We know you can freeze cookies, but can you freeze cookie dough? The answer is yes!
Can You Freeze Cookie Dough?
Updated on Sep. 26, 2024
Imagine walking into your kitchen after a long day and knowing you were only 10 minutes away from melty, gooey, homemade cookie goodness. That is the power of frozen cookie dough. Freezing food means on-demand treats anytime you need a last-minute potluck dessert, after-school snack or serious craving satisfier.
Can You Freeze Cookie Dough?
You know how to freeze cookies, but can you freeze the dough, too? Yes, and it’s easier than you’d think. First, start thinking about what type of dough you’d like to freeze. Hearty, chunkier cookie dough freezes the best; think chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin. You can also freeze sliceable cookies like shortbread and even sugar cookies. If you’re making a more delicate cookie like macarons, it’s best to bake (and inhale) them now. They won’t hold up in the freezer, and that’s a lot of work to waste.
We’ve rounded up everything you need to know about freezing cookies.
How to Freeze Cookie Dough
Start by preparing your cookie dough according to the recipe. This basic cookie dough recipe is a great place to start. If the recipe calls for chilling the dough, place it in the refrigerator while you prepare your freezing materials.
For chunky cookies like chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Once the dough is chilled, drop heaping tablespoons onto the baking sheet as if you were going to bake them. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for about an hour, until frozen. Once they’re set, place the individual dough balls into a freezer-safe plastic bag and write the date. Frozen cookie dough will keep for about 3 months.
If you’re freezing sliced cookies like shortbread, roll the dough into a tube, wrap the tube in wax paper and then place the cookie dough tube into a freezer-safe bag. Write the date, as well as any baking instructions you’ll want to remember.
To freeze sugar cookie dough, make sure the dough is fully chilled. Once it is, press it into a disk and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Place the wrapped disk into a freezer-safe plastic bag and label it.
And if you can’t resist a lick or two while you’re working, you may want to whip up one of these edible cookie doughs.
Editor’s Tip: If you’re making cookies with candy toppings or rolled in cinnamon, save the extras for baking time. Freeze the dough and then allow it to thaw slightly before adding your toppings. Any extra candies or toppings will not freeze well.
Make Room in the Freezer
Cookie dough is one of those surprising foods that freeze well, so let’s make some room in the freezer this afternoon. First, make sure you have space in your freezer for an entire cookie sheet. It’s important that the cookie dough balls are frozen solid on a cookie sheet before you transfer them to the plastic bag. Otherwise, they’ll run together and turn into a weird cookie dough amoeba in your freezer. Sure, they’ll still taste amazing when it’s time to bake, but the presentation won’t be anything special.
How to Bake Frozen Dough
Now comes the best part—enjoying all your hard work. For your chunky cookies, simply move them from the freezer bag to your baking sheet. There’s no need to thaw them ahead of time. This is great especially when you just want to bake a couple of cookies for a quick snack.
To bake a frozen tube of cookie dough, let the tube defrost on your kitchen counter for about 30 minutes. It should still be cold when you slice it so that the slices hold their shape. You could also let it defrost for an hour in the refrigerator.
For frozen sugar cookie dough, let the disk defrost on your kitchen counter or in the refrigerator for a few hours. This dough should also still be cold when you roll it out so that the cut-outs keep their shapes. Then bake them according to the recipe instructions.
The Best Cookie Doughs for Freezing
Cinnamon-Candy CookiesI was trying to make a unique Christmas cookie inspired by my brother's love of Red Hots, so I used the candies for cinnamon flavor in these lacelike cookies. —Wendy Rusch, Cameron, Wisconsin
Lemon SnowdropsI save my snowdrop cookies for special occasions. The crunchy, buttery sandwich cookie has a puckery lemon filling. —Bernice Martinoni, Petaluma, California
Vegan Gingerbread CookiesIt's so much fun to decorate cookies with children's help. We created gingery moose-shaped cookies to go with a book made especially for my niece's third-grade class. The crispy vegan gingerbread cookies stole the show. —Jenet Cattar, Neptune Beach, Florida
Chocolate-Strawberry Pretzel CookiesEvery year I come up with a new recipe, and this is one that's been requested over and over. Who would ever guess how good pretzels are in cookies? —Isabel Minunni, Poughkeepsie, New York
Chocolate Macadamia MacaroonsThis perfect macaroon has dark chocolate, chewy coconut and macadamia nuts and is dipped in chocolate—sinful and delicious! —Darlene Brenden, Salem, Oregon
White Chocolate Macadamia Nut CookiesWhite chocolate macadamia nut cookies are the king of macadamia nut cookies. These rich, buttery cookies bake up soft with just the right amount of crispness.
