Place the cookies into an airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, keep the cookies in the airtight container at room temperature for at least 2 hours.
To thaw frozen cookies, take them out of the container in which they were stored and spread them out until they come to room temperature. From there, you can decorate them as needed, serve them, or, if necessary, refresh them in a 325º oven for 5 to 10 minutes.
Thawing frozen cookies is super easy. Simply remove them from their plastic wrappings and place them on a plate on the kitchen counter. It could take several hours to the cookies become soft. To speed things up, you can microwave each cookie for about 30 seconds on full power.
When thawing baked cookies, take them out of the containers and let sit at room temperature so that condensation doesn’t form and make them soggy. You can gently reheat frozen or thawed cookies to mimic that fresh-baked taste and texture: place them in a 275°F oven and check on them after 10 to 15 minutes.
Simple cookies like shortbread, gingerbread, sugar cookies, oatmeal cookies, and chocolate chip cookies all freeze well once baked. Make sure your cookies are completely cooled first. Flash freeze the cooled cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet.
How do you defrost frozen baked goods?
Thaw in the refrigerator for at least six hours before serving. When ready to eat, thaw completely in the refrigerator before wrapping bread in foil and placing it into the oven, then heating the oven to 375 degrees and leaving the bread in for another 3 to 5 minutes after the oven reaches 375 degrees.
Tip #2 Store in Freezer Bag or Container
I typically pack all of my cookies before freezing in a heat sealed plastic bag (get more tips on packing cookies – click here). I’ll even add ribbons or the bubble pouch before freeze, just so the cookies are ready to pull and go!
For cookies that are already baked, here’s how to freeze them successfully for up to two months. Be sure the cookies are completely cooled before freezing. Place the cookies into an airtight container lined with aluminum foil or plastic food wrap. For best results, wrap the cookies individually in plastic food wrap.
If you want to freeze baked sugar cookies, simply roll, cut and bake as you normally would. Let the cookies cool completely. Then freeze in layers, separated by parchment or waxed paper, in an airtight container (see tips on how to prepare cookies for freezing below).
You can expect your sugar cookies to last for up to two weeks in an airtight container either stored in the pantry or on the kitchen counter. But for real longevity, you can keep your sugar cookies in the freezer for up to six months!
The best way to reheat cookies is in the oven. Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Next, put your cookies on a wire rack with a tray of water underneath. Reheat the cookies for 5 to 10 minutes.
To reheat the cookies this way, place them on sheets and bake them at 300 degrees for about five to ten minutes. If you enjoy a more doughy texture or are super short on time, warm the cookies in the microwave for 30 seconds and enjoy.
Reheat them in the microwave on medium setting for 15 to 20 seconds. This should be enough time for the cookies to soak in the moisture from the paper towel. If you take them out and they haven’t softened enough yet, wrap them in another damp paper towel and microwave again for 10 more seconds.
Baked cookies will keep in the freezer for up to 3 or 4 weeks. After baking, allow cookies to cool completely. Place them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet to freeze them, then store them in a freezer-safe zip-top storage bag labeled with the name and date.
Plastic Wrap—Preventing freezer burn is all about keeping the air out. Once you’ve sandwiched all your cookies with parchment paper, wrap a sheet of plastic wrap over the container and then place the lid over it. The plastic wrap helps to make the container air-tight.
Once your sugar cookie recipe is fully baked and decorated, properly store them “in a tin or an airtight container, once they’re cool,” says Food52 community member Brette W.
How do you defrost baked goods quickly?
The lowest lift is to let a frozen loaf thaw, still wrapped, on the counter for a few hours or overnight and then crisp it in a 350- to 400-degree oven for a few minutes. Or wrap the still-frozen bread in foil and heat for 15 to 30 minutes, depending on size and whether you want to just quickly thaw or also warm it.
Freezing cookies is easy and they taste great after you thaw them.
