How to Freeze Cookies - Iced, Airbrushed, Baked, and How to Thaw
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How to Freeze Cookies

How to Freeze Cookies

Yes, you can freeze cookies! However, it's important that you freeze them at the right stage of baking and icing, and know how to properly defrost them.

Always experiment first. Your freezer or cookie recipe may vary from the ones in our test kitchen, and you don't want to find out on the morning of a big cookie order that something went wrong!

Cookies that Shouldn't Be Frozen

Avoid freezing cookies if they are decorated with colored sugars or sprinkles unless you are SURE they are freezer safe. TEST FIRST.

If they are frozen with color on them, the color may bleed. If this happened, know that the cookies are technically still good to eat, just less attractive. Proceed with caution when freezing cookies with bright or strong colored icing, as colors may bleed. Experimenting ahead of time is your friend. 

guide on how to freeze cookies

How to Freeze Cookies

After your cookies are baked and iced with royal icing, they can be frozen.

Once your iced cookies have completely dried, place them in an airtight container, like a plastic freezer bag or Tupperware, with sheets of waxed paper in between any layers, and pop them in your freezer. Within 30 minutes to an hour, the cookies will be completely frozen.

Always mark the bag with the date the cookies were put in the freezer!

Another good idea is to always have a container of baking soda in the freezer to absorb any funky odors that may transfer to your cookies!

How to Defrost Frozen Cookies

When you take them out to defrost, leave them in the container you froze them in. This way any condensation will form on the outside of the container, not on the cookie. This can take 1 - 3 hours depending on your environment.

You want to allow any moisture build-up that happens during the defrosting process to dry out before you start working on them.

How Long Will Frozen Cookies Last?

If frozen properly, I personally find that frozen cookies stay good (and delicious) for about a month to 45 days.

Freezing Cookies that Have Been Airbrushed

After airbrushing your cookies, dust them with a light layer of corn starch (using a fine mesh sieve for this works well). Use the same freezing and defrosting  process as above. If you remove them from the container when defrosting, condensation will rehydrate the airbrushing and smudge if you touch them. So leaving them in the container is best. Again, experiment with a batch ahead of time so you know what to expect. 

Having generic shaped cookies that are iced in just white icing are great to keep in your freezer. Need a last minute birthday or thank-you gift? Defrost and decorate and/or stencil in the same day. Done! You can also freeze cookies that have not been iced and just defrost and ice as needed. 

 

Filed in: baking101, Tips & Tricks
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Comments

Nanette - November 15, 2023

I am freezing my cookies after I heat sealed them, using Tupperware and defrosting as you describe. Is there a reason for not heat sealing?
———
The Cookie Countess replied:
Hi Nanette!

If your cookies are completely finished, feel free to heat seal them before freezing! Many cookiers opt to freeze flooded (but not decorated) cookies until they are ready to finish the job, and it would be a waste of resources to heat seal them, remove them from the heat-sealed bags, and then heat seal them again when they are done. I hope this helps!

Suzette - November 14, 2023

Does freezing apply to fondant decorated cookies?
———
The Cookie Countess replied:
Hi Suzette! Many decorators do choose to freeze fondant-decorated treats, but since the freezing process can affect its texture and consistency, we recommend testing it out with your own process to make sure it works for you. Good luck!

Jeanne - October 16, 2023

i rolled and cut the cookies but did not cook them. i layered them between parchment paper and wrapped in saran wrap then put them in a container. i am cooking them on monday morning so i took them out of the freezer and refrigerated them to defrost. how well does this work? i see a lot of people actually cooking them first but i did not do that.
———
The Cookie Countess replied:
Hi Jeanne.

Your method should still work fine; cookie dough can definitely be frozen and then baked, so this really is no different. I think most people don’t do it this way just because it increases the risk of deforming or misshaping the dough before baking the cookies. And a lot of people find that cookies that have been frozen taste even better upon defrosting 😊 Do what works for you!

Chris Stafford - October 10, 2023

Can cookies be frozen several times? ie: bake & freeze THEN thaw,decorate and REFREEZE? thanks!!
———
The Cookie Countess replied:
Hi Chris. You can potentially thaw and refreeze cookies several times. The important thing is how you are freezing and storing them. Eliminating as much air as possible is the key, as we want to avoid freezer burn. I would recommend doing a test run to make sure that your process works well for you and that the cookies are up to your standard at the end of the day.

Jasmine Thomas - July 31, 2023

Can you freeze sugar cookies that have not been iced yet? If so, is it the same process?
———
The Cookie Countess replied:
Yes it is!

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Mayra - July 7, 2023

Hello!! I would like to know if you can freeze the cookie dough for later use!?
How long will frozen dough Last!?
———
The Cookie Countess replied:
Yes, you can absolutely freeze cookie dough! Opinions on timeframes vary, but 3 months is pretty average.

Laura Kay - July 7, 2023

Thanks for your help!!!
———
The Cookie Countess replied:
You’re so welcome! Happy baking!

Mallory - May 22, 2023

Hey there! Just curious- when defrosting your cookies, I know you said it can take about 1-3hrs & to leave them in the same container you froze them in (great tip!) but do you do this in the refrigerator or at room temp? TIA!:)
———
The Cookie Countess replied:
You can leave them right on the counter at room temperature!

Stephanie - April 17, 2023

Hi! I freeze cookies often in tightly sealed contaiers with waxed paper between each layer. I recently decorated some cookies for a baby sower and the royal icing, especially the thin lines “flaked” off as I was packaging them after they defrosted. Any idea why this might happen? I am just learning to work with royal icing. Thank you!
———
The Cookie Countess replied:
It’s possible your icing for those thin lines in particular didn’t have enough moisture in it, so it was more prone to breakage once dry. A little more water should make the icing less brittle and more pliable. I hope this helps!

Stephanie - January 22, 2023

I have frozen my cookies as well! I really love that you share such helpful tips! Please keep them coming! Thank you!

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