How Long Do Homemade Cookies Last (And Why)?

Exact Answer:1 To 2 Months

Baking is an art and it is a part of the culinary world. After a great meal, everybody loves to have desserts. Baking is not just a part of preparing desserts and sweets, but it also plays a vital role in creating savory dishes. People use their baking ovens all the time to cook meat like chicken and turkey, but, a person’s mind jumps straight to cookies and cakes when someone mentions an oven or baking tray.

While store-bought foodstuffs last longer, home-cooked and baked stuff don’t last that long. They should be stored properly and home bakers know how exactly to store baked goodies.

People bake all the time, some during special occasions, and some people bake even to relieve themselves of stress. According to facts, the smell of freshly baked cakes and cookies tends to calm anxiety and depression. Although, when they are stored for a while, the baked goods lose their smell. There are many ways to store freshly baked cookies so that they last longer than they should. There are always tips a person can take from a home baker’s guide.

How Long Do Homemade Cookies Last?

There are ways to maintain the freshness, but when homemade cookies are stored long enough, the freshness starts fading away after a while. It all depends on how they are stored, where they are stored, and what kind of cookies they are.

Normally, freshly baked homemade cookies last for about 5 to 6 days at room temperature, but the maximum duration they last for is about 10 to 14 days, and after that, they go stale and if moisture gets to them, fungi will start growing on them, as they already have enough moisture content in them with the sufficient level of nutrients.

Homemade cookies can be stored in airtight containers, it can also be stored properly in the refrigerator and the freezer. Some cookies stay fresh in the refrigerator, while some stay preserved longer in the freezer. One type of cookie is the drop cookies, and some of the best examples of these kinds of cookies include chocolate chip, oatmeal, and cowboy cookies.

Why Do Homemade Cookies Last That Long?

Drop cookies are sturdy, and since these cookies are crisp and crunchy, they should be stored in an air-tight container, so that no amount of air gets into these boxes. Although, if the cookies are too crispy for a person’s taste, they can always sthem. At room temperature, drop cookies last for about a week if they are properly sealed up and these cookies will last in the freezer for 6 months without doubt.

Whatever the cookies might be, there will always be cookie dough and freshly baked cookies leftover. Drop cookie dough can last in the freezer for around 6 months, and it is better to freeze the cookie dough first and then put it in an air-tight container so that it can be stored for a longer time in the freezer.

The next type is cutout cookies, which are made during the holiday season and there will be leftovers for sure since they are made in many batches. Sugar cookies and gingerbread cookies come under cutout cookies, and these cookies last longer if they are frozen.

Conclusion

At room temperature, these cookies will last for a week so it is better to eat them fast, and cutout cookies last in the freezer for about 6 months. Cookie dough used to make cut-out cookies can last in the freezer for 6 months at most.

Icebox, slice, and bake cookies can be stored in an air-tight container or a zip-top bag for about 5 to 6 days at room temperature, and in the freezer for 6 months. Cookie dough of icebox cookies can last in the fridge only for three days, but they last in the freezer for about 6 months.

Shortbread cookies, twice-baked cookies, spritz cookies, frozen cookies, and almost every other type of cookies last at room temperature for 1 to 2 weeks, and in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 months.

References

1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214799320300229
2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0740002009002007