Oh, the charm of homemade cookies! Recently, everyone around me has been raving about these super straightforward recipes that still manage to yield perfect, crispy flavors.
Some of us can’t resist getting straight into the dough, while others prefer to pop it in the refrigerator for some time before baking. But since cookie dough isn’t exactly an eternal resident in the fridge, how long can we keep it there? Keep reading to find out!
In This Article:
How Long Is Cookie Dough Good For In The Fridge?
The staying power of cookie dough varies between 2 and 4 days to a week in the fridge, depending on whether it is homemade or store-bought.
The prepackaged ones from commercial stores can last slightly longer due to preservatives. But what if you don’t spot any expiration date? Then it’s best to use it within a week after the suggested “best-by” date.
Meanwhile, homemade cookie dough is not exactly a marathon champion of fridge life. Usually, it stays good for about only 3 to 5 days when stored in airtight containers – except for the meringue or cookie bar batters, which have an even shorter shelf life.
Here’s a tip: for easier baking later on, consider shaping the cookie dough into logs or scooping the batter before putting it in your fridge. And when planning for long hauls, I usually let my delicious cookie dough hit the freezer and chill there for months!
How To Know If Cookie Dough Is Bad
Alright, time to play detective with our cookie dough!
First things first, mold. If you spot any fuzzy stuff surfacing, then it’s a no-go; chuck your bad cookie dough away to whip up a fresh batch.
Even if it looks mold-free, eyeball the color. Sometimes, the bad dough will start changing its hues, especially around the edges, due to chemical reactions from oxidation.
Next up, use your nose. Does the dough smell a bit funky or totally different from how it should?
Once, I opened my fridge expecting that sweet, buttery scent from my vanilla cookie dough. Instead, I was hit with a rotten, extremely sour smell! At that point, I knew it was time to bid my dough farewell.
Last but not least – the taste test. Tasting dry ingredients might sound odd, but trust me. Relying on your taste buds is the ultimate detective move! Take one small bite and check the flavor; it should tell you instantly whether you need to part ways with your cookie dough.
Extra Notes:
When dealing with store-bought cookie dough, I usually check the dates on the packages as well. Two dates, actually!
First, there’s a best-by date, which mostly indicates the dough’s recommended freshness rather than food safety; your dough is likely still okay even if it’s a bit past that date. Remember to give it a quick look-over using the signals above before diving in!
And wait, here’s another date: the EXPIRY date. Now, this one is no joke. Once the dough has already crossed its expiration date, it’s time to chuck it out unless you want a couple of sick days due to food poisoning!
Can You Bake Frozen Cookie Dough?
Sure, you can use the classic method and let your raw cookie dough thaw in the refrigerator overnight. But what if you’re like me and just can’t wait? There’s a faster way!
Step 1.
First, preheat your oven a bit lower than the recipe’s instructions; around 20 degrees less should do it. Grab the amount of cookie dough balls you want to bake from the freezer, then plop them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Step 2.
Now, place those balls into the oven and add a few extra minutes to your baking time compared to what the original recipe specifies. Keep an eye on them; you will want their edges to grow a nice golden shade while the center still looks slightly moist!
And that’s it! With some minor tweaks to the formula, you can turn these frozen dough balls into delicious cookies without waiting ages for them to defrost.
Conclusion
Whether you whip your homemade dough from scratch or grab it from the store, it should hang in the fridge for about a week. Stash it in the freezer instead if you want to play the long game.
Still hit a snag or need some help with certain steps? Feel free to shoot me a message anytime!
Homemade cookie dough should be stored in small containers in the refrigerator for two to four days or freeze for two months. Alternatively, small quantities of dough can be frozen and thawed in the refrigerator as needed.
Fresh homemade cookie dough typically lasts around 2 to 4 days in the refrigerator. Of course, remember to keep it well covered to protect it from drying out or absorbing odors from other foods. Pro tip: Roll the dough into individual cookie portions and freeze them for future use.
