Chocolate Christmas Cookies - Make-Ahead Freezer Cookie Dough

The ultimate smart cooking hack for busy December! Make this rich chocolate cookie dough now, roll it into a log, freeze it, and then slice and bake fresh cookies whenever guests arrive. Perfect for last-minute entertaining and decorating with the kids.

Recipe Details:

• Prep Time: 20 minutes (plus freezing time)
• Cook Time: 8-10 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes 
• Makes: 10-15 cookies (depending on thickness, you could make it in to more if you roll your log smaller)
• Difficulty: Easy
• Special Equipment: Cling film, baking tray, cooling rack

Smart cooking is the biggest time saver, especially around Christmas when guests turn up out of the blue or you need fresh biscuits in a hurry. This genius make-ahead chocolate biscuit dough can be prepared weeks in advance, rolled into a log, and frozen until you need it. When you're ready to bake, simply slice off as many biscuits as you need and pop them in the oven. No mixing, no mess, just fresh-baked biscuits in minutes. The deep chocolate flavour comes from cocoa powder enhanced with a touch of espresso powder, creating rich, sophisticated biscuits that are perfect for decorating. Dunk them in white chocolate, cover them with festive sprinkles, pipe on holly leaves, or let the kids go wild with their own designs. It's the perfect activity for busy December days and makes your kitchen smell like Christmas. Plus, having biscuit dough ready in the freezer means you're always prepared for unexpected visitors or last-minute biscuit emergencies.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Ultimate time-saver: Make the dough weeks ahead and bake fresh cookies whenever you need them
• Perfect for unexpected guests: Always have homemade cookies ready in the freezer
• No mess when busy: All the mixing is done ahead, just slice and bake
• Great with kids: The decorating part is fun for children while the prep work is already done
• Flexible baking: Bake as many or as few as you need, the rest stays frozen

Ingredients

For the Cookie Dough:

• 210g plain flour
• 65g cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder (instant coffee powder)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 170g unsalted butter, softened
• 200g caster sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For Decorating (optional):

• 150-200g white chocolate, melted
• Festive sprinkles
• Chopped red and green M&Ms or other colorful candies
• Royal icing for piping (optional - for holly leaves or designs)

Instructions

Making the Cookie Dough:

1. Prepare the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, salt, and baking powder. Whisk thoroughly until completely combined and there are no lumps. Set aside. Note: Do NOT add the sugar to this mix.

2. Cream the butter: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 1-2 minutes until it's light, soft, and fluffy.

3. Add the sugar: Add the caster sugar to the butter and beat on medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes until the mixture is pale, light, and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

4. Add the egg and vanilla: Add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Beat well until fully incorporated and smooth.

5. Combine with dry ingredients: Add all the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Mix on low speed at first to prevent a cloud of cocoa powder, then increase to medium speed and beat until everything is thoroughly combined. The dough will transform into a dark, rich brown color and will be quite thick.

6. Prepare for freezing: Lay out two large sheets of cling film on your work surface, overlapping them slightly to create a larger surface. Spoon the thick cookie dough into the center and roughly shape it into a log shape.

7. Roll into a log: Gently roll the dough up in the cling film, making sure none of the cling film ends up inside the dough. Keep rolling and shaping until you have a smooth, even log about 5-6cm in diameter. The more even your log, the more uniform your cookies will be.

8. Seal the ends: Tie off one end of the cling film tightly, like a Christmas cracker. Roll the log a few more times to tighten it and ensure it's completely sealed, then tie off the other end tightly.

9. Freeze: Place the wrapped cookie dough log in the freezer. It will keep beautifully for up to 3 months. This is your secret weapon for stress-free holiday baking!

Baking the Cookies:

10. Defrost the dough: The night before you want to bake, transfer the cookie dough log from the freezer to the refrigerator and let it defrost overnight. If you're in a rush, you can defrost at room temperature for 1/2 an hour, but overnight in the fridge is best.

11. Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan/350°F). Line one or two baking trays with baking paper.

12. Slice the cookies: Unwrap the cookie dough log and use a sharp knife to cut slices about 1cm thick. If you cut them thicker, they'll need longer to bake. Aim for even thickness so they all bake uniformly. You can bake as many or as few as you need and return the rest to the freezer.

13. Arrange on trays: Place the cookie slices on the prepared baking trays, leaving about 3-4cm between each cookie as they will spread slightly during baking.

