You’ve baked the dough, chilled it, rolled it and cut it into the shapes of stars and trees. You’ve baked a batch and then another, decorated each cookie carefully with piping bags filled with royal icing, eaten a few (and then a few more), and now it’s time to store them. But what’s the best way to do that without ruining the icing and decorated sugar on frosted sugar cookies? From Our Shop
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How Long Do Sugar Cookies Last?
If stored properly, most homemade sugar cookies have a shelf life of about two to three days from when they were baked. Does this mean you should throw them out after a few days? Absolutely not. To misquote Cookie Monster, cookie crumbs or, in this case, slightly stale cookies are just as good as freshly baked. Just know that their texture will change, the frosting on top may start to melt, and any chocolate chunks may show signs of discoloration.
How to Store Sugar Cookies
Once your sugar cookie recipe is fully baked and decorated, properly store them “in a tin or an airtight container, once theyre cool,” says Food52 community member Brette W. ChefJune agrees with this method to help the cookies stay fresh and recommends “[separating] the rows with waxed paper to ensure they dont stick to the ones above and below.” (You can also use parchment if that’s what you have!)
King Arthur Baking Company reminds bakers not to be over-eager when storing cookies: “Whatever type of cookies you’re making, be sure they’re entirely cool before you wrap them up to store. Wrapping a still-warm cookie will cause it to stream inside its container, which could yield soggy, stuck-together results,” the brand’s experts write in their latest tome, The Essential Cookie Companion.
Another important consideration: storing the same type of cookies together. This means storing crisp cookies (like tuile cookies or Sarah Kieffer’s chocolate chip) together and storing soft cookies together, too. “A soft cookies moisture can soften an entire batch of crisp cookies if they are stored together. This also means that if you under bake some cookies in the same batch (like Thirdchild mentioned), they can still be slightly soft and soften the cookies that were baked for longer,” writes Food52 community member Rachel S.
Oh, and the type of storage container matters too! “Cookies kept in plastic containers get soft quickly while cookies kept in glass containers stay crisp much longer,” writes david2308. These kinds of cookie storage tips are exactly why we love our community.
Unless a recipe tells you otherwise, you should always store sugar cookies at room temperature to make sure that they taste as good on day three as they did on day one. Keep them in a cool, dry area of your kitchen; any additional humidity may change their texture, particularly with frosted sugar cookies. This brings me to…
How to Make Stained Glass Christmas Cookies
FAQ
How long do cookies last in a glass jar?
What is the best way to store cookies to keep them fresh?
Is it better to store cookies in glass or plastic?
How do you store soft cookies?
Soft cookies such as gingerbread, chocolate chip, and peanut butter cookies should be stored separately from crispy cookies. If they have a strong flavor, they should also be stored away from other types of soft cookies in an airtight container. In order to keep them their softest, tuck a slice of white sandwich bread inside the airtight container.
How do you keep cookies soft & chewy?
In general, it’s OK to store crisp cookies in a container with a looser-fitting cover. But to keep cookies soft and chewy, store them in a container that has a tight-fitting lid. Test Kitchen Tip: If your cookies get too soft, crisp them up in a 300ºF oven for five minutes.
How long can you keep cookies fresh?
Keeping cookies fresh for five days should be no problem at all. Store soft cookies in an airtight container or resealable bag. Store crispy cookies in a looser container, such as a cookie jar, or leave a resealable bag open slightly to allow air inside. Can you Refrigerate cookies to keep them fresh?
How do you store crispy cookies?
The goal for crispy cookies is opposite: You want to keep moisture away. To do this, store crispy cookies separate from soft cookies (whose moisture can actually soften crispy cookies), in an airtight container that’s not completely sealed. This will allow some air to sneak in and keep your cookies away from humidity and moisture.