Knowing how to freeze sugar cookies can be incredibly helpful when preparing cookies in advance for the holidays or a party! You can prepare your cookies ahead of time, freeze them, and they'll be ready for the big day! I'm going to walk you through everything you need to know about freezing your favorite sugar cookies!
Best Method For Freezing Baked Sugar Cookies
Preparing cookies ahead of time is a real time-saver and stress reliever, especially around the holidays! Simply prepare your sugar cookies and store them in the freezer for later.
In this guide, I'm going to show you all of the best methods for storing your sugar cookies so that they taste just as good as when they first came out of the oven!
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For more storage information, take a look at my article about how long sugar cookies last!
When To Freeze Sugar Cookies
There are a bunch of different reasons why you would be needing to freeze your cookies. First of all, the holidays! If you are hosting your family for Thanksgiving or Christmas, we all know everything can get pretty hectic.
You'll be busy cooking a bunch of different dishes for the big day, most of which will need to be prepared as close to serving as possible. If you are able to make and freeze your sugar cookies ahead of time, it is one less thing to worry about!
These tips and tricks will also come in handy for birthday parties, special occasions, or if you have leftover cookies and want to save them for later!
Decorated vs Undecorated
When it comes to freezing baked sugar cookies, it is best to do so before they are decorated with frosting or icing. This is because the colors are likely to run or bleed during the storage process, ruining the decorations.
If you are choosing to freeze decorated cookies, it is best to do a test run beforehand to ensure the ingredients used to decorate hold up to being frozen.
Additionally, you could frost your cookies with plain white icing before freezing and then add the finishing touches once defrosted.
How To Freeze Sugar Cookies
Make sure that your cookies have cooled completely before proceeding with storing them. In an airtight container, place your cookies into layers with parchment paper separating each layer.
Additionally, you could wrap your cookies individually with plastic wrap (this is a great option if you will only be wanting to eat one cookie at a time) and then keep them in a Ziploc bag.
If your sugar cookies have already been decorated, you'll want to avoid letting them touch one another. Lay them in a single flat layer to be frozen for best results, although this does require more storage space.
How Long Can Sugar Cookies Be Frozen
For maximum freshness, make sure you are properly storing your sugar cookies as directed above. Both undecorated and decorated frozen sugar cookies can easily be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months!
How To Defrost Frozen Sugar Cookies
Leave your frozen cookies in the container they were stored in and transfer them to the fridge. Leaving them in the container helps to ensure that condensation occurs on the outside, rather than on the cookies themselves.
You'll want to keep the cookies in the fridge for a few hours before moving them to the counter to come to room temperature. Using the refrigerator allows them to thaw out slowly, which reduces the chances of the decorations running or bleeding.
Once they have reached room temperature, you can decorate them like usual or go ahead and enjoy them!
Now you know the best way to store your sugar cookies in the freezer! What is your favorite sugar cookie recipe? Leave a comment down below to let me know!
🍪 Sugar Cookie Recipes
- Classic Sugar Cookies - This is a recipe for a classic batch of delicious sugar cookies!
- No Chill Rolled Sugar Cookies - To save time, try out this recipe that doesn't require chilling the dough!
- Double Sugar Cookies - Two sugar cookies have a sweet filling to form a sugar cookie sandwich!
- Vintage Betty Crocker Rolled Sugar Cookies - These traditional sugar cookies are perfect for any occasion!
- Eggnog Sugar Cookies - Perfect for winter, these cookies have eggnog in the dough and are coated with a sweet nutmeg frosting!
- Bat Sugar Cookies - If you are in the mood for something spooky, try out these easy bat-shaped cookies!
Do you love a recipe you tried? Please leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page.
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📖 Recipe Card
How To Freeze Sugar Cookies: Classic Sugar Cookies (Your Complete Guide With Tips!)
Ingredients
- ¾ cup butter (1 ½ sticks at room temperature)
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or extract of your choice)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt (use 1 teaspoon salt with unsalted butter)
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer), cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, baking powder, and salt and combine thoroughly.
- Add the flour and stir until all of the flour has been incorporated into your sugar cookie dough. If you are going to roll your cookies out soon, you can place the bowl in the refrigerator to chill for at least one hour.
- If it is going to be a while (up to 3 days) before you will be rolling out your dough, wrap the dough in cling film to refrigerate and chill.
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and line your baking sheet(s) with parchment paper.
- After your dough has chilled, work with small portions of the dough on a floured surface. Roll out until ¼-inch to ½-inch thick and cut into desired shapes. Transfer to a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake for 6-9 minutes at 375°F (190°C).
- Remove your cookies from the oven before getting golden around the bottom edges. Allow them to remain on the baking sheet for 5-6 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
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