If I thought it wouldn’t completely throw our good eating habits out the window, I would probably bake cookies constantly. Fewer baking tasks remind me of my childhood than making cookies. I don’t always have the time to spend baking batch after batch of cookie dough, despite what my family might request. Sometimes just a few cookies are all that we need for an evening dessert, with a few left over to pack into lunches or bento boxes the following day.
To save time, I split up cookie preparation into two stages rather than one big baking session. I prepare the dough for the cookies in advance and freeze it until I have the time to bake the cookies at a later date. I’ve found that frozen cookie dough lasts for approximately 1 month in freezer paper or zippered bags or twice that in a vacuum-sealed bag.
By preparing unbaked dough ahead of time and freezing it, you can pull a few pre-frozen cookies out and bake them in a toaster oven. If you’re already preparing something else in your big oven, consider popping in a few cookies for the last several minutes with the rest of your dinner and you’ll have dessert ready at the same time.
Freezing Cookie Dough: Bar Cookies or Cookies in a Pan
Prepare bar cookie dough according to directions, but instead of placing the dough directly in a square or rectangular pan, line the pan first with parchment paper or freezer paper. Cut two sheets of paper long enough to completely cover the bottom of the pan and two of the sides, one for each direction. Layer the sheets of paper one on top of the other in the pan.
Once the paper covers the inside of the pan, press in the cookie dough and freeze immediately for about two hours. Once the cookie dough is frozen completely through, remove the frozen dough from the pan. Working quickly, store the dough in a vacuum-sealed bag, a zippered freezer bag large enough to hold the entire block comfortably, or wrap the dough in freezer paper and tape shut.
Be sure to label the dough with the type of dough, the date it was frozen, the pan you used to freeze it into the current shape, any preparations the pan must have prior to baking (such as greasing), and any instructions you’ll need for baking it in the future.
My label would look something like this:
Chocolate Walnut Bar Cookie Dough
Today’s Date
Brown 11×17 Stoneware Pan, Ungreased
Bake @ 350F, 25 minutes
Once it’s time to bake the bars, read the label on the cookie dough. Find the pan you used to freeze the dough and prepare it as necessary according to what you listed on the label. Add the frozen dough and place it directly in the prepared pan without the paper. Set the pan in a cool place to thaw at room temperature for about 2 hours, then bake according to the directions you wrote on the label.
Freezing Cookie Dough: Drop or Scoop Cookies
Prepare drop cookie dough, such as chocolate chip, oatmeal, or peanut butter cookies, according to the directions in your recipe. If the dough seems especially soft, place it in the fridge for approximately 20 minutes until it stiffens up a little. Line several cookie sheets or jelly roll pans with parchment paper or freezer paper. Scoop the dough out in even portions and place them close together but not touching on the cookie sheet. I like to use a small dough scoop, but two soup spoons like grandma used to use still works like a charm. Immediately place the cookie sheets in the freezer and freeze for about an hour or until solid.
Once frozen through, work quickly to store the dough in a vacuum-sealed bag, a zippered freezer bag, or an airtight plastic container. Label the dough with the name of the cookie type, the date it was frozen, and any baking instructions you’ll need for when you decide to make the cookies. Be sure to include how far apart the dough portions need to sit while baking and add 1 to 2 minutes to the normal baking time. My label would look something like this:
Chocolate Walnut Drop Cookie Dough
Today’s Date
Bake @ 350F, 12 minutes, 2 inches apart
To bake the frozen dough balls, place them on cookie sheets and space them on cookie sheets according to the directions on the label when you froze them. Thaw them at room temperature for about an hour, then bake them according to the directions you wrote on the label.
Freezing Cookie Dough: Sliced Cookie Dough Rolls
Prepare sliced cookie dough, such as sugar cookies or butter cookies, according to the directions in your recipe. Place the dough in the fridge for 20 minutes to stiffen it. Form the dough into logs as specified in your recipe and wrap the dough in parchment or freezer paper and freeze the logs for about an hour until they are very firm.
Once frozen, wrap the dough logs in a second layer of paper or in a layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil to protect the dough from off flavors in your freezer. Label the logs with pre-printed freezer labels containing the type of dough, the date it was frozen, and any baking instructions for when you’re ready to bake. Be sure to include how thick the cookies should be sliced and how far apart they should be placed on the cookie sheets. My label would look something like this:
Chocolate Walnut Sliced Cookie Dough
Today’s Date
Slice ¼” thick
Bake @ 350F, 12 minutes, 2 inches apart
To bake the frozen dough logs, remove a log from the freezer and let it thaw in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours. Remove the protective layers, slice the dough to the correct thickness you noted and bake them according to the directions you wrote on the label.
Freezing Cookie Dough: Shaped or Cut Cookie Dough
I’m particularly fond of freezing cut cookie dough during the mad rush that surrounds the Christmas holidays. Sugar cookie dough and any frosted cookie dough (even gingerbread) can be frozen prior to baking, but after its been formed into its final shape.
Prepare your shaped dough according to the directions in your recipe. Line a cookie sheet (the kind without a lip, not a jelly roll pan with a lip) using parchment paper or freezer paper and be sure to cover the bottom of the pan completely. Roll out large chunks of dough on the pan to completely cover the paper without going over the edges. Use cookie cutters to cut out the dough directly on the pan, but do not remove the cut out cookie yet. Be sure to dip the cutters in flour lightly between each cut you press into the dough. When you’ve pressed as many shapes as will fit into the dough, remove the excess dough around the shapes you cut out and leave the cookies directly on the paper. Use the excess dough on another pan of cookies and repeat the process of rolling out the dough and cutting away the excess until all the dough is used up.
Once all the cookie dough is used, place the unbaked cutouts directly in the freezer and freeze them for about an hour. Once frozen through, work quickly to transfer the cutout shapes to a vacuum-sealed bag, a zippered freezer bag, or an airtight plastic container. Label the dough with the name of the cookie type, the date it was frozen, and any baking instructions you’ll need for when you decide to make the cookies. Be sure to include how far apart the dough portions need to sit while baking. My label would look something like this:
Grandma’s Sugar Cookie Dough
Today’s Date
Bake @ 350F, 12 minutes, 2 inches apart
When it’s time to bake the cookies, remove them from the freezer and place them on lined cookie sheets to thaw at room temperature for about 10 minutes to soften them. Then, bake them according to the directions you wrote on the label.
