- 6 Ways to Keep Cookies Soft.
- Use Brown Sugar. Add two tablespoons of light or dark brown sugar to your cookie recipe.
- Store the cookies with bread. You can thank your Grammy for this time-tested trick.
- Under-bake your cookies.
- Scoop your cookie dough in mounds.
- Use corn syrup.
- Store them in an airtight container.
Make sure cookies cool completely before storing. Store them at room temperature in an air-tight container, like Tupperware. Store different flavors separately. Over time, strongly flavored cookies like molasses or mint will seep into other cookies, so if possible store each flavor in its own container.
Start with Butter: Use room temperature butter. You can soften butter quickly with this trick or set the butter out 1-2 hours before you begin. Use a mix of Sugars: Cream the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar together. This process aerates the butter, which promises soft chocolate chip cookies.
When storing soft cookies, opt for airtight plastic containers that will limit the airflow and keep your cookies moister longer. Crispy cookies are best stored in a glass container, like a cookie jar, which lets a little bit of air in to keep your batch crunchy.
Make Ahead Tips
You can store the dough in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3 to 5 days before baking. When ready to bake, scoop the dough by heaping tablespoons and follow the recipe baking instructions.
Layer delicate cookies, such as spritz or gingerbread men, between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container. So how long do cookies last like this? The cookies will stay fresh at room temperature or in the refrigerator up to 3 days, or freeze the cookies up to 3 months.
Bakery or homemade cookies can be stored at room temperature two to three weeks or two months in the refrigerator. Cookies retain their quality when stored in the freezer for eight to 12 months. Moist bars, such as cheesecake and lemon bars, can be refrigerated for seven days.
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.
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.
Editor: Jen, we would probably vote for cookie dough, since nothing beats a truly fresh-baked cookie. But we would recommend scooping the dough and freezing it solid on cookie sheets, then sealing the frozen in lumps in bags for longer storage.
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. Squeeze out extra air and place flat in the freezer. To save space, you can flat-stack freezer bags.
Place cookies in an airtight container.
After they are frozen solid, layer them in an airtight container. I like to use these plastic containers with a lid. I put wax paper in between the layers and place the cookies in a single layer. Use a more shallow container and only have 3-4 layers of cookies.
At room temperature: Eat these cookies as quickly as possible—within three days is best. If you have cookies with fillings, like brandy snaps, keep them in the fridge. In the freezer: Delicate cookies like these do not store well in the freezer.
Freeze your cookies in a well-sealed plastic container. This will not only prevent air getting at the cookies, it will prevent them from breaking as well. Place the container in a large plastic bag. Seal the bag.
Tips for freezing baked cookies:
Cookies can also be placed between layers of waxed paper in the container. Make sure the top layer is covered with wax paper, plastic wrap or aluminum foil so that very little air will get to the cookies. The individually wrapped cookies will store longer.
Form the cookies and then place on a parchment lined baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer to freezer baggies. When ready to bake, thaw the unbaked cookies on the counter. While most frozen cookies will bake right from the frozen state, we need to thaw these so that the powdered sugar will adhere to them.
Flash Freezing means you make up your cookie dough, portion it out on to a parchment lined cookie tray, then put the tray (uncovered) in the freezer for an hour or until rock solid . Once the raw dough portions are frozen, put them then in a freezer tight container or plastic bag.
Plastic wrap each cookie. For added protection against bumps and bangs, take individually wrapped cookies and double wrap them back-to-back. Use an airtight container for packing the cookies. Line the bottom of the container with a cushioning material, such as bubble wrap or Kraft paper.
You can store cookies and dough in the freezer for up to six months if they’re handled properly and wrapped well. That means you can start your Christmas cookie preparation very early—yes, you can literally have Christmas in July!
David Nilsen is the former editor of Fourth & Sycamore. He is a member of the National Book Critics Circle. You can find more of his writing on his website at davidnilsenwriter.com and follow him on Twitter as @NilsenDavid.