Can You Freeze Cookie Dough? Here's How You Can Do This Right

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When you make cookies often, dealing with making all that dough over and over again can be tiring. So, how cool would it be to make more cookie dough in one go and then freeze it? But, can you freeze cookie dough?

If that would work, it would save you lots of time in the long run, which is something we all need more of.

Can You Freeze Cookie Dough?

We have a reader who reached out to us regarding this very issue, so let’s see what message she sent:

I have a cookie recipe that makes several dozen cookies. I can’t eat that many at once. Can you freeze cookie dough?

Yes. Cookie dough freezes extremely well, and doesn’t necessarily need to be thawed to use.

How to Freeze Cookie Dough?

Freezing your cookie dough depends on what type of cookies you’re making.

The simplest way to freeze cookie dough is to roll prepared dough into a log, then wrap completely in plastic wrap.
Double wrapping is recommended to stop freezer burn and to avoid the absorption of odors into the dough.
Label the type of cookie dough and date frozen on the plastic wrap with a permanent marker for easy identification.

For drop cookies such as chocolate chip or peanut butter:

For this type of cookies, it’s best to freeze dough in pre-shaped balls.
Prepare dough and place formed balls of raw dough on a cookie sheet.
Place cookie sheet in the freezer until balls are firm and won’t stick together.
Place frozen cookie dough balls in freezer bags in a single layer.
Close freezer bag until just a small space remains open.
Remove excess air from freezer bags by placing a straw into the almost sealed bag and sucking out the remaining air.
Seal bag completely, label with a permanent marker, and store flat in the freezer to maximize space. When ready to bake, remove bag from freezer.

How Long Can You Freeze Cookie Dough?

Frozen cookie dough is best if used within 4-6 weeks of freezing, but can safely be frozen for up to three months without sacrificing quality.

How to Keep Cookie Dough Longer?

If you want to make sure that your cookie dough will keep for longer, you can go ahead and use a vacuum sealer. These appliances can suck out all the air from the bag or container and create a perfect seal, so that the contents are not affected by oxygen.

We have a cool list of vacuum sealers that you can try out if you want, or we can tell you that our favorite is the one that tops our list, namely the FoodSaver V4840 2-in-1 Vacuum Sealer Machine. This one works with freezer bags and containers of various sizes.

How to Thaw Cookie Dough?

The dough can be thawed in the refrigerator before use, or used from frozen. Allow for an extra few minutes of baking time if using directly from frozen. Bake previously-frozen dough within 24 hours of thawing for best results.

To thaw cookie dough log

When ready to use, simply remove from freezer, unwrap, and slice perfectly round cookies from the frozen dough.
Bake according to recipe instructions, allowing a few extra minutes of baking time if cooking from frozen.
This works great for flat, round cookies like sugar cookies or gingersnaps.

To thaw cookie dough balls

Dough can be thawed in the refrigerator or cookies can be baked from frozen.
Place cookies on a cookie sheet and bake according to recipe instructions, allowing a few extra minutes of baking time if cooking from frozen.

How to Freeze Cookies?

If you’ve already baked the cookies, you can still freeze them to eat later.

To freeze cookies after baking, allow to cool completely.
Consider wrapping each cookie individually before placing in freezer bags or hard containers to keep as fresh as possible.
Frozen cookies will keep for several months in an airtight container.
Thaw frozen cookies in the refrigerator or on the counter and eat within 3 days of thawing.

If you want to learn more about freezing chocolate chip cookies, you can check out our dedicated article.

Can You Freeze Cookie Dough? Here’s How You Can Do This Right