How long does cookie dough last in the fridge?
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Most cookie recipes call for chilling the cookie dough. Besides, having cookie dough ready to go in the fridge is always a good idea. But how long does cookie dough last in the fridge? In general, you can store cookie dough in the refrigerator for two to four days. The exact time depends on whether the dough contains raw ingredients and is store-bought or homemade. This article takes you through all the details you need to know about how long does cookie dough last in the fridge. It will also have some tips and tricks that can increase the shelf-life of your cookie doughs.
Why should you put cookie dough in the fridge?
Before we look into the other details, it is essential to know why you must put the cookie dough in the fridge. Most cookie recipes will instruct you to chill your cookie dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before baking them. Sometimes it takes even longer.
Chilling your dough will help it stiffen and become easier to shape before baking and slow down the spreading of the cookie. Furthermore, chilling the dough can help enhance the cookie’s flavors. Your cookie will also become moister because the starches slowly absorb the fat.
Storing your cookie dough in the fridge also helps extend its shelf life, though not as much as freezing it will, but longer than leaving it on the counter.
How long does cookie dough last in the fridge?
You can keep your cookie dough in the refrigerator for three to five days. However, the answer to “how long does cookie dough last in the fridge” is quite complex, so let us break it down. The main thing to remember is that not all cookie dough is created equal.
There are some significant differences in the types available. Your cookie dough will use different ingredients and serve slightly different purposes, so their shelf lives will be very different across the board, making it difficult to compare them equally.
For the sake of simplicity, we will divide the cookie dough into three categories: frozen cookie dough, mass-produced cookie dough (store-bought), and homemade cookie dough.
There are too many differences within these categories to give a definitive answer. Still, hopefully, this will help you get a ballpark figure. Just keep in mind that cookie fillings, flavors, and sizes, among other factors, can alter these time ranges slightly, if not significantly.
Past Due Date
In most cases, you’d think that the date on your cookie dough would indicate when it was past due. The truth is that with many grains, including cookie dough, the date on the package is a “best by” date rather than a “use by” or “expiration” date, which is slightly different. The “best by” date indicates when the product’s quality should be at its peak, but it does not expire on that date.
Depending on the way you store it
You should also keep in mind that cookie dough, like most foods, will last longer if properly stored. We recommend storing them in a small airtight container in the fridge or freezer when you want to bake your cookies. Any cookie dough left on the countertop at room temperature will be good for 2-4 hours.
However, it may go wrong after that, especially if it is already past its “best by” date. To extend the life of your cookie dough, store it in a cool, dark, airtight container in your fridge or freezer.
Frozen cookie dough
So, hopefully, it’s just regular frozen cookie dough. This will be the kind you buy at a school fundraiser or anything commercially produced in the freezer section, but not your break-and-bake cookie doughs.
Keeping the dough in the fridge usually lasts 1 to 2 weeks past the “best by” date. Frozen raw cookie dough can last 9 to 12 months in the freezer, giving you an ample amount of time to use it before it spoils.
Store-Bought Cookie Dough
Store-bought cookie dough is designed to be kept for a more extended time. The shelf life varies depending on the brand, but keep in mind that we’re talking about store-bought frozen cookie dough.
Most cookie dough has a 12-month shelf life in the freezer and is probably safe to eat up to a month or two past its best by date. However, condensation moisture causes your cookie dough to spoil faster once thawed. After thawing, you should bake your cookie within a week.
Homemade Cookie Dough
Nothing beats a warm homemade cookie right out of the oven—except perhaps the cold cookie dough directly before it goes in! Although a fantastic homemade cookie dough recipe will impress your guests, it will not last as long as some ready-made cookie doughs.
Because the ingredients are generally fresher and have fewer preservative properties, the homemade cookie dough will not last as long as store-bought brands. Homemade cookie dough has a fridge life of three to five days, but it can last six to twelve months if frozen.
We recommend tightly wrapping your cookie dough in freezer paper or using a freezer sealing technology to get the most air out of it before freezing. This is especially useful with homemade doughs because it is far easier to make a large batch at once and freeze some than starting from scratch all over again the following week.
Finding some good old cookie dough in the fridge is like getting leftover Halloween candy in your pocket: it’s always a tasty surprise. Having said that, after reading this article, you now know better than to keep your surprise in the fridge and exactly how long does cookie dough lasts in the fridge!
Instead, put them in the freezer, and you’ll have cookies for months if you don’t eat them all at once.
