I’m not sure about you, but I’ve never grumbled about having too many cookies. Alright, OK, maybe in jest, but I surely didn’t intend it.

In my opinion, the most thoughtful thing you can do for Future You is to create a large batch of cookie dough and freeze it so you always have some alternatives ready to go.

Future You’ll be grateful when kids can toss a couple balls of dough in the oven and have a snack in no time.

Why should I freeze cookie dough?

There are many reasons why you should freeze freshly produced cookie dough:

• You just produced too many to consume before they went bad.
• You live alone and want to be able to bake one at a time when a desire strikes.
• You’re the hostess with the mostess and always have delicacies on hand for unexpected visitors and special events.
• You’re getting ready for the holidays and want to reduce some of the stress ahead of time.
• You want to do something special for Future. You because you are a rare human being.

What kind of cookie dough can I freeze?

Drop cookies, slice and bake icebox cookies, and cookie cutter cookie dough all freeze nicely in my experience.

You should avoid any cookies that use egg whites and are low in butter and fat. Meringues and macarons are two examples; they are just too fragile to tolerate the freezing procedure.

How to freeze cookie dough

This is the method I use to freeze cookie dough for drop cookies like chocolate chip, oatmeal, or other chunky variations. Scroll down for more precise directions depending on various types of cookies!

1. First and foremost, make sure you have a baking sheet or other freezer-safe baking dish that will fit in your freezer. Using a piece of parchment paper, prepare it.
2. When you’ve made your cookie dough, use a cookie scoop (affiliate link) to separate it into uniform-sized balls on your prepared baking sheet.
3. Roll each ball between your palms to ensure the dough is well packed and the form is smooth. There’s no need to space them out as you typically would since you’re not baking them and they won’t spread!
4. Cover the sheet and cookies with plastic wrap (optional, but recommended) and place in the freezer for at least 1 hour, or as long as it takes for the dough to firm up and freeze solid.
5. Move the frozen dough balls to a freezer-safe bag or other airtight container and mark with the date you made them, as well as the baking temperature and time, so Future You knows what to do with them. Keep in the freezer.

That’s all there is to it, my friends! You now have cookie dough ready and waiting for Future You.

Why do you freeze the cookie dough twice?

The newly produced cookie dough is frozen for the first time to firm up and become solid. If we ignored this step, the dough balls would cling together within the storage container, and Future would suffer as a result. You’d be annoyed if you had to separate globs of frozen cookie dough.

How to freeze cookie dough rolled in sugar

Whether you’re making cookies like snickerdoodles rolled in cinnamon sugar or ginger molasses cookies coated in sparkling sugar, simply wait until you’re ready to bake to apply the coating.

Freeze the cookie dough without the topping, and when you’re ready to bake, defrost it in the fridge or at room temperature before rolling it in the topping and baking.

How to freeze cookie dough logs (slice and bake cookies)

1. Make the dough as directed, then turn it out onto a clean surface.
2. Roll the dough into a 2-inch-wide log.
3. Wrap in plastic wrap firmly and store in a freezer-safe bag or other freezer-safe container.
4. Name it with the date you made it, as well as the baking temperature and time, so that Future You knows what to deal with it.

To assist the dough keep its form while being kept, cut a cardboard paper towel tube lengthwise along one side and wrap it around it. This works much better if you split the dough into two halves and use two paper towel rolls, since they each fit entirely within the rolls.

How to freeze cookie cutter cookie dough

1. Make the dough as directed, then turn it out onto a clean surface.
2. 4 thick (or whatever thickness your recipe specifies) and carefully wrap in plastic wrap before placing in a freezer-safe bag or other freezer-safe container.
   Shape the ball into a single large ball, then securely wrap in plastic wrap and store in a freezer-safe bag or other freezer-safe container.

   You have a few of possibilities. You may now freeze the dough as a disc or as a ball:

   Disc: Roll the dough into a 1 inch disc.

3. Mark it with the date you made it, as well as the baking temperature and time, so Future You knows what to do with it, and keep it in the freezer.

Thaw before using: Whether you keep the dough as a disc ready to be cookie cutter-ed or as a ball that still needs to be rolled out, leave it in the fridge to defrost overnight before using.

How long can you freeze cookie dough?

Cookie dough may often be frozen for up to 3 months.

I’m not going to lie to you and tell you that’s a strict deadline. I’ve certainly kept some for longer, and everything has worked out OK. Nonetheless, three months is a reasonable rule of thumb.

Does freezing cookie dough change the taste?

No, in my view! But, the colder the dough is when you put it in the oven, the thicker and softer the cookies will be.

Remember that if the cookie dough is not carefully wrapped and properly kept, it may absorb smells or get freezer-burned. Nobody wants a sweet treat that tastes like a frosty mozzarella stick.

Can I freeze baked cookies?

You certainly can! But, you should avoid freezing frosted or iced cookies until they have thawed.

When your cooked cookies have totally cooled (I mean entirely):

1. As with the cookie dough balls, set them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until firm so they don’t cling together when stored.
2. Place the cookies in a freezer-safe bag or container, with parchment paper between each layer. I like to store baked cookies in a Tupperware container to avoid them being deformed and squashed.
3. Freeze for up to 1 month before thawing overnight in the fridge or on the counter to room temperature.