You will certainly need to keep raw cookie dough at some point in your life, whether you just created too much or are attempting to plan ahead a few days. If you’re anything like me, you’ll eat cookies more than once. There are several reasons to freeze cookie dough, and it might sometimes be preferable than refrigerating it. So, to address the question, can I freeze cookie dough instead of storing it in the refrigerator?
Contents
- Freezing Cookie Dough
- Flash Freezing Cookie Dough
- Freezing Cookie Dough While Avoiding Freezer Burn
- Thawing Cookie Dough
- Frozen Cookie Dough Shelf Life
- Is It A Good Idea To Freeze Cookie Dough?
- Can I Freeze Cookie Dough Instead Of Refrigerating It – FAQs
- FAQs
- Can I freeze cookie dough instead of refrigerating it before baking?
- What happens if you don t refrigerate cookie dough before baking?
- Does freezing cookie dough affect the taste?
- How do you freeze raw cookie dough?
- What is the benefit of freezing cookie dough before baking?
- Should frozen cookie dough be thawed before baking?
- How long should you chill cookie dough before baking?
- How do you store dough overnight without a refrigerator?
- What cookie dough should not be frozen?
- How do you defrost frozen cookie dough?
Freezing Cookie Dough
Before going any farther, it is essential to address the major question that many people will have.
Yes, you can freeze cookie dough instead of putting it in the fridge. Both the texture and taste will ultimately stay unchanged, and you will have some great cookies if you decide to bake the dough.
It should be noted, however, that if you freeze the cookie dough and then defrost it, you should avoid freezing it again since the texture will worsen.
If you want to freeze all of your dough and defrost it in batches, freeze it in smaller quantities so that you only thaw what you need. More to come on it later!
Best Types Of Cookie Dough To Freeze
When it comes to freezing your cookie dough, you’ll need to know which forms of cookie dough are the most suitable with freezing. Cookies are a form of baked item, and there are many distinct varieties of cookies. This implies that certain cookies will contain dough that responds badly to freezing.
Big hearty doughs that are chunky and chewy are the ideal cookie doughs to freeze. Cookie doughs for sliced cookies, particularly shortbread and sugar cookies, freeze well. Frozen cookie dough may be brittle and stiff, thus delicate doughs like macarons should be avoided. It would be a shame to destroy something so laborious to produce by turning it into a sloppy frozen dough.
Sugar cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies, and chunky chocolate chip cookies, for example, freeze well. Shortbread and similar cookies may also be frozen. It is the more delicate sort of dough that is at danger of losing its texture if frozen.
Flash Freezing Cookie Dough
When freezing cookie dough, it is best not to do it in one large lump. This means that scooping your whole batch of cookie dough into an airtight container and calling it a day is not a smart idea. This is awful for the dough and horrible for storage, not to mention that you’ll have to defrost the whole batch at once instead of just what you need.
baking sheets. This is the same method as making cookies, except instead of baking them, put them in the freezer for an hour or two. The easiest technique to freeze cookie dough is to flash freeze it first. When your cookie dough is ready to freeze, divide it into cookie dough balls using a cookie scoop or a tablespoon. Place these chocolate chip cookie balls on a cookie sheet or a baking pan coated with parchment paper.
This approach will somewhat freeze the cookie dough balls, making them firmer and less sticky than raw dough. Remove the cookie dough balls from the freezer and place them in an airtight container or a heavy-duty freezer bag. This process may be done until your container or bag is filled. When thawing your cookie dough, just remove as many dough balls as you need rather than thawing the whole batch.
Freezing Cookie Dough While Avoiding Freezer Burn
Freezer burn may deter many individuals from freezing their food, resulting in additional food waste and wasted money. Knowing how to effectively freeze food without damaging it in the freezer is a vital ability.
Freezer burn occurs in most foods when there is a large surface area and some residual moisture from the air. In exceptional situations, this may be tough to overcome, but for the most part, you should be alright.
Pouring your dough balls into a container or a bag, as described in the previous stages, is a perfect method to store them since it keeps them from being exposed to the freezer. Use a straw or your lips to suck out as much air as possible while placing the cookie balls in a freezer bag. It does not have to be a vacuum seal, but simply eliminating some of the air is a good start in preventing freezer burn.
Furthermore, if you want to be extra careful, you may cover the cookie balls in cling film or plastic wrap to fully exclude any contact with air that they may have.
Another comparable step, which is usually accomplished by simply utilizing an airtight storage technique, is to ensure that the cookie balls are not directly in the front of the freezer. Every time you open and close the freezer door, air enters the freezer. This isn’t a big deal if your balls are in an airtight container, but if they’re simply lying on a plate in the freezer, you want to limit their contact with fresh air.
