it in half. Smaller items are merely simpler to work with.
- Flatten every half right into a disc about 1 inch thick. I do the identical factor once I make and freeze pie dough.
- Wrap and label: Tightly wrap every disc of dough in plastic wrap, and label with the recipe title and date. I simply use a chunk of tape as a label, nothing fancy.
- Freeze cookie dough for as much as 3 months.
- Thaw the dough: Switch the wrapped disc or discs of cookie dough to the fridge the day earlier than you plan to bake the cookies, and let it thaw within the fridge in a single day.
- Roll out the chilly thawed dough, lower into shapes, and bake in keeping with your recipe’s directions.
Freezing this dough is useful if you happen to’re planning to host a cookie adorning day.
Freeze Icebox or Slice-and-Bake Cookie Dough
Icebox cookies, also called slice-and-bake cookies—like these sprinkle slice’n’bake cookies and cranberry orange icebox cookies—are just like cut-out cookie dough in that they’re fast to prep to freeze, however then want a little bit thaw time earlier than you’ll be able to slice and bake them. Right here’s what to do:
- Divide the dough in half: Identical to with the cut-out cookie dough, this makes the dough extra manageable.
- Roll into logs: Roll every half right into a log form, per your recipe’s directions.
- Roll logs into coating: In case your recipe requires rolling the cookie dough logs right into a coating like coarse sugar or sprinkles, you’ll be able to go forward and try this now.
- Wrap and label: Tightly wrap every log in plastic wrap, and label with the title and date.
- Freeze cookie dough for as much as 3 months.
- Thaw the dough: Switch the wrapped log or logs of cookie dough to the fridge the day earlier than, or a minimum of a few hours earlier than you plan to bake the cookies.
- Slice and bake: As soon as the dough has thawed sufficient so that you can lower with a knife, slice the cookies and bake in keeping with your recipe’s directions.
This can be a nice query. If the cookie dough is especially sticky, it could be troublesome to roll into balls AND additionally roll into balls that received’t stick collectively within the freezer. I all the time recommend chilling in case your cookie dough recipe requires it, after which scooping and rolling into balls to freeze.
Need to make M&M cookie bars and even chocolate chip cookie cake? You may freeze that dough, too. Put together the cookie dough in keeping with the recipe’s directions. Refrigerate the dough for about half-hour, after which wrap the chilly dough tightly in plastic wrap and add a label with the title of the recipe and the date. Freeze for as much as 3 months. Thaw in a single day within the fridge, after which press the dough into the baking dish and bake per the recipe’s directions.
Delicate cookie doughs/batters don’t maintain up properly within the freezer. For instance, I keep away from freezing French macarons batter, madeleine batter, lace cookies batter, and chocolate-swirled meringue batter. Even if you happen to let the doughs/batter thaw first, the outcomes is not going to be the identical. See every particular person recipe for detailed make-ahead directions.
Freezing Baked Cookies & Bars
As a substitute of freezing cookie dough, you’ll be able to freeze baked cookies like almond biscotti, spritz cookies, and sugar cookies (earlier than adorning).
After your baked cookies have cooled fully:
- Place them on a baking sheet and freeze till stable (this fashion they received’t stick to one another within the freezer).
- Then, layer in a freezer container with parchment between every layer, or fastidiously place in zip-top baggage. Label the container if desired.
- Freeze as much as 3 months.
- Thaw the cookies (nonetheless coated) within the fridge, or at room temperature.
You too can freeze baked bar cookies like peanut butter blondies or do-it-yourself brownies. Cool them fully, lower into squares, then layer between sheets of parchment paper in a freezer container or zip-top bag. Once more, freeze for as much as 3 months.
I hope all of this helps. As all the time, let my crew and me know in case you have any questions. Listed below are all my cookie recipes. I normally observe freezing directions in every recipe as properly—all the time test the Notes part of the recipe card.