As a general rule of thumb, ‘drop cookies,’ which include oatmeal and chocolate chip cookies, and ‘cut-out cookies,’ such as gingerbread and sugar cookies, are freezer-friendly.
Place them in an airtight, freezer-safe container or in a Ziploc bag. Thaw completely before making your frosted sugar cookies.
They will stay fresh for 3 to 4 weeks after that (depending on what cookie recipe you’re using). If you don’t have a heat sealer or cello bags, an airtight container will keep them fresh for a few days. Store the cookies in a cool and dry place away from direct sunlight (not in the refrigerator!).
Can You Refreeze Cookies? You can, but you need to consider whether it’s worth doing so. When you refreeze thawed cookies, they will become drier when you defrost them for a second time which can make them taste almost stale – as if you’ve left them on the side for a little too long.
To store cookies in the freezer, you have multiple options. The first is using a Ziploc bag. Simply put the baked cookies in the bag, seal it, and put it in the freezer to be used at any time. Another way to store the cookies is in a sealed container.
Baking cookies quickly in a hot oven – at 375 degrees F as opposed to a lower temperature – will make for soft results. They’ll bake fast instead of sitting and drying out in the oven’s hot air. Ever so slightly underbaking your cookies will give you softer results than cooking them the full amount the recipe says.
Here’s how to reheat cookies in the oven in three easy steps.
- Set the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Bake your cookies for four to six minutes, or until warm.
- Remove your cookies from the oven and enjoy.
To reheat cookies in the oven, place the cookies on a cookie sheet or other oven-proof dish. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees and place cookies inside to warm up for about four to five minutes. Pull them out no longer than six minutes in order to avoid drying them out or burning them.
A simple fix. You see, the only thing that you need to soften up a batch of day-old cookies is a slice of bread. This is a trick I learned from my mom after she saw me turn up my nose one too many times at a slightly crispy chocolate chipper (self-proclaimed gooey, chewy cookie monster here!).
OK, so few things are as delicious as a fresh-from-the-oven chocolate chip cookie, but we recommend trying one frozen. They just might become a staple in your freezer. 8.
2 How to Reheat Cookies in the Oven
- Reheat oven to 350°F.
- Arrange or sort your cookies on a baking sheet.
- Warm the cookies for at least 3 to 5 minutes, but remember, the timing varies for different types of cookies.
- Once the cookies are ready, remove them immediately from the oven and serve.
While overcooked sugar cookies are certainly still palatable, they’ll be hard and crunchy, instead of soft and chewy. → Follow this tip: Pull the cookie sheet from the oven as soon as they’ve set and gained some color, but not too much. They should also look slightly crackled across the center.
They go from soft to hard because they start to dry out, and it begins as soon as you pull them from the oven. (Yikes.) Whatever moisture is left in the cookies is always in a state of evaporation. At the same time, the sugars and starches are solidifying.
How long does frozen food take to thaw at room temperature?
Small packages of meat, poultry or seafood — about a pound — may thaw in an hour or less. A 3-to 4-pound package may take 2 to 3 hours. For whole turkeys, estimate about 30 minutes per pound. If thawed completely, the food must be cooked immediately.
With proper storage, most cookies can be kept in the freezer for up to three months. As long as you follow the above Test Kitchen tips on freezing your dough, you should be all set to enjoy those delicious cookies whenever a craving strikes. It’s time to start planning your Christmas cookie lineup.
Once the cookies have completely dried, they can be stored either in an airtight container with waxed paper in between each layer, or in an airtight bag in a single layer. You can store them at room temperature for up to one week.
Can sugar cookies be left out overnight? Yes. Sugar cookies can be stored in a cookie jar at room temperature for 2-3 days or in a cool, dry, airtight container for up to 3 weeks.
The BEST Sugar Cookies | with Royal Icing: FAQs. How long do sugar cookies last? Sugar cookies will last up to two weeks if stored in an airtight container on the kitchen counter or pantry. You can also freeze in an airtight container for 6 months.
