I've been resistant to freeze decorated cookies because of a bad experience I had with it a while back. The icing crystalized in the freezer and it was visible after the cookies had thawed. I think part of the problem was that I was using a different icing recipe than I normally use, so I decided to give it another go using my usual recipe and they turned out just fine. Here are my tips on how to freeze decorated cookies.
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Once the royal icing is completely dry, seal the cookies in cello bags with a heat sealer. I purchased mine on ULINE but it is also available on Amazon. I use the 8" size. I've had it for well over a decade now and it is still going strong. Read this post to learn more about packaging cookies.
By the way, these gold mermaid cookies are from a tutorial that is available in the Cookie Art Club!
Once the cookies are sealed, place them in an airtight container and into the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw them, leave them in the container at room temperature for at least 2 hours.
Does Freezing Ruin Cookies?
For a long time I was hesitant to freeze my cookies because I thought it would ruin them. But after testing this technique I can say that you can freeze your cookies without worrying that they’ll be ruined!
What is the Best Container to Freeze Cookies In?
The best container to use to freeze cookies is an airtight container. Make sure to wrap the cookies in plastic before putting them into the container and closing the lid.
How Long Do Frozen Cookies Last?
Frozen cookies can last for 3 to 6 months as long as you’ve wrapped them tightly in plastic and placed them into an airtight container.
Is it better to freeze cookie dough or baked cookies?
Even though it’s possible to freeze baked cookies without ruining them, I think it’s better to freeze cookie dough instead of freezing baked cookies. See my tips on how to get a head start on your cookies by freezing them raw in this post on Baking Perfect Cookies.
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How To Freeze Decorated Cookies
Tips on how to freeze decorated cookies
Materials
- Cello bags
- Heat sealer
- Airtight container
Instructions
- Seal the cookies in cello bags with the heat sealer.
- 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.
I need to ship decorated sugar cookies that are heat sealed and in Ziplock freezer bags. Do i take them out and thaw before packing?
Hi Corrine! I would recommend thawing them inside the Ziplock freezer bags before packing them up 🙂
Hi Love your tutorial I want you to know about how old they do have to freeze fine I am hoping that they don’t believe especially the black it is a small amount just to do eyelashes I wonder if he would look OK after freezing thank you again so much
What is you don’t use Royal icing to decorate, but rather icing made with confectioners sugar, vanilla, and milk and food coloring. Will the colors still look good if you freeze?
Hi Susan! I don't have enough experience with glaze icing to know what will happen if you freeze it.
Hello, can I freeze undecorated sugar cookies, thaw them and decorate them 2 days before serving them? How should I seal them in freezer undecorated and what is a maximum time in there?
So I’m sorry if this is a silly question! What if I need to heal seal undecorated cookies, say for cookie kits! Would I need to place them in another container after heat seal, then in the freezer? Or can those just stay at room temp for a few days?
Thank you 🙂
Kindly,
Car
Hi Car! Undecorated cookies will be fine at room temperature for a few days if they're sealed. If it's more than a week I'd put them in the freezer 🙂
I am wondering your opinion about using mini zip bags instead of heat sealed cello bags for storage and/or freezing decorated cookies.
Hi Sally! You can use zip top bags as long as you are also putting them inside another container or wrapping them in aluminum foil. The idea is to have two layers of protection while they're in the freezer 🙂
I’m having problems with my royal icing crystallizing and the colors are spotty when freezing them. I’ve tried everything and even tried your royal icing and still have this issue. I see people say theirs turn out beautifully but mine are always ruined. I’ve tried different freezers, different colorings, different packages and all turn out with the color changing. I do big orders and freezing would help me out. I’m frustrated that it does not work for me and am confused. Any tips?? Thanks.
That is so frustrating! I'm sorry it's giving you so much trouble. Would you be able to send me a photo of the cookies? It might help me figure out what's going on. My email is info[at]sweetambs[dot].com.
Hello, I am doing halloween cookies. I have decorated and frozen all my orders together in the same container in the freezer. I have had customers move their delivery date by two weeks now. Will it hurt to open the container of cookies in the freezer and take some out into another container to leave in the freezer for two more weeks? or will opening the container mess up all the cookies decorations in that container? They have pictures painted on them.
I am baking cookies for next weekend. If I wanted to bake now could I freeze them before decorating and if so how would you recommend I freeze and thaw? Or could I bake and decorate now and put in self adhesive closing bags. Would they stay fresh in those types of bags for a week?
Hi Amber! The cookies should be fine at room temperature until next weekend. Since the bags are self-seal, I'd recommend also putting them in an airtight container to make sure they stay fresh 🙂
Hi Amber! I ❤️ Your talent! Are these instructions for bake and freeze now or decorate now is place on sealed bags or maybe even both?
Hi there! I will be baking some cookies for my wedding to give as favors, and I would love to bake them a few months ahead of the date so that I am not stressed for time. They will be stamped sugar cookies with no icing. I am not baking them in the same city as the wedding, so I will need to ship them to my mom. Should I bake, ship, and have my mom freeze them? Or should I bake, freeze, and ship them closer to the event? How soon after baking do I need to freeze? And how long after thawing will they keep? Many thanks!
Hi Elizabeth! Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! I think it would be a good idea to ship them early and have your mom freeze them. I would try to get them there within a week of baking them so they can get into the freezer as soon as possible. It depends on the recipe that you use, but my cookie recipe lasts 4 weeks at room temperature when they're individually wrapped and heat sealed. 🙂
Wondering if I could decorate previously (undecorated) frozen cookies and then refreezed? I have a customer who has pushed back their delivery date and I have already baked and frozen some of their cookies (undecorated) and would like to take advantage of the extra time by decorating those and refreezing. I feel like this might be a bad idea but thought I would ask if you have any experience with this. Thank you!
Hi Sarah! I don't know if it would be the best idea to freeze them twice, but these are unusual circumstances. I suppose it depends how long they pushed it back. If it's only a couple of weeks, I think the cookies will be okay at room temperature as long as they are heat sealed in individual cello bags (see more here: https://www.sweetambs.com/tutorial/how-to-pack-cookies-for-shipping/). But if it's more than a month, it might be worth it to freeze them again 🙂
Hi Sarah! I have the exact same question. Wondering if you tried the refreezing after you decorated. How did they turn out? Were the decorated cookies individually heat sealed when you put them back in the freezer?
I did exactly this for my Halloween pre-sales, and it was so nice to not have to be rushed come Oct 31st! I made a decent number, posted my sale, they sold out, so made another batch, and posted how many I had left, then they sold out. I was able to keep them frozen until the day before pickup and they looked great! Granddaughter said they tasted totally yummy and fresh as well!
That's so great to hear! Thank you for sharing your experience with freezing cookies.