Skip to content
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. 

 

Previous article How to Make Stained Glass Cookies

Comments

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!

Diana - January 12, 2023

I have to freeze decorated sugar cookies with royal icing all the time. I work full time and the only way to make orders for people is to work ahead and freeze them. I have never had an issue or a complaint when they thaw. The only thing I can say I do different is that most of my customers want their cookies individually bagged. So, I seal them in individual bags, then put those bags into freezer bags.

Leave a comment

Comments must be approved before appearing

* Required fields

  • solar eclipse cookie

    Solar Eclipse Cookies

    Cookiers will find a way to cookie anything. Yes. Cookiers will find a way to cookie anything. Am I being dramatic? A tad. But c'mon! Is there anything more dramatic than a total solar eclipse? I knew the eclipse was...

    Read now
  • Blog Index

    All Airbrush Related Articles 1. Which Airbrush System is right for you? 2. Live Replay: Unboxing & getting started with your airbrush with Hillary & Sarah. 3. How to make watercolor florals with airbrush color 4. Live Replay: Airbrushing 101...

    Read now
  • sprinkle stencil blog header

    How to Use Sprinkle Stencils

    I generally don't use sprinkles on my decorated cookies all that frequently, because I always struggle to find the shapes I need in the colors I want. I also don't love the idea of using sprinkles that have already been...

    Read now
{"statementLink":"https://dashboard.accessibe.com/statement?license=65dcded71c3e7c00032df5a2","footerHtml":"","hideMobile":false,"hideTrigger":false,"disableBgProcess":false,"language":"en","position":"left","leadColor":"#146ff8","triggerColor":"#146ff8","triggerRadius":"50%","triggerPositionX":"right","triggerPositionY":"bottom","triggerIcon":"people","triggerSize":"medium","triggerOffsetX":20,"triggerOffsetY":20,"mobile":{"triggerSize":"small","triggerPositionX":"right","triggerPositionY":"bottom","triggerOffsetX":10,"triggerOffsetY":10,"triggerRadius":"50%"}}