14. Bake: Bake for 8-10 minutes for regular thickness cookies. If you've cut them thicker, they may need 10-12 minutes. Keep an eye on them after 8 minutes. The cookies are done when the edges look set but the centers still look slightly soft. They will firm up as they cool.

15. Cool: Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the tray for 2-3 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire cooling rack. Let them cool completely before decorating, about 20-30 minutes.

Decorating the Cookies:

16. Melt the chocolate: If using white chocolate, melt it gently in the microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring between each burst, until smooth and glossy. Don't overheat or it will seize.

17. Dip and decorate: Dip half of each cooled cookie into the melted white chocolate, letting any excess drip off. Immediately sprinkle with festive sprinkles, chopped M&Ms, or other decorations before the chocolate sets. Place on baking paper to set completely.

18. Pipe designs (optional): If you want to add holly leaves or other piped designs, prepare royal icing or buttercream icing and pipe decorative patterns onto the cookies. Green holly leaves with red dots for berries are classic!

19. Let set: Allow all decorations to set completely before serving or storing, about 30 minutes at room temperature or 10 minutes in the fridge.

Chef's Tips

For the best texture: Don't over bake these cookies. They should look slightly underdone in the center when you take them out. They'll continue cooking on the hot tray and will be perfect.

Even slicing: Use a sharp knife and wipe it clean between cuts for the neatest cookie rounds. If the dough is too hard to slice from the freezer, let it sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes.

Espresso powder magic: The espresso powder doesn't make the cookies taste like coffee - it enhances and deepens the chocolate flavor. Don't skip it!

Make multiple logs: Double or triple the recipe and make several logs. Having multiple logs in the freezer means you can bake different batches over the holiday season.

Perfect defrosting: Overnight in the fridge is the best method. The dough stays firm enough to slice cleanly but isn't rock-hard.

Kids decorating: Set up a decorating station with small bowls of sprinkles, candies, and melted chocolate. Let kids create their own designs - it's a wonderful Christmas activity.

Substitutions & Variations

No espresso powder? Use instant coffee granules or simply omit it. The cookies will still be delicious, just slightly less deep in chocolate flavor.

Different decorations: Try crushed candy canes, edible glitter, gold or silver sprinkles, mini marshmallows, or drizzle with dark chocolate instead of white.

 Make them minty: Add ½ teaspoon of peppermint extract along with the vanilla for chocolate mint cookies. Top with crushed candy canes.

Double chocolate: Add 100g of chocolate chips to the dough before rolling for extra chocolatey cookies.

Storage & Reheating

Dough storage: The wrapped cookie dough log will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Make sure it's well-wrapped to prevent freezer burn. 

Baked cookie storage: Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Layer with baking paper if decorated to prevent sticking.

Partial baking: You can bake just a few cookies at a time and return the remaining dough log to the freezer. It will keep just fine.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I bake the cookies straight from frozen without defrosting? A: It's possible but not ideal. The outside will overcook before the inside bakes through. Overnight defrosting in the fridge gives the best results and makes slicing much easier.

Q: Can I make this dough without a mixer? A: Yes, but it will take more arm work! Cream the butter and sugar thoroughly with a wooden spoon, then mix in the remaining ingredients. It just takes a bit longer.

Q: How thick should I slice the cookies? A: About 1cm thick is ideal. Thinner cookies (5-7mm) will be crispier and bake faster. Thicker cookies (1.5cm) will be chewier and need a bit longer in the oven.

Q: My white chocolate seized when melting. Can I fix it? A: White chocolate is temperamental. If it seizes, try stirring in a tiny amount of milk (½ teaspoon at a time) to bring it back to a smooth consistency.

You Might Also Like

The Ultimate Christmas Cake - Another brilliant make-ahead Christmas recipe. Bake this fruit cake a month before Christmas and feed it weekly with brandy.

Christmas Mince Pies - Complete your festive baking with homemade mince pies using my shortcrust pastry and mincemeat recipes.

If you want to see this cookies being made or bakes and decorated you can watch here! You can also find them on my Youtube Channel.

Enjoy!

Del x

This is the ultimate smart cooking hack for busy December! Make the chocolate cookie dough now, roll it into a log, freeze it, and slice and bake fresh cookies whenever you need them. Perfect for last-minute guests and a great activity to do with the kids. Happy Baking!