Or are you curious about cookie storage and want to know more? No matter the question that brought you here, we have the answers for you!
Finding out how to store chocolate chip cookies to keep them fresh can be tricky, especially if you have not done this before.
You head online for some guidance but are met with pages and pages of conflicting and contradicting information. Frustrated and overwhelmed, you are left wondering how you will stop your cookies from drying out.
Well, wonder no more! Today, we are here with all the answers you need. Keep reading to find out how to store chocolate chip cookies to keep them fresher for longer.
Whether you have soft, crispy, or chewy chocolate chip cookies, we are here to tell you the best way to keep them fresher for longer!
Let’s not waste any more time and dive straight into today’s article.
How Long Do Chocolate Chip Cookies Last?
Let’s dive into it! Providing that you store your chocolate chip cookies correctly, they can last for up to three months. That is plenty of time to enjoy your delicious chocolate chip cookies!
But how you store them does vary depending on the type of chocolate chip cookie you have. We know, nothing is ever straightforward, is it?
Soft or chewy chocolate chip cookies should be kept in an airtight plastic container. Your crispy cookies can be frozen, or stored in a glass container.
When storing your cookies, do not store different flavors and textures together. They have different storage requirements and can leave you with stale cookies that all taste of a mixture of flavors!
Every type of chocolate chip cookie has slightly different storage requirements, making it tricky for cookie lovers to know how to store them.
But luckily for you, we have a table below that you can check out! This shows you how to store your cookies and how long they will stay fresh!
Cookie Type
Best Way To Store
At Room Temperature
In The Freezer
Raw chocolate chip cookie dough
Store in an airtight container, freezer, or refrigerator
Up to 2 days
3 months
Chocolate chip cookie bar
Store in an airtight plastic container
3 – 4 days
3 months
Crispy chocolate chip cookie
In a glass container or freeze
1 – 2 days
3 months
Chewy chocolate chip cookie
Store in an airtight plastic container
2 – 3 days
3 months
Soft chocolate chip cookie
Wrap in plastic wrap before storing in an airtight plastic container
2 – 3 days
3 months
Refer back to this table when you need to quickly check and see how to store your favorite chocolate chip cookies! These storage options relate to homemade cookies (but we have guidance on store-bought cookies below too).
Essentially, you need to store your cookies in an airtight container, regardless of the type of chocolate chip cookie you have. The cookies will stay fresher for longer in a space where moisture cannot enter.
The storage methods do vary slightly from cookie to cookie, but with this table in your arsenal, you will always know how best to store your chocolate chip cookies!
Now that we have established the best practices for storing your chocolate chip cookies and keeping them fresh, let’s dive in a little deeper to learn more about these storage options.
We also have lots of tips and tricks for baking and storing your cookies coming up!
How To Store Your Chocolate Chip Cookies
Let’s start with our essential tips for storing your cookies! Try and incorporate a mixture or all of these tips depending on the type of cookies you are storing.
Cool Beforehand
Once your cookies have been baked, leave them on a wire rack to cool completely before transferring them. Storing warm cookies together can cause them to stick together and become mushy.
Instead, allow at least an hour for your cookies to cool to room temperature. This might take longer, depending on the temperature of your room. It’s worth the wait to have delicious and fresh cookies!
Don’t Mix Flavors Or Textures
Do not store your crispy, chewy, and soft cookies in the same container! Doing so will cause the cookies to lose their own flavors.
For example, if you add lemon or ginger cookies to the container, you will notice that your chocolate chip cookies will have a hint of lemon or ginger to them.
Crispy cookies will also lose their texture when stored with other types of chocolate chip cookies. They will lose their crispness and become soft. Make sure that you have a separate container for each type of cookie you need to store.
Store Cookies In An Airtight Container
To avoid dry cookies, you need to keep the moisture in and the air out, so choose your container wisely! Opt for a glass or plastic container with a secure lid for your bar, chewy, or soft cookies.
Crisp cookies can be kept in glass containers to prevent them from becoming soft.
You can also use a zip-top bag. While it is a good option if you are traveling with a small number of cookies, they don’t stay as fresh in the bag as they do in an airtight container.
We recommend only using a bag when the cookies are in there for a short amount of time, like one day.
After adding your cookies to the bag, be sure to squeeze out as much air as possible before you seal the bag, to keep your cookies fresh.
Wrap Your Cookies
Before placing your cookies in their airtight container, wrap them with plastic wrap. Plastic wrap offers your homemade cookies an extra layer of moisture protection, preventing them from drying out.