Thawing Cookie Dough
Now that you know how to freeze cookie dough, you’ll want to know how to correctly transform your cookies from frozen solid to pleasant and soft like they were before. T
The thawing phase is critical, and rushing it will affect the texture of your cookies; even if you opt to bake your cookies, this will be visible.
The easiest technique to defrost frozen cookies is to let their temperature increase naturally over a somewhat longer length of time. Leaving your dough in the fridge overnight is an excellent method to achieve this since it happens gradually over a few hours. Chilling frozen cookie dough allows it to gently defrost without affecting the texture.
After that, just set it aside at room temperature for approximately 10 minutes before baking the dough. If they are still cold from the fridge, they will take longer to bake and will bake unevenly.
Frozen Cookie Dough Shelf Life
Now that you know how to freeze cookies to keep them fresher for longer, you may be wondering how long you can keep them frozen before the quality begins to deteriorate.
Personally, I would only keep them in the freezer for approximately a month. They may live for longer without being certified safe to eat, but after a month, the texture tends to suffer and can be substantially worse.
Is It A Good Idea To Freeze Cookie Dough?
There are several advantages to freezing cookie dough, and since the texture may stay practically unchanged, there is no reason not to do so. For example, if you make a large amount of cookie dough but just want to bake a few cookies, you would generally refrigerate the cookie batter and then have a time restriction until the dough is no longer good to bake. Freezing the dough provides you a lot more time to experiment with it and eliminates the need to use it as soon as possible.
Can I Freeze Cookie Dough Instead Of Refrigerating It – FAQs
Both solutions are fine depending on your time constraints, but you should select the one that is best for you. Refrigerate the dough if you are not intending to bake it within a week. However, if you are unsure and want additional time before the dough becomes worthless, freeze it.
Nothing horrible will occur! The dough will freeze as it should, and you may defrost it in the fridge overnight before using it. Freezing cookie dough is an excellent strategy to extend its shelf life and avoid wasting it.
The texture of cooked cookies might be ruined by freezing cookie batter. This is mostly due to the freezing of delicate dough for cookies such as macaroons. The bigger, chunkier doughs are considerably simpler to freeze since they have little to no influence on the texture later on.
You certainly can! Cookie dough should be scooped into balls, partly frozen for a couple of hours, and then totally frozen in an airtight container or freezer bag. This gives you a month to properly preserve your dough before using it.
FAQs
Freeze cookie dough for later baking; it’s simpler than you think. Because the dough has a solid texture and can survive longer time in the freezer, freezing works best for cutout cookies, drop cookies, and slice-and-bake cookies. It will keep for up to three months if properly stored.
Refrigerating the dough helps the fats to cool. As a consequence, the cookies will expand slowly and retain their texture. If you omit the chilling phase, you’ll end up with flat, sad disks rather than wonderful, chewy cookies. Cookies baked from cold dough have a much richer taste.
In general, baking these sorts of cookies straight from the freezer is OK, although the results will not be identical to those prepared fresh. The flavor will be retained, but the cookies will not spread as far. If you want the spread to be consistent, defrost the dough in the fridge for 24 hours.
Form the dough into two 1-inch thick disks. Wrap the disks in plastic or wax paper and place them in a plastic freezer bag or other freezer container. Remove as much air as possible, label the bag, and freeze for up to 3 months.
If you’ve ever been perplexed by a chocolate chip cookie recipe that instructs you to refrigerate your dough for an hour, don’t. In as little as 30 minutes in the fridge or freezer, your cookie will brown better, spread less, and acquire a more chewy texture.
It is not necessary to defrost frozen drop cookie dough before baking your cookies; in fact, we do not suggest it. Begin by preheating the oven to a temperature that is somewhat lower than the temperature specified in your recipe — approximately 15 degrees F lower.
Q: HOW LONG SHOULD I KEEP THE DOUGH CHILLED? Anywhere between 24 and 72 hours. The longer the dough is chilled, the more flavor develops. The flour will also absorb more moisture, making the final texture thicker and chewier.
How do you store dough overnight without a refrigerator?
Outside of the refrigerator, the dough has the potential to ferment overnight. If you live in a cold climate, you may store the dough in a metal or glass utensil, greased on the surface, or covered in plastic. You may keep it cool by placing it near a window or wrapping a moist towel over it. Avoid it in the summer.
With a few exceptions, almost every variety of cookie dough can be effectively frozen. Delicate, thin cookies like florentine, lace, and tuile are created with a liquid batter that does not freeze well unbaked or baked. Aside from these, any cookie will do.
Thaw for at least one hour (up to overnight) in the refrigerator, then thaw on the counter for 30 minutes or so, until the dough is soft enough to lay out and bake as indicated in your recipe.