Freezing Cookies & Cookie Dough: Tip Sheet

Frozen baked or unbaked, cookies from your freezer have the same flavor and texture as freshly baked cookies. If your freezer is crowded, you’ll probably prefer to freeze unbaked cookie dough–it takes less freezer space and needs no special handling to prevent breakage. On the other hand, cookies baked before freezing are ready to eat within minutes upon removal from the freezer. Either way, cookies freeze superbly.

How To Freeze Baked Cookies

Cookie Dough & Freshly Baked Cookies

• Bake cookies and cool completely. It is best to store baked cookies in containers (bakery carton, cans, etc.) which will give them protection against the handling and bumping they may get in the freezer.
• Protect cookies by wrapping with layers of crumpled pieces of waxed paper. Separate layers of soft cookies with double thicknesses of waxed paper.
• Be sure metal containers have tight-fitting lids; give cardboard cartons an overwrap of foil or plastic.

How To Freeze Unbaked Cookie Dough

• Drop cookie dough may be packed in bulk in any air-tight freezer container; when ready to bake you need thaw dough only until it is soft enough to let you break off pieces. Or, you can drop dough by teaspoonful onto cookie sheet 1/4″ apart, quick-freeze for 1 hour, then pack into containers using double thicknesses of waxed paper to separate the layers. This method eliminates thawing time; the frozen drop cookies can be placed in the oven immediately.
• Shape refrigerator cookie dough, wrap in foil or plastic bag and freeze. When ready to bake, simply slice off as many cookies as you wish from the frozen dough and return balance of dough to freezer. The cut cookies can be put to bake immediately.
• Rolled cookies should be rolled and cut for baking before freezing. Pack with two sheets of waxed paper separating each layer. These, too, can go from your freezer into the oven without thawing.

Cookie Thawing Instructions

• Baked Cookies: Thaw in freezer wrapping at room temperature 15-30 minutes depending on thickness of the cookies and number packed in each container.
• Unbaked Cookie Dough: Thaw in freezer wrapping at room temperature until dough can be handled; place on greased cookie sheet, bake as usual.

Source: How To Freeze Foods Booklet (1950’s)

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