How to Freeze Sugar Cookie Dough

Whether you need to make a bunch of cookies ahead of time for an event or just have a little dough leftover, this tutorial will teach you the basics of how to freeze sugar cookie dough. We'll go over how to freeze the dough before cutting, after cutting, as well as how to freeze sugar cookies after baking.

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What You Need to Freeze Sugar Cookie Dough

• Sugar Cookie Dough (these cut out sugar cookies are my favorite recipe)
• Gallon-Sized Freezer Bag
• Plastic Wrap Baking Sheet

How to Freeze Sugar Cookie Dough

Method #1: Freeze Dough Before Rolling

Great for when: You want to get the prep work out of the way, so that you can cut out and bake the cookies on another day. Perfect for holiday baking days with the kids, as they can just help with the full part of cutting them out and baking.

How to Freeze Dough Before Rolling:

1. After making the cut out sugar cookie dough, transfer it to a sheet of floured covered parchment paper and roll it into a ball.
2. Gently flatten the ball into a 1.5" to 2" thick disc.
3. Wrap the disc in plastic wrap.
4. Place disc inside plastic freezer bag (being sure to press out all the air) and seal.

5. Place bag of dough on baking tray and place in the freezer for 2-3 hours until firm and frozen.
6. Once firm, you can remove the bag from the baking tray and store the bag upright in the freezer wherever it fits.

Freeze up to 1 month. When ready to bake, remove dough from freezer and allow to thaw at room temperature inside the bag. When thawed, use a rolling pin to roll to desired thickness, cut into shapes, then bake. With the initial roll-out, you shouldn't need to re-knead or roll the disc since you already did that before baking. Learn how to roll out sugar cookies to prevent spreading.

Method #2: Freeze Sugar Cookie Dough After Cutting Out

Great for: When you want to have all the prep work done beforehand and just want to bake the cookies later.

How to Freeze Sugar Cookie Dough After Cutting Out:

1.Roll out sugar cookies and use cookie cutters to cut into shapes. Learn how to roll out sugar cookies to prevent spreading.

2.Place cut shapes on a parchment lined baking sheet. Don't worry about spreading them out at this point - you can squeeze as many as you can on one tray.

3. Place tray in freezer for 2-3 hours or until shapes are frozen. (While they are freezing, line a container with plastic wrap, allowing about 6 inches to overhang off the edges.)

4. Working quickly to prevent from thawing, remove shapes from tray and place in the airtight container, placing a piece of parchment paper between each layer.

5. After the last layer, fold the overhang of plastic wrap over the top layer. If needed, add more plastic wrap so that the entire top is covered.

6. Place container lid on top, pressing out any excess air.

Freeze for up to 1 month. When ready to bake, place cookies on a parchment-lined baking tray 2-3 inches apart, allow to thaw to room temperature, then bake according to recipe instructions.

Method 3: Freeze Baked Cookies

Want to have all the prepwork done so that all you have to do is decorate? To freeze baked cookies, follow the instructions below:

Unfrosted: Line container with plastic wrap, leaving about 6 inches of overhang on two sides. Layer cookies, placing a piece of parchment paper between each layer. When the container is full, fold the overhang of plastic wrap over the top to fully cover the top layer. Close container with lid, pressing out any excess air.

When ready to use, remove container from freezer and allow to thaw at room temperature before frosting.

Buttercream/Cream Cheese Frosted Cookies: Frost cookies then place on a baking sheet. Place cookie sheet in the freezer for 2-3 hours or until the frosting is frozen.

Line container with plastic wrap, leaving about 6 inches of overhang on two sides. Layer frozen cookies, placing a piece of parchment paper between each layer. When the container is full, fold the overhang of plastic wrap over the top to fully cover the top layer. Close container with lid, pressing out any excess air.

When ready to use, immediately remove cookies from container, place on cookie sheet, and let thaw in the refrigerator.

Royal Icing Frosted Cookies: 

Allow royal icing to fully harden/dry before freezing. Line container with plastic wrap, leaving about 6 inches of overhang on two sides. Layer cookies, placing a piece of parchment paper between each layer. When the container is full, fold the overhang of plastic wrap over the top to fully cover the top layer. Close container with lid, pressing out any excess air. For a double seal of freshness, place container in a airtight freezer ziploc bag or wrap the container in plastic wrap.

When ready to use, immediately remove cookies from container, place on cookie sheet, and let thaw at room temperature.