Honey-Lime Almond CookiesDecades ago my grandmother passed this buttery lime cookie recipe to me. Through years of baking, our cookie memories keep the family connected, although we’re miles apart. —Paula Marchesi, Lenhartsville, Pennsylvania
Frosted Eggnog Cutout CookiesMy husband loves the creamy richness of eggnog, so I add it to the dough and buttercream icing in these cookies. Top each one with a sprinkle of nutmeg. —Joan Sarge, Asheville, North Carolina
Kolacky CookiesA flaky cream-cheese dough makes these walnut-filled kolacky cookies a joy to bite into. Make these when you want to wow your friends or when your family wants something sweet during a holiday.
Red Velvet Whoopie PiesThese red velvet whoopie pies are a delicious twist on the beloved classic, combining moist red velvet cookies with a smooth cream cheese filling. To keep things easy, the recipe calls for packaged cream cheese.
These Ree Drummond red velvet cake cookies offer another alternative recipe of the delicious treat.
Citrus Gingerbread CookiesOrange and lemon zest give gingerbread cutouts a refreshing twist. Brushing a honey glaze over the top adds a subtle shine and an extra touch of sweetness. —Monique Hooker, DeSoto, Wisconsin
Banana Cream Sandwich CookiesPeople go bananas for these! These rich little sandwiches are a nice change of pace on a Christmas platter, and they ship well, too. —Elaine Owens, Dubuque, Iowa
Mexican Chocolate Sugar CrispsMy grandma loved these so much, she would hide them from my grandpa! I think of her every time I make a batch. Like Mexican spice? Try stirring in a little chili powder. —Michele Lovio, Thousand Oaks, California
Tender Pecan LogsFolks always ask me to make these tender nutty logs. Not overly sweet, they're just right with a steaming cup of coffee or tea. —Joyce Beck, Gadsden, Alabama
Oatmeal Coconut CookiesWith our oatmeal coconut cookies, there's no need to choose between a crispy cookie and a chewy one. You can have the best of both worlds with this recipe.
Spiced Toffee CookiesI bake these cookies for family gatherings because my crowd likes cookies thin and chewy with a crispy exterior. The toffee bits make a happy surprise.—Gloria Bradley, Naperville, Illinois
Cranberry Orange Sandwich CookiesMy sweet-tart cookies make a terrific addition to a holiday dessert tray. I love the creamy orange filling.—Trisha Kruse, Eagle, Idaho
Chocolate-Glazed Doughnut CookiesMy little nieces love to help decorate these doughnut-shaped cookies. They top them with sprinkles, chopped pecans or crushed candy canes. —Jolie Stinson, Marion, Indiana
Lemon Butter CookiesThese tender cutout cookies have a slight lemon flavor that makes them stand out from the rest. They're very easy to roll out compared to other sugar cookies I've worked with. I know you'll enjoy them as much as we do. —Judy McCreight, Springfield, Illinois
Dutch Waffle CookiesMy mom taught me how to make these waffle iron cookies. Now I have my friends bring their waffle irons to the house, and we make big batches.—Rachel Setala, Surrey, British Columbia
Berry-Filled Butter RibbonsTangy boysenberry is an unusual for a cookie, but it goes well with chocolate. I change the sprinkles and even the type of chocolate to suit the season.—Amy Sauerwalt, Columbia, Maryland
Chocolate Sugar CookiesMake these chocolate sugar cookies when you want something different from regular vanilla sugar cookies. These cookies are great substitutes for gingersnaps, and you can decorate them with royal icing.
