Cookie dough freezes beautifully, and this is a great way to plan ahead for the holiday baking season, or so you can have warm, fresh cookies whenever that craving hits. Learn how to freeze cookie dough from this comprehensive post, which includes a video tutorial. I’ll show you the best ways to freeze different types of cookie dough, from drop cookies to cut-out cookies to slice-and-bake style.
I also include instructions for freezing baked cookies, as well as cookie bars.
Have you ever made cookie dough just to freeze it for later? Or freeze some cookie dough instead of baking the whole batch? I do both all the time, especially with these chocolate chip cookies.
Itโs so convenient to have a stash of ready-to-bake homemade cookie dough on hand, in case you find yourself in need of a quick dessert at the last minute. Maybe new neighbors just moved in, a friend had a baby, or you forgot about the school bake sale until the morning ofโฆ frozen cookie dough comes to the rescue.
Make the dough when you have the time, and simply bake the cookies when you don’t!
This post is part of my Baking Tips category. Over the years, I’ve published dozens of articles and videos that aren’t only recipes, but baking success tips to help you gain confidence in the kitchen.
4 Reasons Why You Should Freeze Cookie Dough
- Cookie dough freezes well for up to 3 months, so it’s a great way to get ahead for the holidays or other busy times.
- For drop cookies, you don’t need to wait for the dough to thawโbake from frozen.
- You don’t have to bake the whole batch at onceโyou can bake just 1 or 2 when you’re craving a freshly baked, warm cookie.
- Having a stash of cookie dough in the freezer means you are always prepared for a dessert emergency. ๐
Today I’m sharing with you my best tips for how to freeze, thaw, and bake cookie dough. Doesn’t sound revolutionary, but you won’t believe the confusion and mistakes one can make when it comes to freezing and baking cookie dough. I originally published this post back in 2015, and have learned a few more tricks since. Happy to share them today, along with a new video tutorial.
How to Freeze Cookie Dough: Video Tutorial
Supplies You Need:
- Freezer-friendly containers or zip-top bags (I use and love these containers)
- Permanent marker
- Plastic wrap if making cut-out or slice-and-bake dough
- Labels or masking tape
How to Freeze & Bake Drop Cookie Dough
“Drop cookies” refers to cookie doughs that you scoop and drop onto the baking sheet, like oatmeal raisin cookies. I include dough that you roll into balls in this category, because it, too, requires very little shapingโlike double chocolate chip cookies and cake batter chocolate chip cookies.
Drop-style cookies take a few extra steps before freezing, but it’s worth it because the cookie dough can go straight from the freezer to the preheated oven for a treat that’s ready in about 10โ15 minutes. Here’s how to do it:
- Chill the dough: If the cookie recipe you’re using says to chill the dough before scooping and rolling, you still need to take that step.
- Shape the cookies: After the cookie dough has chilled in the refrigerator, scoop and roll the cookie dough into balls (or shape into tall columns, like I recommend for these chewy chocolate chip cookies). Place them on a lined baking sheet or plate, making sure to keep them from touching each other.
- Chill the cookie dough balls: Cover the tray or plate and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour. This will set the cookie dough balls’ shape, and prevent them from sticking together in the freezer container.
- Transfer the cookie dough balls to a container or bag: Place the cold cookie dough balls into a freezer-friendly container. It’s OK if they’re touching each other now (since the shape has set).
- Label the bag or container with the recipe name, the date, baking temperature, and bake time (add an extra minute or two if baking from frozen), and place in the freezer.
- Freeze cookie dough for up to 3 months: Labeling with the date will help you determine by when the cookie dough should be baked.
- Bake the cookies: When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven. Place the frozen cookie dough balls on a lined baking sheet, per your recipe’s instructions. Add an extra minute or two to the bake time, because the dough is frozen.
In photos: Make and refrigerate the dough, if the recipe calls for chilling the cookie dough. Then shape into balls per your recipe’s instructions. Refrigerate the shaped dough balls to set their shape:
Then place into a labeled bag, and freeze for up to 3 months:
Freezing Cookie Dough Coated in Sugar or Cinnamon-Sugar
For drop cookies rolled in a coating like sugarโsuch as snickerdoodles, peanut butter blossoms, or chocolate crinklesโit’s best to freeze the cookie dough balls without the coating.
Why? I find the coating tends to melt and disappear during the freezing and thawing process, so it’s best to roll the cookies in the coating just before baking.