Plastic wrap can also be used for cookies that need to be stored for a day when no one plans to eat them. If you anticipate that the cookies will be eaten throughout the day, you don’t need to worry about the plastic wrap.
Store The Container In A Dry And Cool Area
You should keep your cookies in a dry and cool place. Keep your cookies out of direct sunlight, as this can cause the cookies to wilt. It might also melt the chocolate chips!
You should place the container in a cupboard or in a corner of your kitchen counter. Keep it away from any heat sources like a radiator or your stove.
Do Not Use The Refrigerator
Placing your cookies in the refrigerator is a bad idea. The refrigerator will draw out moisture from your cookies, leaving you with dry and disappointing cookies!
You should also not add freshly baked cookies to your refrigerator. Sure, it can seem like a good way to cool them down quickly, but the moisture will be zapped from your cookies, leaving you with cold and dry cookies.
No one wants that, do they?
The only time you should use your refrigerator is to store cookie dough. Cookie dough can be kept in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.
Placing the cookie dough in the refrigerator will help the flavors blend and mature before you bake your cookies. You can place your cookie dough in a container before adding it to the refrigerator.
If you leave the cookie dough for longer than two days, the cookies won’t rise as normal, leaving you with flat cookies. If you need to store your cookie dough for longer, it is best to roll the cookie dough into balls and freeze it.
Cookie dough freezes well and allows you to save time when cooking! You can simply pull out your frozen cookie dough balls and bake as normal.
You will need to allow a few extra minutes when cooking with frozen cookie dough though.
Now that we have shared our top tips, let’s dive into each storage method for the different types of chocolate chip cookies!
How To Keep Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies Chewy
Chewy cookies are made with bread flour and extra brown sugar that helps to retain moisture, giving your cookie a chewy center.
Adding an extra egg yolk can also underbake the cookies slightly, leaving you with lightly browned edges and a moist center.
To store your chewy chocolate cookies, you will want to cool them completely before storing them. They should then be transferred into a plastic airtight container.
If you don’t seal your moisture in, your cookies will turn stale in a few days.
If you plan to snack on your cookies, place them in a lidded plastic container. You can simply pop open the lid, grab a cookie, and seal the container again.
If you plan to leave them for a day or two, cover your cookies in plastic wrap before placing them in the container.
The extra layer of plastic keeps your cookie texture intact, but it does make it harder to grab a cookie quickly!
Baking And Storing Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chill your dough for 2-3 hours (no more than 3 days) before baking the cookies. Round your dough into balls before chilling.
Underbake your cookies to avoid drying them out in the oven.
Leave on a cookie sheet for ten minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.
Store them in a sealed plastic container at room temperature.
They will last for 2-3 days on the counter. Place them in between sheets of parchment paper to stop them from sticking together.
You can freeze them as soon as they cool. Layer them between parchment sheets and freeze them for three months.
Storing Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
Soft chocolate chip cookies are delicious, with a combination of room temperature butter and granulated and brown sugar giving them their delicious texture. Aerating your butter while you cream it helps to create pillowy soft cookies.
You can also use baking powder and cornstarch in your batter with some cream cheese to create super soft cookies!
Smaller soft chocolate chip cookies usually last for less time than larger bakery-style chocolate chip cookies. This is because smaller dough portions will lose their moisture faster, leaving you with dry cookies.
You must cool your soft cookies quickly on the rack and store them immediately to prevent them from drying out! Your soft chocolate chip cookies should be stored in an airtight plastic container with a secure lid.
Even if you plan to snack on these cookies, wrap them in plastic wrap or use a zip-top bag. Cover them in plastic wrap before placing them into the airtight container to keep the moisture in these cookies!
Baking And Storing Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chill your cookie dough for 2-3 hours (no more than 2 days) before baking. Turn your dough into balls before you refrigerate them.
Bake the cookies until their edges are golden brown.
Cool your cookies on a cooling rack where air can flow underneath the cookies to speed up cooling times.
Store your cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.
The cookies will last for 3 days at room temperature.
The cookies can be frozen as soon as they cool and kept for three months.
Storing Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Crispy chocolate chip cookies feature melted butter, more granulated sugar, and less brown sugar. The golden-brown cookies hold less moisture and feature a distinct crunch and crispy edges.
Homemade crispy cookies can be temperamental though! It can be hard to keep your cookies crispy, with many of them losing their crispy edge quickly.
Thankfully, there are ways you can prolong the crunch in your cookies! You will want to cool them and freeze them. Freezing them helps to keep the crisp in your cookie, and should be done even if you plan to eat them the next day.
Freezing Crispy Cookies
Follow our steps below to see how to freeze your crispy chocolate chip cookies.
