better to freeze cookie dough or cookies?

I've frozen cookie dough before, and haven't been entirely happy with the baked results. I know some bakers who have frozen baked cookies--can the results be as good as baking fresh cookie dough? Perhaps I don't wrap my dough well enough--I have tried the famous David Leite recipe (put to rest in the fridge), and didn't think it was better than baking a dough I've just made. And can any dough or cookie freeze well--for example, Amanda's chocolate oatmeal cookie, or Claudia Fleming's brownie cookie?

brooklynite
  • 20635 views
  • 13 Comments

13 Comments

pamelalee
pamelalee November 8, 2011
When you bake cookie dough that has been frozen, do you put them straight in the oven without thawing? If so, is the baking time going to be longer?
 
mrslarkin
mrslarkin November 8, 2011
Yes, I put my frozen chocolate chip cookie balls straight in the oven without thawing. It does take a few extra minutes to bake. Same goes for most other cookies, I would imagine. The only thing I would make sure to do is, if it's a cookie that needs to be pressed down, say with the tines of a fork or the bottom of a glass or something, do that before you freeze the raw cookies.
 
brooklynite
brooklynite October 10, 2011
Thank you all--I can now plan my holiday baking accordingly! Great suggestion about freezing individual rounds.
 
Dorie G.
Dorie G. October 10, 2011
While most cookies freeze well, I agree with Mrs. Larkin that freezing dough is preferable. I, too, portion out the dough and let the individual rounds of dough freeze on a baking sheet before I wrap them airtight. As ChefJune mentioned, brownies and their cousins are not good candidates for freezing and then baking. However, choc-chips and oatmeals, sugar cookies and shortbreads all do well.
 
Food O.
Food O. October 5, 2011
I freeze the cookies in a plastic bag. They will keep for a few months. But somehow, there are fewer and fewer cookies in the bag as each day passes. What could it be? I have a cookie eating freezer!
 
boulangere
boulangere October 5, 2011
Cookie dough, scooped. Stack the scoops on pieces of parchment about 12" square. Stack one on top of another. Be sure the scoops are snugged right up against each other. Double-wrapped in plastic wrap. This eliminates air that can freezer burn and dehydrate them. Pull out and thaw as many at a time as you need, bake them up fresh. Make a pot of very good coffee and share some with a friend.
 
ChefJune
ChefJune October 5, 2011
Cookies can be frozen either the raw dough or the baked cookies. Some recover better than others. Oatmeal cookies (with or without chocolate in them) tend to do very well. Brownies should only be frozen after being baked and cooled.
 
sdebrango
sdebrango October 5, 2011
Thats brilliant mrslarkin, I love that idea. I always froze a big hunk of dough this is so much better.
 
SarahK
SarahK October 5, 2011
Another way to do it is to freeze them in a log so that you basically have your own slice-and-bake. I wrap mine in saran wrap and then either tinfoil or a ziplock. I've never liked frozen baked cookies as much - somehow they just never get their texture back.
 
Montana C.
Montana C. October 5, 2011
fourth the motion!
 
wssmom
wssmom October 4, 2011
mrslarkin, you are the best! i used to individually freeze cookie dough cookies by wrapping each of them in wax paper; your suggestion of freezing of them in little cookie balls is SO much smarter!!!!
 
enbe
enbe October 4, 2011
mrslarkin, simple but brilliant solution to pre-portion cookie dough
 

Voted the Best Reply!

mrslarkin
mrslarkin October 4, 2011
Hooray for cookies! Nothing better than a fresh-baked cookie! But most cookies freeze well after they are baked. Better to freeze them than to let them go stale, imho.

Also, instead of freezing one great big hunk of cookie dough, you can freeze cookie dough by scooping out balls of dough, placing on a cookie sheet until solid. Then you can store dough balls in a zip top baggie and bake as many as you want, whenever you want.

 
Recommended by Food52

Popular on Food52