How Long Can Cookie Dough Stay Fresh in the Fridge?

From classic chocolate chip to oatmeal, peanut butter, shortbread, double chocolate, nut-filled, fruit-infused, sandwich, thumbprint, and cutout varieties—the list of cookie types is practically endless. Whether you're baking for a special occasion or a casual treat, it’s easy for cookies to accumulate quickly.

Maybe you’ve ended up with more dough than expected. Perhaps you prepared the dough ahead of time to let it rest but now you've changed your mind about baking. Or maybe, life interrupted just as you were about to chill it, and now you’re unsure when you'll have the time to bake.

So, how long is too long for that dough in the fridge?

No matter the reason for having extra dough, we all know that wasting cookies is a crime. So, it’s important to know the best practices for storing your dough.

How Long Can Cookie Dough Be Kept in the Fridge?

As tempting as cookie dough is, it’s a raw mix that contains eggs and butter. Over time, it can go rancid, and the risk of foodborne illnesses like salmonella and E. coli creeps in. Let's skip over the dangers and get straight to the sweet stuff—cookies!

Most cookie dough will stay fresh for about 3-5 days when kept in an airtight container. It could even last up to a week, but at that point, it’s best to use your judgment to determine if it's still good.

Homemade vs. Store-Bought Cookie Dough

When considering dough’s shelf life, the key factor is whether it's homemade or store-bought. Store-bought cookie dough tends to last longer thanks to preservatives that aren't in the homemade variety. Always check the expiration date on the package, but if there isn’t one, you can safely add about a week to the “best-by” date.

Homemade cookie dough stored in an airtight container is best used within 3-5 days, but it can last up to a week. For easier baking later, try pre-scooping the dough into a container with a lid or rolling it into a log and wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap for storage.

How to Know if Your Cookie Dough Has Gone Bad

As with many foods, you can tell if your cookie dough has spoiled by using your senses. If you see mold, smell a sour or pungent odor, or notice hard or discolored edges, it’s time to toss it. Salmonella, however, doesn’t have a noticeable smell, so if it tastes off, it’s better to spit it out and call it a loss.

Freezing Cookie Dough

When it comes to freezing cookie dough, there’s no difference between store-bought and homemade. Both can be stored in the freezer for up to two months—just make sure to freeze store-bought dough before the “use by” date.

When freezing homemade cookie dough, you can freeze it as a whole wrapped log, a flattened disk, a large dough ball, or portioned scoops or slices. Smaller amounts freeze well and can be thawed in the fridge as needed.

Personally, I bake all my cookies in one go and freeze the extras. By baking them first, I can store them in the freezer for 8-12 months. They thaw perfectly at room temperature and taste just as fresh as when they were made (or at least, the day after).

A handy tip is that you can bake cookies straight from frozen, especially those that need to maintain a specific shape. You might need to add a few extra minutes to the baking time. If freezing a dough log, let it thaw slightly in the fridge before slicing.

For quick holiday cut-out cookies, roll out the dough and freeze it in sheets, separated by parchment paper, in a zip-top bag. When you're ready to bake, just take out a sheet, let it thaw for a few minutes in the fridge, cut out your cookies, and bake away.