How to Freeze Cookie Dough (To Bake Fresh Cookies Any Time!)

Freshly baked cookies are a dream… but we can’t always make a fresh batch! Learn how to how to freeze cookie dough to have fresh-baked cookies whenever you want. We’ve gathered all our tips and tricks here, as well as our favorite recipes for freezing cookies.

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Whether you want to have cookie dough on hand to eat for your sweet teeth, a stash to bake for a friend or even make cookie dough ahead of time for a party, this is a great kitchen hack to have up your sleeve!

Close up of a stack of Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I did not utilize my freezer nearly as much as I should have when we had our girls. While I stocked up on freezer meals and other bits and pieces (like Freezer-Friendly Breakfast Tacos) that would make for easy dinners, I missed the boat on an important course: dessert.

In fact, I didn’t start freezing cookie dough until 2020, when the world came to a screeching halt and we couldn’t find a large majority of ingredients to bake homemade cookies.

I started freezing the cookie dough balls to have some for ourselves later on, but it comes in handy when you’re making a recipe that has more cookies than you’ll eat (or share).

Surely, you’ve run into an instance where you needed to bake cookies but didn’t have time or supplies, right?

Here are a few reasons why freezer cookie dough comes in handy:

You have a serious sweet tooth, and you don’t want to have to make a full batch of cookies every time you have a hankering.
New neighbors moved in down the street, and you want to share a sweet treat.
If you’re participating in a bake sale and don’t want to have to make and bake everything the same day…
A friend had a baby, and you want her to treat herself. (Bonus points for bringing your friend the best cookies and some frozen cookie dough, too. Late night cookie cravings were a thing I had when my girls were infants.)
You’re hosting a party and want to serve warm and fresh cookies, but you don’t want to make the cookie dough while guests are hanging out.
Get ahead on holiday baking by making your Christmas cookies in advance…

No matter how you look at it, freezer cookie dough is the best! And it’s really so simple to make happen in your own home, too.

A close up of cookie dough with sprinkles

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Baking sheet or a cookie sheet — while a larger baking sheet can fit into my freezer sometimes, having a jelly roll pan comes in handy if your freezer is full or smaller.
Parchment paper or wax paper
Cookie scoop—any size works!
Freezer plastic bag (or another freezer-safe food storage container, like a large Stasher bag or another freezer-safe airtight container)
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Obviously, in addition to these tools, you need cookie dough to freeze. Most any type of drop cookie can be frozen, so choose your favorite and follow these steps!

Our favorite types of cookies to freeze:

Whenever I make a batch of cookies these days, I freeze about half of it so we have some for later!

Here are a few of our favorite cookies for freezing:

Notice that these are all drop cookies that require very little work on your part once they’re done freezing. Most of them have eggs, so please note that they should not be eaten raw.

Cutout cookies, like slice and bake, are more tricky, though they can be frozen if wrapped well.

Cut-out cookie dough freezes well in a round, wrapped in plastic wrap, then can be thawed and rolled out accordingly. This is good for shortbread cookies, as well as gingerbread cookies.

More delicate cookies, like lace cookies, are trickier to freeze and best baked fresh every time.

Dough balls full of M&Ms sit on a baking sheet before freezing

Make your cookie dough recipe as directed. Depending on the recipe, you’ll need a hand or stand mixer, as well as a large bowl. You might need a cookie scoop, as well.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or wax paper. This will prevent the cookie dough from sticking to it as it freezes.

If the cookie dough needs to chill before you bake it, let it do its thing, then once that step has completed, scoop the cookie dough onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. You can scoop these relatively close together in a single layer, but don’t let them touch because then they’ll freeze as one.

You can also scoop room temperature cookie dough onto a sheet pan to freeze immediately.

When all your cookies have been scooped, transfer the baking sheet to the freezer and freeze for 3-4 hours. Once frozen solid, simply transfer the frozen dough into a freezer bag.

For best results, make sure to transfer the frozen cookies into the freezer bag or container as soon as they’re frozen solid so they do not get freezer burn.

The frozen cookie dough will keep for 2-3 months, and you can pull 1-2 cookies out at any time to bake yourself a warm cookie!

Label the bag with the kind of cookie dough, the date they were frozen, as well as baking instructions. I like to include the oven temperature and bake time on the bag so I don’t have to find the recipe when I’m ready to bake myself a cookie.

When you want a freezer cookie, preheat the oven to the recipe’s specified temperature and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Bake the frozen dough balls straight from the freezer — you don’t need to thaw the dough! — for 1-2 minutes more than the original recipe states, and enjoy warm!

Chocolate Almond Butter Cookies with Chocolate Chips on a baking pan after baking

Frequently Asked Questions

Which kinds of cookie dough are best to freeze?

Any drop cookie is a candidate for freezing! If you want to freeze a roll-out cookie (like a sugar cookie), I suggest freezing the dough in a round (instead of cutting it out) OR baking them first and freezing the final cookies. The baked cookies will keep for a month or a little longer in the freezer if sealed well!

How long does cookie dough last in the freezer?

The frozen cookie dough balls should last 2-3 months in the freezer.

How do I bake frozen cookie dough?

Follow the original recipe’s instructions for oven temperature. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking sheet, and when the oven is preheated, bake the frozen cookie dough for 1-2 minutes more than the recipe states. Keep an eye on them!

A cookie scoop holds a portion of lemon drop cookie batter on a baking sheet next to scooped cookies

Use the right type of cookie recipe to freeze individual cookies. Drop cookies, like chocolate chip cookies and other recipes that involve a cookie scoop, are great for freezing.
Make sure the baking sheet lies flat in the freezer to prevent the dough balls from sticking together. Similarly, leave a little space between the dough so the cookie dough doesn’t freeze together.
Label your storage bag. You want to know what your cookie are, as well as when it was made. Also, include the oven temperature and bake time so you don’t have to find that whenever you want a freshly baked cookie.
If you want to freeze cut-out cookies, like a classic sugar cookie dough, freeze it in a round. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap well so that it doesn’t get freezer burn. This will keep for 2-3 months, as well. Defrost it in the fridge before rolling out and cutting it into shapes.

Dough balls full of M&Ms sit on a baking sheet before freezing with the text 'how to freeze cookie dough'

A tray of cookies with chocolate crinkles, potato chip cookies, chocolte chip cookies, sugar cookies and more

Are you a cookie monster?

I sure am. 😉

If you love baking cookies or want to learn more about them, be sure to check out Cookies 101, which covers how to make the BEST cookies.

Check out our The 10 Best Baking Tools for Cookies, too!

Here’s how you can do it…