How To Freeze Cookie Dough: Drop, Rolled (Cutout) & Slice Cookies

Did you know that you can freeze cookie dough and then have freshly baked cookies any time you want them, without having to mix a whole new batch of dough?  Cookie dough freezes extremely well, and there is virtually no difference in taste of cookies made from the freshly made dough versus frozen dough.  If you are making cookies from scratch, it takes just as long to make a double batch of dough as a single one, so you can freeze another batch of cookie dough for later use.

Directions for freezing cookie dough depend on the type of cookies that you are making.  For drop cookies, the dough is frozen into individual cookie balls, so you can just take as many balls as you want out of the freezer bag and bake them into cookies.  For rollout cookies, the dough is frozen into the disk shape that you can thaw and roll later.  For slice and bake cookies, the dough is frozen into a log shape that you can slice and bake later.  Cookie dough can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Why Freeze Cookie Dough?

The main advantage of freezing cookie dough is that you can have freshly baked cookies on demand, whenever you want them, without the hassle of making the dough from scratch.  A very common time for people to freeze cookie dough is before the holiday baking crunch.  You can make cookie dough a month in advance and stash it in the freezer.  This will free up your time during the holiday season to concentrate on other things, like shopping, decorating and cooking other dishes.  And when you’d like to bake some cookies, all you need to do is take the cookie dough out of the freezer, pop it in the oven and 10 minutes later you’ll get freshly baked homemade cookies – amazing!

Another great thing about freezing cookie dough is that you can better control your dessert portions.  If you bake the whole batch of cookies at once, guess who’s going to eat them all in one day?   When the cookie dough is frozen, it provides a barrier to eating all the cookies in sight.  Having to bake the cookies is not as easy as grabbing a cookie from a bowl, so it really tames the impulse cravings.  Having ready-to-go cookie dough in the freezer allows you to bake only as many cookies as you need for dessert after dinner (let’s say one cookie for each family member).

Having frozen cookie dough on hand is also great for last-minute guests, potlucks, bake sales or other social obligations.  When you freeze cookie dough, you’ll always have it on hand for those last-minute needs – a stash of frozen cookie dough will be there for the rescue :) Whipping up a batch of homemade cookies from the frozen dough will be faster than going to a grocery store!  The option of freshly baked cookies in 15 minutes will always be available to you on demand!

How To Freeze Cookie Dough For Drop Cookies

Cookie dough for drop cookies is the most commonly frozen cookie dough, as drop cookies are the easiest to make.  The dough for drop cookies is frozen in the shape of the balls.

• Make a batch of cookie dough according to recipe directions.
• Line a baking sheet or a large plate with parchment paper.
• Separate a piece of dough for 1 cookie and roll into a ball.
• Place the dough ball on parchment paper.
• Repeat making the balls until all the dough is used.
• Put the baking sheet with dough balls in a freezer for 1 hour.
• Transfer the frozen dough balls from the baking sheet into a freezer bag.
• Squeeze out as much air as possible from the bag and close it.
• Label the bag with the cookie name and date.  Use within 3 months.
• You can also add the baking time and temperature to the label, so you don’t have to look for a recipe when you are ready to bake!

How To Bake Drop Cookies Out Of Frozen Cookie Dough

Baking drop cookies out of frozen cookie dough is the easiest thing ever – you won’t even get your hands dirty!

• Line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Take out the frozen cookie balls out of the freezer bag and put on a baking sheet, making sure to allow at least 2 inches of space between cookies.
• Turn on the oven to preheat to the baking temperature.  While the oven is preheating, leave the cookies on a baking sheet on the counter so they start to defrost.
• Bake the cookies, adding 1 extra minute to the cooking time.

How To Freeze Cookie Dough For Rolled Cutout Cookies

Cookie dough for rolled cutout cookies is frozen before it’s rolled.  It’s frozen in a disk shape, so you can take out the disk when you are ready to make the cookies, thaw it and then roll it and cut out the cookie shapes.

• Make the dough according to recipe directions.
• Shape the dough into 2 round disks that are about 1 inch thick.
• Label 2 freezer bags with the cookie name and date.
• Put each dough disk into its own freezer bag, squeeze out as much air as possible and freeze.

How To Bake Rolled Cutout Cookies From Frozen Cookie Dough

• Take out the frozen dough disk from the freezer.  Thaw it in refrigerator overnight (or for 45 minutes on the counter).
• Preheat the oven to the baking temperature indicated in a recipe.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Roll out the cookie dough as usual (if it’s too tough to roll, thaw it for another 15 minutes on the counter).
• Cut out the cookies with a cookie cutter into shapes as usual.
• Put the cookie shapes on a baking sheet and bake for the amount of time indicated in a recipe.

How To Freeze Dough For Slice & Bake Cookies

Frozen dough can be easily sliced with a sharp knife, so you don’t even need to thaw the dough!  Just slice off and as many cookie pieces as you need, and put the rest of the dough back in a freezer.

• Make the cookie dough according to recipe directions.
• Label the cookie name and date on a freezer bag.
• Shape the dough into a log and put in a freezer bag.
• Squeeze out as much air as possible from the freezer bag, close the bag and freeze the dough log for up to 3 months.

How To Bake Slice & Bake Cookies From Frozen Cookie Dough

• Preheat the oven to the temperature indicated in the recipe.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Take out the frozen cookie dough log out of a freezer bag and place on a cutting board.
• With a sharp knife, slice off as many cookies from a dough log as you need.
• If there is dough left over for next time, put it back in a freezer bag, squeeze out the air and put back it a freezer.
• Put the cookies in the oven and bake, adding 2 minutes to the recipe cooking time.

How To Freeze Cookie Dough For Cookie Cake

Last, but not the least – a cookie cake (a giant cookie in cake form)!   To freeze the dough for cooking cake, just make the dough according to recipe directions, shape into a disk shape and wrap with plastic wrap.  Put into a freezer bag and freeze up to 3 months.

Baking The Cookie Cake From Frozen Cookie Dough

Just defrost the dough overnight in the refrigerator, then press into a greased pan and bake according to recipe instructions.

Here’s my go-to best recipe for chocolate chip cookie cake – simply amazing!