25 Freezer-Friendly Holiday Cookie Recipes You Can Start Today (2024)

Baking cookies that freeze well is one of our favorite ways to get a head start on the holiday season. Freezing baked cookies now gives you a leg up on holiday prep and ensures Santa has something to snack on. Each of these lasts in the freezer up to three months.

01of 25

Pumpkin Cookies with White Chocolate Chips

View Recipe

25 Freezer-Friendly Holiday Cookie Recipes You Can Start Today (1)

This big-batch holiday baking recipe makes a whopping 60 cookies. Whip them up when pumpkins are in season and enjoy them all winter long. You'll love the combination of classic pumpkin pie flavors and creamy white chocolate chips.

02of 25

Shortbread Sticks

View Recipe

25 Freezer-Friendly Holiday Cookie Recipes You Can Start Today (2)

Shortbread cookies are rich, buttery, and delicious. Thanks to this make-ahead cookie recipe, it's easy to have them on hand too. Add holiday sparkle to the freezer shortbread cookies with a sprinkle of red sanding sugar before baking.

03of 25

Peanut Butter Blossoms

View Recipe

25 Freezer-Friendly Holiday Cookie Recipes You Can Start Today (3)

Peanut butter and chocolate work together like Santa and his elves, helping one another to make the best possible result. The recipe for these classic Christmas cookies makes 54, which might be enough to last as long as they can be frozen (up to three months). With a batch of these in the freezer, all you need to do is thaw them in time for your cookie exchange.

04of 25

Hazelnut Kisses

View Recipe

25 Freezer-Friendly Holiday Cookie Recipes You Can Start Today (4)

Who says you have to make cookies from scratch? Dress up purchased sugar cookie dough with chopped hazelnuts and chocolate-hazelnut spread. These chocolate freezer cookies taste so good and look so pretty that no one will guess they aren't from scratch.

05of 25

Chocolaty Melting Snowmen

View Recipe

25 Freezer-Friendly Holiday Cookie Recipes You Can Start Today (5)

Our hearts broke a little when we watched Frosty melt. But we can take solace in these adorable melty snowmen cookies. Peanut butter cup hats and sprinkle noses charm anyone eating one of these Christmas cookies. Best yet, these freezer-friendly cookies will live on for three months when frozen.

06of 25

Mississippi Mud Cookies

View Recipe

25 Freezer-Friendly Holiday Cookie Recipes You Can Start Today (6)

A fluffy marshmallow frosting is what takes these chocolate Christmas cookies totally over the top. Finish them with toasted pecans and a drizzle of chocolate and they'll be ready to freeze up to three months before the holidays.

Red Velvet Cheesecake Bars

View Recipe

25 Freezer-Friendly Holiday Cookie Recipes You Can Start Today (7)

Red Velvet Cake? Cheesecake? Chocolate? Check, check, check. These bars have all the best of those three flavors in every bite. And they'll stay creamy and smooth for up to three months in the freezer. For extra decadence, drizzle on milk chocolate before serving.

How to Choose the Best Cookie Sheets for Baking Cookies

08of 25

Meyer Lemon Ricotta Cookies

View Recipe

25 Freezer-Friendly Holiday Cookie Recipes You Can Start Today (8)

Adding whole milk ricotta cheese to the batter ensures these lemony cookies stay extra moist. A glaze made with powdered sugar and Meyer lemon zest adds sweet citrus flavor to every bite.

09of 25

Easy Sugar Cookies

View Recipe

25 Freezer-Friendly Holiday Cookie Recipes You Can Start Today (9)

These are no ordinary sugar cookies (although there's certainly nothing wrong with those). This recipe, one of our best cookies to freeze, can be customized seven different delicious ways, so there's sure to be a flavor for everyone. Every variation can be frozen for up to three months. White chocolate and pistachio, anyone?

10of 25

Chocolate-Peppermint Waffle Cookies

View Recipe

25 Freezer-Friendly Holiday Cookie Recipes You Can Start Today (10)

Instead of making batch after batch of these chocolate cookies the day you need them, waffle them ahead. Before serving, finish the thawed chocolate freezer cookies with a rich chocolate glaze and crushed peppermint candies.

17 Brilliant Waffle Iron Recipes for Every Meal

11of 25

Cherry-Walnut Balls

View Recipe

25 Freezer-Friendly Holiday Cookie Recipes You Can Start Today (11)

Powdered sugar and sparkly edible glitter make these festive cookies a pretty holiday treat. (If you'd prefer the Christmas cookies to look more like snowballs sparkling in the sun, trade gold or yellow glitter for the red.) Maraschino cherries and toasted walnuts recall ice cream sundae flavors.

12of 25

7-Layer Bars

View Recipe

25 Freezer-Friendly Holiday Cookie Recipes You Can Start Today (12)

In addition to all the sugary sweets, the holidays need a few healthy-ish treats. Enter, this seven-layer dessert inspired by trail mix. Guests will still feel like they're indulging after tasting the orange, coconut, and cranberry flavors in these freezer-friendly cookie bars.