Follow the same steps as above, except when you are ready to bake the cookies, remove the cookie dough balls from the freezer and let sit out at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Let them thaw just a little bit so that the coating will stick. After 30 minutes, roll the dough balls into the sugar or whatever coating your recipe calls for. No need to bake for an extra minute or two here, because the cookies will have defrosted slightly.
How to Freeze Cut-Out Cookie Dough (Like Sugar Cookies)
For cut-out cookie dough that needs to be rolled out before cutting into shapes with cookie cutters, like sugar cookies or gingerbread cookies, the process is a little different. Here’s how to do it:
- Divide the dough in half: After you’ve made your dough, divide it in half. Smaller pieces are simply easier to work with.
- Flatten each half into a disc about 1 inch thick. I do the same thing when I make and freeze pie dough.
- Wrap and label: Tightly wrap each disc of dough in plastic wrap, and label with the recipe name and date. I just use a piece of tape as a label, nothing fancy.
- Freeze cookie dough for up to 3 months.
- Thaw the dough: Transfer the wrapped disc or discs of cookie dough to the refrigerator the day before you intend to bake the cookies, and let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
- Roll out the cold thawed dough, cut into shapes, and bake according to your recipe’s instructions.
Freezing this dough is helpful if you’re planning to host a cookie decorating day.
How to Freeze Icebox or Slice-and-Bake Cookie Dough
Icebox cookies, also known as slice-and-bake cookiesโlike these sprinkle slice’n’bake cookies, brown sugar shortbread cookies, and cranberry orange icebox cookiesโare similar to cut-out cookie dough in that they are quick to prep to freeze, but then need a little thaw time before you can slice and bake them. Here’s what to do:
- Divide the dough in half: Just like with the cut-out cookie dough, this makes the dough more manageable.
- Roll into logs: Roll each half into a log shape, per your recipe’s instructions.
- Roll logs into coating: If your recipe calls for rolling the cookie dough logs into a coating like coarse sugar or sprinkles, you can go ahead and do that now.
- Wrap and label: Tightly wrap each log in plastic wrap, and label with the name and date.
- Freeze cookie dough for up to 3 months.
- Thaw the dough: Transfer the wrapped log or logs of cookie dough to the refrigerator the day before, or at least a couple of hours before you intend to bake the cookies.
- Slice and bake: Once the dough has thawed enough for you to cut with a knife, slice the cookies and bake according to your recipe’s instructions.
This is a great question. If the cookie dough is particularly sticky, it would be difficult to roll into balls AND also roll into balls that wonโt stick together in the freezer. I always suggest chilling if your cookie dough recipe calls for it, and then scooping and rolling into balls to freeze.
Want to make M&M cookie bars or even chocolate chip cookie cake? You can freeze that dough, too. Prepare the cookie dough according to the recipe’s instructions. Refrigerate the dough for about 30 minutes, and then wrap the cold dough tightly in plastic wrap and add a label with the name of the recipe and the date. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, and then press the dough into the baking dish and bake per the recipe’s instructions.
Delicate cookie doughs/batters don’t hold up well in the freezer. For example, I avoid freezing French macarons batter, madeleine batter, lace cookies batter, and chocolate swirled meringue cookies batter. Even if you let the doughs/batter thaw first, the results will not be the same. See each individual recipe for detailed make-ahead instructions.
Freezing Baked Cookies & Bars
Instead of freezing cookie dough, you can freeze baked cookies like almond biscotti, spritz cookies, and sugar cookies (before decorating).
After your baked cookies have cooled completely:
- Place them on a baking sheet and freeze until solid (this way they won’t stick to each other in the freezer).
- Then, layer in a freezer container with parchment between each layer, or carefully place in zip-top bags. Label the container if desired.
- Freeze up to 3 months.
- Thaw the cookies (still covered) in the refrigerator, or at room temperature.
You can also freeze baked bar cookies like peanut butter blondies or homemade brownies. Cool them completely, cut into squares, then layer between sheets of parchment paper in a freezer container or zip-top bag. Again, freeze for up to 3 months.
I hope all of this helps. As always, let my team and me know if you have any questions. Here are all my cookie recipes. I usually note freezing instructions in each recipe as wellโalways check the Notes section of the recipe card.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Can I freeze the cookies once baked if I have already frozen the dough before having baked the cookies?
Hi Cathy, Yes you can.
Your cookies are excellent, specially the macadamia nut/choc chip cookies.
