How to Freeze Your Decorated Cookies!

I get asked all the time, "Jess how in the world do you have time for cookie pop ups and Cut It Out stuff??" The short answer - freezing cookies. Plain and simple. I would not be able to have porch pop ups without freezing cookies. The next  question they ask is, "How in the world do you freeze cookies?"

I have done this a million times and I have had ZERO issues. Now does that mean your recipe will react the same? I have no idea. I can just give you the information I do know!

First off, my cookies are 100% dry before freezing. The icing is firm, all marker detail and metallic detail have been dusted with cornstarch, and they are packaged and heat sealed.

Side note: I have been cutting the excess bag off with crinkle scissors so the bags are easy to open. 

Next, I take the packaged cookies and put them in a FREEZER gallon ziplock. The good kind. Yes, they're more expensive but ya know what, you can reuse them! I have a whole stash I don't let my family near! They can use the off-brand for their snacks. Momma needs the good ones for cookies lol. 

Another side note: in the past I used to put the cookies in containers, seal the container with an obscene amount of saran wrap, then put them in the freezer. Because someone told me that was the best way. But I tried the way I do it now one day and everything was fine, so I never went back.

Once I get all my finished, packaged cookies in bags, I place all the ziplock bags in the freezer. Just like this! And thats it. I'll work in shifts, doing a few cookies here and there a week until the freezer at the shop and at my house are full with cookies!

Now the super important part of freezing cookies is the thawing process. This is where you could mess up your colors if you do it wrong. But it's super easy so you shouldn't have any issues if you do it like I do!

This is when I pulled everything out. You can see the condensation on the outside of the bags - and that's where it needs to stay. On the outside. So I will pull cookies out about 24 hours before I need them.

Side note: I will also get AS MUCH packaging done as I can before I freeze. So I will full on add a tag, bow, bag topper, whatever, before freezing (if I can.) 

So everything is pulled out a full day in advance to come to room temp. DO NOT OPEN THE ZIPLOCK BAGS!! If you do, condensation will develop on the INSIDE of the cookie packaging and make your colors bleed and ruin everything. It's a no no. Just don't do it. Let them thaw just like this, on the counter.

You'll see here that the water droplets are on the outside of the bag, this is fine. This is normal! 

This is that same cookie - post freeze - once it came to room temp. See? She's totally fine. And she cute.

Here are all the cookies that I pulled out of the freezer that day just so you can see! The CFA cup and the lattes were not frozen in the boxes - this was after I put them in the box and added a stretch loop. I have heat sealed cookies, and added them to a clear box, then placed them in a freezer ziplock - problem is that it takes up wayyy to much space, so unless its a box full of minis, it's kind of a waste of space in the freezer. 

If you are still skeptical, just try it out for yourself. Next time you are making cookies, make a few extras and just pop them in the freezer. Thaw them out and everything. People that freeze cookies regularly have even said their cookies have a softer bite to them after freezing. I hope you try this out for yourself! Most of all, I hope this post was helpful to you!

-Jess