How to Tell if Cookie Dough Is 'Bad' Like many food products, deciphering if your cookie dough has kicked the bucket is a matter of using your senses. If it has any visible mold, smells off (pungent/sour), or has developed hard or discolored edges, you've missed your fresh-baked opportunity.
Pillsbury cookie dough, and others like it, are different in that they are meant to sit in the fridge for a little longer than your other frozen raw cookie doughs. You can safely get about two weeks of fridge life out of this type of dough, even after the “best by” date.
After 72 hours, the dough will begin to dry out and you risk it going bad, especially if chilling pre-portioned balls of dough instead of the entire mass of dough. If you want to store longer than 72 hours, see the freezing tips below.
Off Smell or Taste: Any rancid, sour, or just "off" smell or taste is a clear indicator that cookies have gone bad. Mold: This is a definite sign of spoilage. If you see any mold, the cookies should be discarded immediately.
In the refrigerator it will be fine for about 2 days. I wouldn't let it sit much longer than that. You can also freeze some/most doughs and thaw before baking them.
The color of the pizza dough will be darker or may turn greyish than its usual shade. You can also notice visible spots appeared on the pizza dough, which indicates the presence of mold. The mold can be identified as green, black, or off-white, depending on the duration of the pizza dough kept in the refrigerator.
Thaw the dough: Transfer the wrapped disc or discs of cookie dough to the refrigerator the day before you intend to bake the cookies, and let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Roll out the cold thawed dough, cut into shapes, and bake according to your recipe's instructions.
It is best to steer clear of raw cookie dough due to the potential contamination of disease-causing bacteria in raw flour. If you love indulging in cookie dough, look for brands that state they are safe to eat raw. You can also make your own edible cookie dough at home with commercial heat-treated flour.
We do not recommend baking our Bite-Sized Edible Cookie Dough [flavor/products]. It does not contain eggs or leavening agents, which are key ingredients in developing texture and lift in baked cookies. (If needed) Exposure to high oven temperatures will cause the product to liquefy and possibly burn.
That's right, you can freeze it for a bit to shave quite a bit of time off the chilling suggestion in the recipe. Here's what our Test Kitchen recommends when quickly chilling cookie dough in the freezer: Place the cookie dough in the freezer for one-quarter of the recommended refrigerator time.
The chewy, fresh-out-of-the-oven cookies sold at Subway are baked daily at the sandwich shop with frozen dough pucks provided by Otis Spunkmeyer. So, I guess you could say that this copycat recipe for several of Subway's most popular cookies is also a clone of several of Otis Spunkmeyer's most popular cookies.
Homemade cookie dough should be stored in small containers in the refrigerator for two to four days or freeze for two months. Alternatively, small quantities of dough can be frozen and thawed in the refrigerator as needed.
Chilling cookie dough before baking solidifies the fat in the cookies. As the cookies bake, the fat in the chilled cookie dough takes longer to melt than room-temperature fat. And the longer the fat remains solid, the less cookies spread. In addition, the sugar in the dough gradually absorbs liquid.
How long is too long for it to stay in the fridge? Most cookie dough can be refrigerated, well-wrapped, for 3-5 days before baking. If you want to make it farther in advance, freeze the dough. You can either freeze the entire brick of dough or divide it into portions for quick baking.
After the expiration date has passed, Pillsbury dough can still be used within a certain timeframe, typically up to two weeks, if it has been stored properly. This period allows for the consumption of the product beyond the printed date as long as there are no signs of spoilage such as an off odor or visible mold.
Solution: If you have kept your dough in the refrigerator and you find that it has developed a dry texture you will need to add more liquid. Add a teaspoon of water or milk and mix. I would recommend mixing with your hands to avoid overmixing the dough.
Although it may be safe to use an expired mix, one should inspect it thoroughly for any signs of spoilage, such as off-odors, discoloration, or presence of mold, which clearly indicate it should not be used.
Information. 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.
Introduction: My name is Fr. Dewey Fisher, I am a powerful, open, faithful, combative, spotless, faithful, fair person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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