Thanks for the clear instructions – you cant go wrong.
Hi Sally! How come some cookie doughs can be frozen with the entire dough and some have to be frozen as balls? Ex.: the raspberry pistachio linzers can be frozen as a whole dough but I think the peppermint mocha cookies have to be frozen as individuals balls.
What would be the consequence of freezing the peppermint mocha cookies as a whole dough instead of as balls?
Hi Sue, since the raspberry pistachio linzers are a roll-out cookie (similar to sugar cookies), we find it best to freeze the dough before rolling out and cutting. Drop-style cookies like peppermint mocha cookies are best frozen in individual balls so that you can skip the thawing step and bake them right from frozen. Hope this helps!
Hi! I just wanna askโif I make cookies with fillings like cream cheese, chocolate, or biscoff, how long can I keep them in the freezer? And also, how long is their shelf life if I just store them at room temperature after baking?
Hi Lex! Baked goods freeze well for up to three months. Anything with a cream cheese or buttercream filling should be refrigerated after a day or two, other baked goods can be stored at room temperature for up to a week, usually.
Just made your Soft & Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies. Outstanding! Do you know how many calories there are in the suggested 40g scoop?
Hi Cecelia, We donโt usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
This is amazing information. Wish I had known this when making holiday cookies when the kids were little
I am planning on making your double chocolate crinkle cookies. And I want to freeze them first to bring them out for a dinner in a couple of weeks. Iโve read your instructions and I was wondering if after Iโve chilled them in balls can I vacuum pack them instead of putting them into a container? I donโt think it would squish them. What do you think?
Hi Lynn, that should work!
Hi Sally, I first want to say how much I love your recipes. I’ve been baking for years and yet I always come back here for new ideas.
Though, I was wondering how successful it would be to freeze already cut out cookies. I find that when I’m rolling and cutting out cookies (like sugar and molasses), it takes hours and then I need more time to bake. I’m trying to find ways to prep ahead and save time. Any advice?
Hi Lala, you could definitely do that, it would just be a matter of freezing them on a piece of parchment paper on a tray; then once they’re initially frozen, you could transfer them to a freezer-safe container and layer the frozen cookies with pieces of parchment between the layers. You can bake from frozen, but the bake time may be a couple minutes longer. Hope this helps!
Hi Sally,
Thank you for adding so many wonderful recipes to our family collection! We love adding flake sea salt flakes to our chocolate chip cookies, but Iโm curious if thereโs a way to add salt prior to freezing the cookie dough balls? Would maybe chilling the dough balls initially and then pressing the salt into them before popping them in the freezer work? Or do you think the salt would still disappear into the dough over time? We do bake them straight from the freezer. Thanks so much!
Hi Tara! You should be able to chill, press some salt in, then freeze. Let us know if you try!
You always have the recipes and how tos that I need. My name is Sally too , just another reason to follow you!
Hi Sally, since the advent of the air fryer, I donโt tend to use my oven anymore, so Iโm always looking for recipes for that. Could any of these cookies be cooked in the air fryer for when you just want a couple instead of turning on the big oven and if so, what temperature would you suggest and is there anything different you would do?
Hi Vyonne, we haven’t tried baking any of our cookie recipes in the air fryer, but some readers have reported success doing so. It may take some trial and error to find best temperature and time, but let us know if you try anything!
Didnโt have much success. I cooked them on โbakeโ for 12 minutes @180c and left them in the airFryer for a couple of minutes, then put them on a rack to cool, but they werenโt cooked enough and stuck to the rack. So I put them back in for 2 more minutes but they just turned into a puddle. I have about 30 in my freezer, so Iโll keep going cause I really want to figure this out! Maybe Iโll use โair fryerโ instead of bake.
I noticed that you did not make perfect balls (drop cookies) prior to freezing them; however, when you removed them from the freezer they were quite round; when did you round them? My OCD would want to roll them prior to freezing, LOL.
Hi Patricia! In the video, I show many different types of cookies. Some are rolled into balls and some are a little misshapen, it’s just whatever the recipe instructs. Snickerdoodles, for example, are rounded balls/spheres, where the chocolate chip cookies shown are taller and lumpier-looking. Hope I explained this well!
Hi, Iโm going to make wedding cookies for a wedding. The round ones with powdered sugar coating. Can I freeze the dough and cook later? Thank you so much
Hi Sharon, sure can! The Snowball Cookie dough balls freeze well for up to 3 months.
