I'm hoping someone can give me some idea of how long cookies will stay fresh in heat-sealed poly bags. I'm making over 100 cookies for party favors for a friend in a few weeks and I'd like to not wait until right before to make them. I'm a hobbyist cookie maker, so I just don't know enough about the packaging/freshness side of things. Will they be good for a week? Longer? Thanks for any insight you can give. 
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I usually make the cookies and then freeze them. About 3-5 days before delivery, I defrost them and then package them. I had read that, once packaged up, they stay tasty up to 6 days (and that's not heatsealed). If heatsealed, they should last longer. I've given cookies as gifts with the "maximum 6 days" in mind and the receiver told me that they were tasty and fresh.
I don't heat-seal, but, even without heat-sealing, my cookies taste great up to 1-2 weeks out. However, I prefer to eat them within a week of baking for maximum freshness and flavor.
I hope someone else will chime in soon with his/her experience with heat-sealing.
I always put my cookies in heat-sealed bags with desiccant and I think they are good for a month.
I prefer to not make my cookies early, but if I do I double bag them in the freezer. When I’m ready for them I take them out, heat seal them and give away. Personally I encourage my Cookies to be eaten soon or frozen until ready. I think after a couple days the flavor goes down hill (especially chocolate). Flavor and freshness are very important to me and I only want people to eat them when they are at their best. Also, my cookies don’t have preservatives so I worry about holding them too long.
Are you double bagging and freezing after decorating with royal icing? I have the same dilemma needing to do 200 cookies for a wedding favor. Again, I am just a home baker so not much experience with trying to do large quantities in a timely fashion. Thanks for additional information. Caryn
I’ve done it both ways. I had to 200 logo Cookies for a local SPCA. I made the cookies and froze them (double bagging using ziploc bags). I would take a couple of bags out, decorate them. While they dried I did another batch. When dry I rebagged. When ready I defrosted all of them on racks and heat sealed them, which took hours. If you bag decorated cookies be 100% positive they ar completely dry. Also, when I freeze them I put either parchment paper or wax paper between levels and then carefully stack. I have minimum breakage, maybe one or two cookies. I’m a bit fussy about my cookies, but the flavor gets raves.
I don’t want to put the money out time into cookie unless it is going to be delicious. I’m not the best decorator, but my cookies always taste the best.
Thank you for the information. I was under the impression that royal icing would not fare well with freezing so I appreciate your taking the time to respond to my question with your experience. Caryn
I also regularly freeze my cookies, however I heat seal them and then freeze them on a covered sheet pan. Defrosting only takes about an hour, and by heat sealing them first there’s no risk of condensation coming into contact with the icing. Plus, you don’t have the hassle of unwrapping them just to bag them again.
I have personally eaten a cookie 3 weeks after heat sealing, and it was still good. Here’s a link discussing freshness: http://sweetopia.net/2012/02/h...f-decorated-cookies/.
Me too Caryn! I’ve frozen un-iced cookies for years but I also thought freezing royal icing was a no no. This opens up a whole new world! Thanks to all of you for sharing your experiences!
Thanks for everyone's input. I am going to try freezing some decorated cookies. I would be thrilled if I can approach my 200 cookie obligation this way without compromising anything.
Caryn posted:Thanks for everyone's input. I am going to try freezing some decorated cookies. I would be thrilled if I can approach my 200 cookie obligation this way without compromising anything.
I have some cookies in the freezer that were photographed before they went in the freezer. I’ll try to take a picture and show you both.
My cookies taste fine to me 3 weeks after being heat-sealed, but to be safe I tell customers to enjoy within 10 days. Freezing works in a pinch and I've also frozen decorated cookies, but I can detect a slight 'somethingness' in RI that's been frozen. But that's just me - my husband swears he can't tell the difference.