Almond Icebox Rounds

View Recipe

25 Freezer-Friendly Holiday Cookie Recipes You Can Start Today (13)

The cream cheese gives this cookie batter richness and tang. A triple dose of almond ensures each treat is big on flavor. Perfect for Christmas, this big-batch cookie recipe makes 60 cookies that will last up to three months in the freezer.

14of 25

Copycat Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

View Recipe

25 Freezer-Friendly Holiday Cookie Recipes You Can Start Today (14)

This Christmas cookie recipe is a play on your favorite Girl Scout cookie! Each bite of these shortbread cookies is filled with creamy peanut butter and milk chocolate. Thaw and serve them with a cold glass of milk!

15of 25

Candy Cane Sandwich Cookies

View Recipe

25 Freezer-Friendly Holiday Cookie Recipes You Can Start Today (15)

Purists think that traditional Christmas cookies should showcase the flavors of the season. These freezable cookies do that in sandwich form. Sandwich DIY peppermint filling between two red-swirled sugar cookies.

Cookie Sandwiches When One Cookie Isn't Enough

16of 25

Soft Maple Sugar Cookies

View Recipe

25 Freezer-Friendly Holiday Cookie Recipes You Can Start Today (16)

We can't get enough maple, especially during fall and winter. Look for pure maple syrup to use in these sugar cookies. An irresistible maple glaze finishes the thawed cookies.

17of 25

The Best Sugar Cookies

View Recipe

25 Freezer-Friendly Holiday Cookie Recipes You Can Start Today (17)

Take a note from Santa and eat these sugary cookies with big glasses of milk. These treats are soft, moist, and chewy—not crispy—even after up to three months in the freezer.

How to Make Royal Icing for Cookies

18of 25

Macarons

View Recipe

25 Freezer-Friendly Holiday Cookie Recipes You Can Start Today (18)

These colorful macarons will be the star of the Christmas cookie exchange. Once you've mastered the baking technique, decorate the homemade holiday cookies with sprinkles, metallic icing, and cocoa powder. Freeze the macarons for up to two months before serving.

19of 25

Twixy Shortbread Bars

View Recipe

25 Freezer-Friendly Holiday Cookie Recipes You Can Start Today (19)

These three layers play together nicely: dulche de leche and semisweet chocolate on a crunchy sugar cookie base. Like the classic candy bar, these freezer shortbread cookies are winners.

20of 25

No-Bake Lemon Drops

View Recipe

25 Freezer-Friendly Holiday Cookie Recipes You Can Start Today (20)

These lemony, no-bake Christmas cookies couldn't be simpler. Seven ingredients, three steps, and 30 minutes yields 36 cookies. And, yep, they freeze like a dream. Don't forget the crushed lemon drops on top to hint at the mouth-puckering flavor inside.

21of 25

Honey Coins

View Recipe

25 Freezer-Friendly Holiday Cookie Recipes You Can Start Today (21)

Here's some sweet news: These cookies freeze well and are a cinch to prep. Make the dough, roll it into a log, wrap, and freeze. As many as three months later, the honey-infused cookies are ready to bake and add to the cookie tray.

22of 25

Mint Meringue Kisses

View Recipe

25 Freezer-Friendly Holiday Cookie Recipes You Can Start Today (22)

Kissed by mint and charmed by chocolate, these gorgeous green sandwiches hit all the right flavor notes. Even though they're light as air and made primarily with egg whites, they freeze well. After baking, freeze them unfilled. Then thaw, pipe with chocolate, and sandwich two little stars together.

23of 25

Meyer Lemon-Rosemary Slices

View Recipe

25 Freezer-Friendly Holiday Cookie Recipes You Can Start Today (23)

Fresh rosemary (which might make you think of Christmas trees) makes the transition from savory to sweet in this dessert. Opt for a Meyer lemon (a lemon-orange hybrid) when you make these sweet-savory cookies for a barely tart slice-and-bake freezer cookie.

24of 25

Caramel Coconut Cookie Bars

View Recipe

25 Freezer-Friendly Holiday Cookie Recipes You Can Start Today (24)

These chewy holiday bar cookies couldn't be easier! Bake them up in one pan, cut into bars, and freeze. Simply thaw and indulge in the classic combination of caramel, coconut, and chocolate.

25of 25

Buckeye Cookies

View Recipe

25 Freezer-Friendly Holiday Cookie Recipes You Can Start Today (25)

Does it get any better than chocolate and peanut butter? These rich cookies take it one step further with a creamy peanut butter frosting and dark chocolate drizzle. They freeze beautifully for up to three months before Christmas.

25 Freezer-Friendly Holiday Cookie Recipes You Can Start Today (2024)

FAQs

What Christmas cookies are good to freeze? ›

Slice-and-bake, cut outs, drop, bar, and some shaped cookies (thumbprints) freeze well. Avoid delicate cookies like tuiles, Florentines, meringues, and any sort of wafer cookie. Pre-baked cookies can be frozen for up to six months.