Coffee-Glazed Molasses CookiesI dreamed up these molasses cookies while sipping coffee and watching snow fall. The aroma from the baking cookies reaches all corners of the house. —Faith Ford, Big Lake, Minnesota
Nutty Pie-Crust CookiesI like Italian cream cake, so I used it as inspiration for this cookie recipe. The splash of orange liqueur in the filling is my special touch. —Sonji McCarty-Onezine, Beaumont, Texas
Mint-Filled CookiesI tuck a peppermint patty inside these treats for a fun surprise. The bites will melt in your mouth. —Karen Nielson, St. George, Utah
Apricot PinwheelsI decorate my little spirals with vanilla icing, but they're yummy without it, too. Dried apricots and lots of spice give the cookies Old World flavor. —Beverly Sadergaski, Saint Cloud, Minnesota
SnickerdoodlesThis snickerdoodle recipe bakes up a batch of soft, tender cinnamon-sugar cookies. Don't forget the cream of tartar!
Chocolate BiscottiEasy chocolate biscotti comes together quickly thanks to boxed cake mix and chocolate syrup, and a drizzle of white chocolate finishes these twice-baked chocolaty treats.
Coconut MacaroonsThese crunchy, golden and chewy coconut macaroons are ideal for their simplicity and texture, and you can have this treat on the table in 30 minutes or less.
White Chocolate-Cappuccino CookiesThese adorable cookies shaped like coffee cups don't last long with my friends and family. For an even richer flavor, I use a mocha latte coffee mix. —Nancy Sousley, Lafayette, Indiana
Turtle Cookie CupsFor a twist, use white chocolate chips in the cups and drizzle with white chocolate. — Heather King, Frostburg, Maryland
Chocolate-Swirled Peanut Butter CookiesOur kids’ most-requested cookies are peanut butter and chocolate chip, so
I created this combination. The two doughs swirled together create a marbled pattern that’s so pretty, the cookies don’t need additional decorations! This is the best chocolate-peanut butter cookie you'll make! —Lori Kesinger, Baker, Montana
Strawberry CookiesThese Strawberry Cookies use flavored gelatin powder and jelly to create intensely flavored, chewy cookies with a sweet drizzle of icing. They look and taste terrific and you can make the dough ahead of time for easy preparation.
Oatmeal Cookie Ice Cream SandwichesIf you’re tight on time, you can use store-bought cookies, but I highly recommend making these oatmeal chocolate cookies from scratch. The dessert sandwiches are pure fun. Sometimes I decorate the sides of the sandwiches with colorful jimmies, too. —Diane Halferty, Corpus Christi, Texas
Rainbow S’moreo CookiesHomemade Oreo-style cookies are pretty great on their own, but they're even better when you add graham cracker crumbs to the cookie dough, stuff them with marshmallow creme and roll them in sprinkles. You can change the color of the sprinkles depending on the holiday or occasion. —Colleen Delawder, Herndon, Virginia
Cherry BiscochitosI discovered the wonderful anise flavor of biscochitos, which are traditional cookies of New Mexico. I created my own version with maraschino cherries and fresh cranberries. —Mary Shivers, Ada, Oklahoma
Chai Tea Sandwich CookiesYou’ll love these cookies filled with a dreamy chai-infused ganache. They’re perfect after a meal, with a cup of tea, as a breakfast treat—or anytime at all. —Lauren Knoelke, Des Moines, Iowa
Red Velvet White Chip CookiesThese cookies are soft, chewy and taste as good as they sound. The first time I baked them, I took them to an aunt's yard sale. Now they’re my go-to for any special event. —Samantha Gstalder, Montoursville, Pennsylvania
Pecan TassiesThese pecan tassies are very good for parties and special occasions. You'll probably want to double the recipe, because they'll disappear in a hurry! —Joy Corie, Ruston, Louisiana
Salted Toffee Cashew CookiesWhen I get toffee bits, butterscotch chips and cashews together in one cookie, the sweet and salty combo is nearly impossible to resist. —Crystal Schlueter, Babbitt, Minnesota
Ultimate Candy Bar CookiesI created these after Halloween, when I had way too much candy left over. You can make them with any mini chocolate candy, but if you use peanut butter cups, throw them in the freezer just before unwrapping so the chocolate won’t stick to the paper. —Tara John, Plymouth, Minnesota
Coffeehouse Caramel-Dark Chocolate-Latte CookieThese taste like my favorite coffee house drink in cookie form. They're crispy outside, but soft in the middle. —Angela Spengler, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
Dipped Peanut Butter Sandwich CookiesYou’ll love to give tins of these chocolate-coated cookies to your lucky friends. The shortcut holiday recipe is almost too simple to believe! Here's how to make peanut butter cookies without eggs. —Jackie Howell, Gordo, Alabama
