About two months ago, my oldest daughter walked in the door from school with a cookie dough fundraiser sheet in hand, begging me to buy some dough from her. Now, I'm all for helping out with school fundraisers, but I'll take a homemade cookie over store bought cookies or dough any day.
But she was insistent, and I finally told her that if she scored a goal at soccer that weekend, I'd order a tray...
I should preface this by saying that, though she was the leading goal scorer on her team, her coach had recently moved her from forward to defender, so I figured the chances of her scoring were pretty slim. Of course, she decided to show us all and scored not one but two goals from defense during the game! So I quickly found myself in the possession of two trays of fundraiser frozen cookie dough, sigh.
And you know what? The cookies were decent — nothing special, but still a very convenient, portion-controlled treat. But then as I was baking a small batch one evening, I started reading the package a little more closely. I actually had to read it twice because I thought I'd misread it, but nope...
It said that the dough could be left out at room temperature for THREE WEEKS!
Um, what?!? How is that even possible? Totally grossed out, I tossed the rest of the dough in the trash, and started doing a little research.
Can You Freeze Cookie Dough?
So if you've ever wondered, "Can you freeze cookie dough?" — the answer is yes! Most cookie dough can be frozen for up to three months when properly wrapped and sealed. The exceptions would be cake-like cookies and cookies with a very liquid batter (like my pizzelles recipe).
Having frozen cookie dough on hand is perfect for when last-minute guests drop by. Or how about baking up a small tray of cookies as an after school snack on a cold, wintery day?
Frozen cookie dough also makes a welcome gift — think Christmas, housewarmings, hostess, etc. Just place the frozen portions in a cute tin or plastic storage container and label with the baking instructions! I used some of the Rubbermaid Takealongs storage containers that I picked up at Walmart for Thanksgiving leftovers a few weeks ago.
How To Freeze Cookie Dough
Whether you're making a whole batch of cookie dough for the sole purpose of freezing it or just freezing a portion of dough instead of baking a whole batch of cookies at once, the freezing process stays the same. You're simply pre-portioning out the dough and freezing it for baking at a later date.
The cookie dough pictured is the original Nestle Toll House cookies recipe, with a slight twist... I like to add a cup of chopped toasted walnuts to the dough for extra crunch and flavor.
How To Freeze Cookie Dough
Helpful Equipment
Supplies
Instructions
Freezing cookie dough:
- Portion out the cookie dough using a medium cookie scoop onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. It's okay to place them very close together, but the portions shouldn't be touching.
- Place the baking sheet in the freezer for at least 6 hours, until the dough portions are solid.
- Transfer the frozen cookie dough to a Ziploc bag or plastic container, placing pieces of waxed paper in between the layers. Label and store in the freezer for up to three months.
Baking frozen cookie dough:
- Remove the frozen cookie dough to Silpat or parchment paper-lined baking sheets while your oven is preheating to the usual baking temperature.
- Bake as directed, adding an additional 2-3 minutes to the total baking time.
More Cookie Doughs That Freeze Well
- Peanut Butter Cookies — light textured with a bit of crunch, thanks to my special ingredients, honey and extra crunchy peanut butter!
- Cherry Toasted Almond Oatmeal Cookies — a delicious variation on my grandma's classic oatmeal cookie recipe!
- Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies — if you're planning to make cut-outs with this recipe, I'd recommend forming the dough into a disc, wrapping it in plastic wrap, and freezing it that way. Otherwise, portion out the dough, roll in sugar and freeze!
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies — refrigerate the dough before portioning so it firms up, portion, and freeze — wait to roll the portions in the powdered sugar until right before baking. These are my fave!
Have you ever tried freezing cookie dough?
Judy says
Thanks for this information. I have never tried to freeze cookie dough but I sure will be doing it next year. I spend an entire weekend just mixing the different types of cookie dough. Then, I spend many evenings baking them. By the time Christmas is here I am sick of looking at cookies. It will be really helpful if I make the dough ahead of time and freeze it. Baking cookies should be fun not overwhelming.