Cool your cookie completely on a wire rack.
Place your cookies in a single layer on a tray. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 30 minutes. Freezing the cookies like this first prevents them from sticking together!
Decant your cookies from the tray into a freezer bag. Put them back into the freezer and store them for up to 3 months.
To prevent your cookies from sticking together, separate each cookie with small sheets of parchment paper.
Thawing Crispy Cookies
Thawing your cookies is easy too! You can check out our steps below to see how it’s done.
Remove the number of cookies you want from the freezer.
Put the cookies in an open plastic baggie for 30 minutes to an hour.
Enjoy your crispy, room-temperature cookie!
Freezing your crispy cookies is the best way to ensure their longevity. If you don’t freeze them, you will get 1-2 days maximum from your cookie before it becomes soft.
Storing Crispy Cookies On The Counter
Follow the steps below to store your crispy cookies on the kitchen counter.
Allow your cookie to cool completely.
Store in an airtight glass container.
Do not store soft or chewy cookies.
Baking And Storing Crispy Chocolate Cookies
Do not chill your dough before baking as this keeps the dough pliable and spreads easily.
Bake the cookies for a little longer so the edges are brown.
Cool full on a cooling rack where air can flow underneath the cookies.
Freeze or store your cookies in an airtight glass container on the counter.
Your cookies will last up to two days at room temperature or three months if frozen.
Storing Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Chocolate chip cookie bars are a wonderful twist on the classic cookie! They are a mixture of a brownie and a chocolate chip cookie, offering a dense and delicious dessert for you to enjoy.
These are best baked on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. This allows you to lift the entire bar from the pan once it has cooked. Follow our steps below to store your chocolate chip cookies.
Cool your cookie bar.
Cut into bar slices
Store your bars in a glass or plastic airtight container. Use parchment paper to separate the layers of cookie bars.
Keep your cookie bars for 3-4 days. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months.
Baking And Storing Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
You don’t need to chill the dough if you prefer not to, as the pan holds the shape of the cookie dough.
Bake your bars until the top is golden brown and they are slightly undercooked. This gives them a chewy texture.
Cool your bars inside the pan before you lift the entire shape onto the counter. You can then slice and serve your bars!
Ideally, store your bars in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature.
Your cookie bars will last for 3-4 days providing they are kept at room temperature.
You can freeze your bars once they have cooled for 3 months. Store them in your freezer in a sealed airtight container.
Storing Raw Cookie Dough
A great way to store your raw cookie dough is to freeze it! This way you always have some dough to hand whenever the cookie craving hits. You also don’t need to spend time thawing your cookie dough before making your cookies!
Simply lower the temperature of your oven by 25 degrees Fahrenheit and bake the cookies for a few minutes more than usual. Check out our steps below to see how to freeze your cookie dough.
Use a cookie scoop to make even balls of cookie dough.
Add the balls in a single layer to a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.
Put the tray in the freezer for thirty minutes or until the dough freezes.
Remove the balls from the freezer and decant into a freezer bag or container.
Date the bag and return it to the freezer. They can be kept for up to three months.
Using Bread To Make Cookies Soft
If your cookies have dried out, there is a simple hack to return moisture to them! Add a slice of bread to the container! Your cookies will pull the moisture from the bread, returning the cookies to their soft texture!
We have tried this method ourselves and have had mixed results, let’s tell you what we learned!
Use white bread. Wheat bread or strong-flavored bread transfers its flavor to the cookies, ruining their taste!
Half a slice is enough for 12 cookies. Tear your bread into quarters with one quarter at the bottom of the container and the other on top of the cookies. Secure the lid and store for a few hours.
Avoid using too much bread as this can make the cookies go soggy!
You can also use a tortilla instead. These do not transfer flavors and can be torn and laid above and below the cookies.
If the cookies are stale, the bread will soften them, but it cannot remove the stale taste.
You can avoid the need for using bread if you store your cookies correctly. Wrap your cookies in plastic wrap and store them in an airtight plastic container.
The container should be kept in a dry and cool space on your counter for no more than three days.
If you don’t think you will eat the cookies in this time, freeze them instead. The cookies can be removed and thawed when you want them.
How Do I Stop Cookies Going Stale In The Jar?
Not all cookie jars come with an airtight seal, meaning after a day or two, the cookies can go stale. But there are a few things you can do to prevent this!
First, if your cookie jar is purely decorative and not airtight, don’t store your cookies in them. Instead, store your cookies in an airtight container following the instructions we outlined earlier.
When you plan to serve the cookies, you can add a few to the jar.
