Frozen Cookie Dough: Convenience and Consistency
Frozen cookie dough may come to bakeries and homes as rolls, pucks or portioned sheets, in classic flavors such as chocolate chip or innovative ones like caramel latte, made with conventional ingredients or with organic ones, omnivore or plant-based. But it is coming.
Freezing dough is one of the most efficient ways of preserving it. It is clean label friendly – no need for preservatives that make consumers skeptical about the quality of the final product – and it allows bakers and manufacturers to have better control over the production process.
According to Grand View Research, the global frozen dough market size was valued at USD20.99bn in 2021 and is expected to register a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.1% from 2022 to 2030. The key factor driving the industry is the rising consumption of bakery products across the globe leading to an increased demand for frozen doughs as they are convenient and easy to prepare. In addition, with the growth of the processed food sector, the frozen or refrigerated dough industry is also growing rapidly. Furthermore, frozen doughs have a high shelf life and save the time and energy of the user owing to which, they are widely used, thereby driving the industry growth over the forecast period. The COVID-19 pandemic adversely affected various industries across the globe; however, it positively impacted the market for frozen dough in the retail sector.
The biscuits and cookies segment, in particular, is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR from 2022 to 2030. The growth of the segment is attributed to the rising use of frozen biscuits & cookies among consumers due to the growing inclination toward homemade biscuits & cookies. Frozen biscuits and cookie dough provides consistent quality and taste and are ready to use, which results in their increasing usage, thus propelling the segment growth. The rising trend of baking activities among both adults and children is further expected to drive the growth of the segment.
Here are some of the reasons frozen cookie dough is such a welcome product in bakeries:
It offers convenience and it is time-saving: Frozen cookie dough offers significant convenience to both consumers and businesses. For home bakers, it eliminates the need for time-consuming preparation, allowing them to bake fresh cookies on-demand with minimal effort. For commercial bakeries and foodservice providers, frozen dough streamlines operations, reducing the need for labor-intensive mixing and preparation. This efficiency is particularly valuable in high-volume settings such as restaurants, cafes, and catering services.
It allows bakers to offer consistency and have quality control: one of the main advantages of frozen cookie dough is the ability to maintain consistent quality across batches. Pre-measured and pre-mixed dough ensures that each cookie meets the same standards in terms of taste, texture, and appearance. This consistency is vital for brands looking to maintain their reputation and meet customer expectations.
CraftMark Bakery, a supplier of pre-baked and frozen bakery products for foodservice, has, for example, the capabilities to manufacture specialty gourmet frozen cookie dough recipes including plant based, vegan and Better-For-You, all on their Kosher certified production lines.
They supply large commercial customers who want to reformulate their baked goods to remove problematic ingredients, like artificial flavors, colors, fillers, chemical texture additives, high-fructose corn syrup, and unsustainable palm oil. Their frozen cookie dough recipes are developed with Better-For-You and socially responsible ingredients, including Callebaut chocolate, real butter, sustainable palm oil, and cage free eggs. This allows bakeries to delegate sustainable ingredient sourcing and thus worry less about the quality of their final product.
It has extended shelf life and it reduces waste: frozen cookie dough has a significantly longer shelf life compared to fresh dough. This helps reduce waste, as businesses can store the dough for longer periods without it spoiling. It also allows for better inventory management, ensuring that bakeries can meet demand without overproducing.
It’s versatile: the availability of various flavors and types of frozen cookie dough allows bakeries and foodservice providers to offer a wide range of options without the need for separate preparations. This versatility enables businesses to cater to diverse customer preferences and dietary needs, including gluten-free and vegan options.
For example, Dawn Foods has recently introduced four new seasonal frozen cookie pucks, capitalizing on the trend for fruit and chocolate combinations, as well as culture-inspired flavors.
The cookies are supplied in a pre-cut “puck” format so bakers and caterers can bake them as demand requires and offer freshly baked cookies throughout the day. The new pucks include a Blueberry, Banana & White Chocolate Cookie, ideal for serving at breakfast. The additional options include: Chocolate & Lime Cookie made using a lime flavor cookie dough and featuring both white and milk chocolate chunks; Apple & Cinnamon Cookie featuring spiced dough, raisins, and apple; Caramel Latte Cookie filled with salted caramel fudge pieces and featuring caramel latte flavor.
“The combination of fruit and chocolate is very popular, chocolate adds indulgence to a product with the fruit content adding many of the sweet tones,” said Jacqui Passmore, marketing manager the UK and Ireland at Dawn Foods. “Tastes are evolving and consumers are acquiring the taste for different levels and sources of sweetness in bakery products.”
It’s safe and hygienic: commercially produced frozen cookie dough is often made in controlled environments with strict quality and safety standards. This reduces the risk of contamination and foodborne illnesses.
Read the rest of the article in the May-June edition of European Baker & Biscuit.