Hi! Is it okay to freeze the cookie dough then when it is time to bake, add on the chocolate chip toppings?
Absolutely!
Hi, can I cut out shapes in my sugar cookies and then freeze them. Or do I need to cut out the shapes after Iโve removed from the freezer and let them rest for 30 mins?
Hi Morgan, yes, you can cut out the shapes and then freeze them, that should be fine.
Is there any reason I should not shape the cookies before I chill the dough?
Make dough, shape, frig, freeze.
Your recipes and tips are wonderful!
Hi Sue! Do you mean rolling dough into balls? You can definitely roll dough before freezing.
I recently made peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. Although they were good, they have a light crunchy bite (brown sugar). Did I not beat the sugar long enough with butter and the other ingredients required in this step? Please advise. P.S. I only have a hand held blender.
Thanks
Hi CM! Yes, not creaming sugar and butter for long enough can leave a gritty texture sometimes.
Hi. Love your videos. Question: HOW DO YOU GET SPRINKLES, COLORED SUGAR TO STICK ON COOKIES? Thanks in advance.
Hi Susan, we like to dip/gently press the tops of the cookies into the sprinkles before baking. If needed, you can use a very little bit of water to help them stick.
Can I freeze cookies with dried fruit in them?
Hi Lois, yes, you can.
Hi! So glad to have read this page! However I have a question: I tried freezing my chocolate chip cookie recipe however when I cooked them they seem a bit off in terms of texture and taste. When I pulled them out of the freezer the cookie dough balls still had a little give to them and were sticking to each other also. Iโm not sure if that had anything to do with it. Any tips/advice?
Great information. Can you do a video on best cookies to ship and how to package.
Hi Deb, here are all our best tips for how to ship cookies!
Is it ok to re-freeze cookie dough if it thaws? I’m traveling home soon to visit family and wanted to bring up some frozen dough since I bake a lot but my family never gets to try any of it because I live about a 10 hour drive away. I assume the dough will thaw some even in a cooler with ice packs. Just wondering if I can re-freeze for a day or two, or if I’ll need to bake as soon as possible.
Hi Mindy, If the dough is still pretty cold when you arrive, it should be fine to place in the freezer. If it has come to room temperature, it would be best to go ahead and bake it (you can freeze the baked cookies if you wish!).
I’m new to your site and absolutely love it. Instead of refrigerating cookie dough before freezing, can you flash freeze them and then store in zip locks in the freezer?
Hi Karen, yes, you can try that instead!
Hello, thank you so much for all these tips ! Do you have any advices for freezing drop cookies with a filling? I was looking to try making cookies filled with praline spread but last time I tried to freeze a cookie with a filling it ended with with the cookie completely spreading while the filling part tended to stay in the initial shape. Thank you so much!
Depending on the recipe, baked cookies should freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
We like pecans in our chocolate chip cookies. Can I just add some to your recipe without changing anything?
Hi Margaret! We would reduce the chocolate chips by the amount of pecans you add, so the total amount of add-ins remains the same. Yum!
I love all your recipes and tips! Question on freezing dough – you shouldn’t freeze cookies that need rolling in sugar but when freezing cut and slice dough logs you can roll in sugar before freezing? What is the difference? Thanks!
Hi Kathy, the edges of the slice-and-bake cookies are rolled in sugar, but I find when I roll the entire cookie (for drop cookies) in sugar before freezing, the sugar sort of absorbs into the tops.
I wouldn’t put the sugar on until they are baked and not while they are frozen !!!!
I refridgerated my dough the previous night, How long should I set it out before resuming cookie making?? Thanks for your help!!
Hi Sally, it will depend on the specific recipe, but usually about a half hour is good. If it becomes too soft during this time, place the rolled cookie dough back in the refrigerator for a few minutes before placing in the oven.
I love how you explain freezing cookie dough. Your instructions are very simple and precise. Thank you for sharing!
I did not realize just how amazing it would feel to have cookies prepared in the freezer. Iโve done 2 different kinds so far, hoping the double chocolate turns out never made it before.
Glad to hear this, Katelynn!
Hi Sally, Love your recipes. When I want to bake something you are my go to. When making thumbprints cookies, should I make the dent before freezing? Thanks in advance
Hi Patty! What we usually recommend is freezing the dough in balls, then thaw for 30 minutes before carefully indenting and filling, and then baking.
Thank you
Thank you for asking this! I had the exact same question!!