the rooted pantry project is about replacing the store-bought things that make sense for our family, one dependable recipe at a time.

root 3 had to be cookie dough because there is almost always a bag of it in our freezer.

not because i am trying to be impressive. honestly, it is because future me appreciates being able to bake a few warm cookies without dragging every ingredient out of the pantry.

a few times a year, i make a large batch, portion it, and freeze the dough balls. then we can bake exactly what we need for a random tuesday afternoon, a movie night, company, or a trip away from home.

we even took the frozen dough camping and baked fresh cookies in our cabin. pulling homemade cookie dough from the freezer at the end of a camping day may be one of my favorite versions of planning ahead.

this base dough keeps working for us. the cookies stay soft, the dough freezes beautifully, and the portions bake straight from frozen.

why we make this

cookie dough is one of those convenience foods that is easy to grab without thinking. but once the homemade version is already portioned in the freezer, it is just as easy to pull out four dough balls as it is to open a package.

freezing it once means i can bake only what we need, keep a homemade dessert ready for busy days, add one more project while i am already batch cooking, and take a simple treat along for trips.

another reason i like keeping cookie dough in the freezer is the grocery-store reminder. i will look at a package of cookies or another dessert and think, “oh, no. i do not need that. i have cookies i can bake in the freezer.”

that does not mean i will never buy dessert again. we live in the real world over here. it just means this is one swap that genuinely makes our life easier.

root 3 recipe

freezer chocolate chip cookie dough

a soft chocolate chip cookie dough that can be chilled and baked the same day or portioned, frozen, and baked straight from the freezer.

makes: approximately 40 cookies with a 2-tablespoon scoop

chill time: at least 2 hours before baking fresh

bake chilled: 9–11 minutes at 375°F

bake from frozen: 12 minutes at 375°F

ingredients

• 226g cold butter, cubed
• 150g granulated sugar
• 165g brown sugar
• 425g chocolate chips
• 420g all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

instructions

1. mix the butter and sugars

in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the cold cubed butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. mix for about 1 minute. the butter should still have small visible chunks.

2. add the chocolate chips

add the chocolate chips and mix for 15–30 seconds to distribute them throughout the mixture.

3. add the dry ingredients

add the flour, salt, and baking powder. mix until the mixture becomes sandy and crumbly.

4. finish the dough

add the eggs and vanilla extract. mix just until a dough forms. avoid overmixing.

5. portion the dough

scoop the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop, or your preferred size.

6. chill and bake fresh

if baking the cookies the same day, chill the portioned dough for at least 2 hours. bake at 375°F for 9–11 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and the centers are just set.

allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for several minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.

food-safety note: this dough contains raw flour and eggs and is intended to be baked. do not eat or taste it raw, and wash hands, utensils, and work surfaces after handling it.

storing and freezing

arrange the scooped dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until completely solid. transfer them to labeled freezer bags, airtight containers, or vacuum-sealed portions, then return them to the freezer promptly.

properly wrapped dough will maintain its best quality in a freezer kept at 0°F for up to 6 months. i like dividing mine into smaller packages so i can grab exactly what we need.

to bake from frozen, place the portions on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 375°F for 12 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and the centers are just set. there is no need to thaw them first.

branches we have tried so far

once i knew the base dough froze and baked well, dividing a batch and turning it into a few branches was the obvious next step.

peanut butter

for the peanut butter branch, add 1 cup of peanut butter after creaming butter chunks and sugars and use peanut butter chips in place of the chocolate chips.

white chocolate chip

for the white chocolate chip branch, substitute white chocolate chips for the regular chocolate chips.

white chocolate s’mores

white chocolate chips, graham cracker crumbs and chunks, plus marshmallow inside and toasted on top make this our s’mores branch. get the full white chocolate chip s’mores freezer cookies recipe.

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