The #1 Reason Why You Should Chill Your Cookie Dough is simple: it vastly improves your cookies in both taste and texture.
If you’re like most, you don’t want to take the time to chill your cookie dough. I totally get it – who wants to wait for cookies!? But here’s the thing if you REALLY want the best cookies… you know a little patience goes a LONG way.
How Long to Refrigerate Cookie Dough. As a general rule of thumb, you should refrigerate cookie dough for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. More than that, and you won’t see a noticeable difference in the final product.
How Long Should I Chill Cookie Dough to See These Benefits?
In the photos here, you can see this play out with my Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe. Each cookie was baked on the same baking sheet, at the same temperature, for the same amount of time. The taste and texture improved with every batch… until 72 hours. Then I noticed diminishing returns. I think that’s because this particular recipe has a lower hydration level so after a certain point the dough starts to dry out.
Oppositely, I notice 72 hours of chilling time are my favorite cookies when I’m using my Ultimate Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. That one has a higher hydration level and yields well, chewier cookies.
Either way, I’d HIGHLY recommend chilling for 24-48 hours the next time you bake any drop-style cookie. Bake off a few immediately so you can compare the chilled ones (like in the below)!
How Long Should I Chill Cookie Dough?
Anywhere from 24 to 72 hours. The longer you chill the dough, the more flavor will develop. The flour will also absorb more of the moisture so the thicker and chewier the final texture will be.
Should refrigerated cookie dough be brought to room temperature before baking?
FAQ
Is it OK to refrigerate sugar cookie dough overnight?
Can you let cookie dough rest overnight?
Is cookie dough safe to eat if left out overnight?
How long can raw sugar cookie dough stay in the fridge?
Should sugar cookies be chilled?
Not chilling the dough. Chilling the dough is a key step in making sugar cookies, especially when you’re making cut-outs. Even if you’re tight on time, make sure to get the dough in the fridge, or even the freezer, even if it’s only for a little while. Skip this step, and the dough will be sticky, and much harder to work with.
Can sugar cookie dough be made a day before baking?
To prevent this, you can use cooler butter, or simply pop your sugar cookie dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes prior to baking, which hardens the fat. However, you can also make your sugar cookie dough a whole day in advance, wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and cool it in your fridge overnight, advises Sally’s Baking Addiction.
Should sugar cookies be refrigerated before baking?
One way to solve a lot of issues with sugar cookies is to refrigerate your dough before baking. Few things are more heartbreaking than pulling a tray of sugar cookies out of the oven and seeing that they’ve spread and melted down into unsightly blobs. This is why you should consider refrigerating your sugar cookie dough prior to baking.
Can cookie dough be refrigerated?
Most types of cookie dough, like chocolate chip cookie dough, sugar, and peanut butter cookie dough, can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. Place the dough in an airtight container or wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.