I don't know why I never do this. Such an awesome way to have cookies ANYTIME. Maybe that's why I never do it............cuz then I'd have cookies ANYTIME.

Definitely dough. I agree with the suggestions above. It's so easy to take a few dough balls out of the freezer (or slice a log of shortbread). You just add a minute to the baking time, usually. But thawing a frozen, already baked cookie is hit or miss on texture.

Definitely easier & better to freeze the dough. Not is a big glob, but in cookie portions. That way you can whip up tons & tons of dough, and bake when you want!
Also, ever want a plate of fresh baked cookies without having to go through the motions of making them? Well, pop a half dozen or two straight from the freezer to the oven!

Do try to make fresh cookies from scratch when you can over freezing. My neighbor made me some cookies from a frozen dough and it was really dry and chewy. But then again, she's not the world's best cook so that could have had something to do with it. Whatever it was, it certainly has made me afraid of freezing cookie dough.

@jt, it was your neighbor, not the freezing. Or, she may have had the dough in the freezer way too long. Some things just don't do well with the freezer, it's true. A cake-y dough might not be a freezer candidate (such as black and white cookies) but a regular butter drop cookie? You shouldn't be able to tell the difference.

I freeze shortbread logs all the time and they always work well, and are so convenient, as far as freezing the actual cookie I have never done it with cookies but have had success with power bars (101 cookbooks big sur bars
). It worked out very well as I would put them in my lunch bag and when it was time for lunch they were perfectly defrosted.

Freezing dough works like a dream. I wouldn't recommend freezing baked cookies. I'd imagine they wouldn't taste so hot and the freezing/ thawing I'd expect would take a toll on the texture of the cookie.

Heck, don't stop at cookies! Biscuits, puff pastry, doughs of all kinds (gnocchi, pasta) you name it you can probably freeze then cook. I make big ol batches of potstickers and freeze them in ziploc bags so last minute, I have a great thing I can cook fast for company.

@jmorri - Cookies definitely, but I'd disagree on biscuits. They seem to freeze better for me once they're already baked.

Has anyone frozen pumpkin cookie dough?

I agree that freezing dough is better ... but ... as for holiday baking, I have had no problem freezing cookies already baked/decorated, and defrosted on Christmas Eve or whenever else. They seem to taste just as good to me! :D

In general, I agree that the cookies will be better if you freeze the dough. But if you're doing lots, and delivering within a few weeks, I vote for cookies. They freeze up very well, and you can mix the varieties freezer bags and pull out of the freezer to give away/deliver as needed.

Anyone try freezing vegan cookie dough? I would love to make cookies in advance of my mid-week meetings, and just bake them the morning of....

I do both - I always have homemade cookies on hand for lunch bags so I make sure I bake some up but when I have the everything out to make one kind I usually make 3 or 4 and then bake a pan of each and freeze the rest of the dough

I like both. I love getting a frozen cookie out of the freezer. For some reason I really like the cold then melt in my mouth process. But to have on demand fresh baked cookies frozen dough is better.

Both.. My grandmother was a superb baker and regularly made over 30 different kinds of Christmas cookies each year. She would start making and freezing her dough in October and then spend the latter part of November and December baking off her doughs. She kept the cookies - chilled or frozen (depending on the weather) in her unheated garage in cookie tins. Of course, it helped living in the cold Midwest.

virtualjess vegan foods generally freeze better than non-vegan foods, because the issue of dairy separating. The one exception to this are recipes with tofu in it, since the tofu changes texture when it is frozen.

Definitely the dough. Refrigerate logs and slice them, then freeze the slices, or make scoops and freeze those. Most cookies will do well straight from the freeze to the oven.

I've never frozen cookie dough, but I have frozen a lot of cookies. I don't find anything different about them when they come out, actually. In fact, I've developed a craving for frozen chocolate chip cookies now. They almost taste better, plus it takes a little longer to eat them which helps with portion control!

I don't freeze individual dough portions. I just divide the dough into discs that are the right size for one batch, wrap them in plastic and freeze those. They thaw quickly either in the microwave (at the lowest setting) or in the refrigerator overnight. I couldn't be bothered to divide it up and freeze it on sheets. It also takes less space if you just do one batch's dough as all those little bits of dough will get jumbled (and they're more likely to develop freezer burn when placed in a bag). To each their own though.