What is the number 1 Christmas cookie? ›

Peanut Butter Blossoms are America's favorite Christmas cookie, based both on total number of pageviews from the U.S. population as a whole, and number of states that ranked it as their top cookie (which is six, by the way).

How far ahead can you make Christmas cookies and freeze them? ›

If properly frozen, you can freeze unfrosted cookies for up to 12 months. If cookies are frosted, they can be stored frozen for up to three months.

Is it better to freeze cookie dough or baked cookies? ›

In most cases, I prefer to freeze cookie dough over freezing baked cookies. That way, you still get the nice homemade smell and softness of the cookies when they come out of the oven. But if you want to get the whole job done, you can certainly bake the cookies, then freeze them later.

What is the best method for freezing cookies? ›

Wait for the cookies to cool completely, then transfer them to a reusable freezer-safe bag or container lined with wax or parchment paper. I like to place them in a single layer to avoid any cookies breaking. Cookies will keep well for up to 2 months.

What cookies should you not freeze? ›

Do not freeze frosted, glazed or drizzled cookies because they can become too moist under the frosting, glaze or drizzle. Thaw the cookies in the plastic food container at room temperature. Remove from container any cookies that should be crisp when thawed.

What is America's favorite holiday cookie? ›

Among those who can make a single choice, frosted sugar cookies lead the list (32%), with gingerbread (12%) and chocolate chip (11%) rounding out the top three. Snickerdoodles (6%) come in fourth place, followed by butter (4%), peanut butter (4%), and chocolate (4%) tying for fifth.

What is the least favorite Christmas cookie? ›

On the naughty list of cookies, Americans gave the lowest win records to anise cookies, which only won 29% of its matchups.

What is Santa Claus's favorite cookie? ›

Chocolate Chip cookies

Santa himself lists these as his favorites, and he prefers them soft and gooey with lots of chocolate chips. If you decide to leave these out for him, make sure there's a glass of cold milk nearby!

What is the best container to freeze cookies in? ›

Place baked cookies in sealable plastic containers designed for the freezer. Freeze cookies for up to one year. Don't use themed tins (say, for Christmas cookies). Transfer cookies to such containers once you've removed them from the freezer.

Can you freeze cookies in Ziploc bags? ›

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.

Can you bake frozen cookie dough without thawing? ›

Frozen cookie dough balls do not need to be thawed out before baking unless you've been given specific instructions that say to do so. For many cookie doughs, for example, shortbread-style or slice-and-bake cookies, baking immediately from frozen will give you the best results.

Do cookies taste the same after freezing? ›

Cut outs, drop cookies and refrigerator cookies freeze well. Decorated, filled and cookies with a delicate texture such as meringues are more fragile. Although freezing won't change the flavor of decorated cookies, frosting may cause cookies to stick together.

What does freezing cookie dough do before baking? ›

As little as 30 minutes in your fridge or freezer can help your cookie brown better, spread less, and develop a richer chewy texture. There's a few reasons why, but one important part is it gives the butter in your dough a chance to firm up before baking.

What type of cookie dough can be frozen? ›

Most cookie dough freezes well, particularly these kinds: Chocolate Chip Cookie dough is the cookie dough that I most often have in my freezer - I always have some of my perfect chocolate chip cookie dough, along with my small batch cookie dough or my brown butter chocolate chip cookie dough. They all freeze well.

What Christmas cookies stay fresh the longest? ›

Shortbread and spritz cookies are longer-lasting cookies, which means they are perfect for holidays when there is some competition on the table. After all, Christmas in many homes is celebrated with a variety of dishes and sweet treats.

What is the best container to freeze Christmas cookies? ›

Your best choices are airtight containers (plastic or glass) because they protect the cookies from breaking. Choose shallow, square or rectangular containers with flat bottoms.

Can decorated Christmas cookies be frozen? ›

Fully Decorated, Dried & Heat Sealed/Packaged

Fresh is not *always* better. To freeze fully decorated cookies: make sure your icing is fully dry, then heat seal them for freshness (airtight is key) package into your final packaging whether that be a box or just the cello.

Do store-bought cookies freeze well? ›

To help store-bought cookies stay fresh, remove them from their original packaging and place them in an airtight container. You can also freeze store-bought cookies to help them last longer.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Mrs. Angelic Larkin

Last Updated:

Views: 6644

Rating: 4.7 / 5 (67 voted)

Reviews: 90% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Mrs. Angelic Larkin

Birthday: 1992-06-28

Address: Apt. 413 8275 Mueller Overpass, South Magnolia, IA 99527-6023

Phone: +6824704719725

Job: District Real-Estate Facilitator

Hobby: Letterboxing, Vacation, Poi, Homebrewing, Mountain biking, Slacklining, Cabaret

Introduction: My name is Mrs. Angelic Larkin, I am a cute, charming, funny, determined, inexpensive, joyous, cheerful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.