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Cookies: Freezing and Storing

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Teri Virbickis/Shutterstock

How to Make Those Christmas Cookies Last!

Catherine Boeckmann
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Cookies freeze well and thaw quickly, and make for delicious snacks when company walks in the front door! Here are some tips for freezing and storing your baked goods.

Freezing Cookies

  • If you have the space, simply cover platefuls of assorted cookies with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and pop into the freezer.
  • Place unwrapped and unfrosted cookies in a 300°F oven for a few minutes to restore crispness.
  • You can make your own freezer “vacuum pack.” Place cookies into a plastic zipper bag. Seal almost completely. Insert a straw in the corner and use it to suck out the air. Three months in the freezer is about the maximum time before cookies begin to lose flavor.

Storing at Room Temperature

You can also store cookies at room temperature for short periods. Here are a few tips:

  • Place cooled cookies into a container with a snug lid. Be sure to separate crisp and soft cookies so their respective textures will be preserved.
  • Place layers of waxed paper between soft cookies, frosted cookies, very delicate cookies, or bars when storing or freezing them.
  • Store soft cookies in containers with tight lids to retain moisture. Add an apple slice if necessary to add humidity.
  • Store crisp cookies in a container with a loose-fitting lid.
  • When well-packed, your homemade cookies will keep fresh in the kitchen for about a week.

Ready to make cookies? For starters, see our 10 favorite Basic Sugar Cookie Recipes and Easy Kids’ Christmas Cookie Recipes.

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Desserts
Baking
Cookies
About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s Almanac found each other. She leads digital content for the Almanac website, and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana. Read More from Catherine Boeckmann
 

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Comments

Linda A. (not verified)

13 years 11 months ago

Gosh! People actually have homemade cookies around long enough (especially households with kids) to have to freeze/store them? (I never even knew cookies could be frozen!) If you want to have something for company, I suggest making a couple or so loaves of quick breads instead and stash THEM in the freezer. :) Admittedly, cookies would thaw a lot more quickly than a quick bread.

Dolores Kerns (not verified)

14 years 11 months ago

I freeze my cookies individually on a cookie sheet for about 10 minutes and then place partially frozen cookies in a freezer bag and put back into the freezer. You can then remove as many as you want if you do not need the whole bag.