Doing so not only ensures that the cookies don’t go stale, but it limits your children (or friends) on how many they can eat before dinner!
If you do intend to use your cookie jar for your cookies, follow our tips below.
Seal the cookies in a plastic bag. Place the bag in the cookie jar.
Cover the top of the cookie jar with two layers of plastic wrap before putting the lid on.
Can I Store Cookies In A Mason Jar?
Yes, you can store cookies in a mason jar! A mason jar is usually more airtight than a cookie jar, keeping them fresher for longer! We do still recommend wrapping your cookies in plastic or covering the opening to prevent too much air from getting in.
Do Cookie Tins Keep Cookies Fresh?
Cookie tins are a tricky one. Their quality can be inconsistent, so take our following advice with caution! Some cookie tins are very airtight, with secure lids that are tricky to open.
However, not all are the same, and you might find you need to wrap your cookies in plastic wrap to increase their longevity.
It’s worth noting that cookie tins won’t keep your chocolate chip cookies fresher for longer than the other methods we mentioned. You should get about two days of freshness before you need to freeze your cookies.
If you are unsure how airtight your cookie tin is, you can test it first with a few cookies. Put them in the tin and try one the following day. If they have dried out, or are starting to taste stale, then you will know the cookie tin is not airtight.
You can still store your cookies in your cookie tin, but you should wrap them in two layers of plastic wrap before placing them in the tin.
You can also cover the opening of the tin with plastic wrap before you add the lid. This should help to keep your cookies fresh like the other methods.
If you are concerned about your cookie tin, you should instead use a plastic or glass airtight container depending on the type of cookies you are storing.
Final Thoughts
And there you have it! The best way to store chocolate chip cookies is to store them in an airtight container, either plastic or glass, depending on the type of cookie.
Your cookies will stay fresh for a few days when stored in an airtight container. To make your cookies last longer, you can freeze them for up to three months.
When storing your cookies, you might want to also wrap them in plastic wrap. This helps to keep them fresh and prevents them from drying out!
The methods for storing your cookies do vary depending on the type of cookie you have baked, so be sure to check the correct method before you store them.
Don’t forget to check out all of our baking and storing tips to make your cookies last as long as possible! We also have a FAQ section below for you to check out too, so you can get the answers to your burning cookie-related questions!
Frequently Asked Questions
Be sure to check out our brief FAQ section to get your last-minute questions answered!
Can I Soften Cookies With Apple Slices?
We don’t recommend using apple slices to soften cookies! We tried the method and it leaves the top of the cookie mushy and the bottom stale. Plus, it leaves the chocolate chip cookies tasting of apples – not ideal!
How Long Will Homemade Cookies Last In The Refrigerator?
We do not recommend storing homemade cookies in the refrigerator.
Your refrigerator will suck the moisture out of your cookies, leaving you with hard and dry cookies. It is best to store them on your counter or in the freezer if you want them to last longer.
How Can I Keep Cookies Fresh For A Week?
Freeze your cookies to keep them fresh for a week. Freeze them after they have been baked and cooled, and then remove them from the refrigerator to thaw before eating.
One cookie will take thirty minutes to thaw before it is ready to eat.
Should I Leave Cookies Overnight To Cool?
You can leave cookies out overnight to cool, but it isn’t the best idea. Your cookies will dry out a little, leaving them dry and crunchy in the morning. If you enjoy a crunchy cookie, this isn’t too bad.
But for those that enjoy soft cookies, it isn’t great. Thankfully, there is a way you can return moisture to them! Wrap your cookies in plastic wrap and put them in an airtight container.
Leave them for two to four hours. When you open the cookies, they will be chewy and soft!
How Should I Store Grocery Store Cookies?
Grocery store-bought cookies tend to have a preservative that extends their shelf life. The best way to store them depends on the type of cookie you have purchased.
Soft or chewy cookies should be kept in a plastic storage bag or airtight container. You will want to keep the cookies in their original packaging and place them in an airtight container.
For crispy cookies, close the package to stop them from going stale. You don’t need to add them to an airtight container, as it could cause the cookies to soften!
Can I Put Baked Cookies In A Cookie Jar?
Yes! Make sure that the cookie jar opening has an airtight seal. If it doesn’t, you can cover the cookie jar opening with plastic wrap to keep your cookies fresh.
Have you ever made something so delicious that you wished you could savor it forever?
Only to find that the recipe has now mysteriously vanished from your phone and the entirety of the internet. Yep, there’s not much more painful than that.
Hi, my name is Mark Williams and I have been infatuated with cooking since I was young. I would beg my mother to pull a chair up to the counter so I could watch what she was doing.
