Meet your forever recipe for icebox slice & bake cookies: a versatile, buttery base cookie dough ready for endless flavor adaptations. Whether you’re craving mint chocolate, raspberry, cookies & cream, maple pecan, or a buttery sugar cookie dipped in caramel and chocolate, this one dough has you covered.
Choose your own flavor adventure with this cookie recipe! Think of this as your mix-and-match playground for holiday cookie trays, gifting, or easy make-ahead baking.
Why You’ll Love Them
- Simple, basic ingredients
- Easy-to-follow 1-bowl recipe
- Buttery shortbread texture
- Soft and thick in the centers, crispy around the edges
- A great make-ahead cookie recipe
- No rolling individual dough balls—just slice into rounds
- Infinitely adaptable!
I love the slice-and-bake cookie method and you can find more variations on my website, including coconut-y Santa’s whiskers cookies, colorful sprinkle slice-and-bakes, cranberry orange icebox cookies, brown sugar shortbread cookies, and toasted hazelnut slice-and-bake cookies.
They Are Also Known as Icebox Cookies
They’re sometimes called “icebox cookies” for a reason: chilling the cookie dough logs is essential. Like pinwheel cookies (another slice-and-bake cookie), the cookie dough is very buttery and, without time in the refrigerator, will bake into greasy puddles.
Think of the chill time as built-in convenience rather than delayed gratification—perfect for planning ahead.
The cookie dough logs can hang out in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or you can freeze them for even longer. Simply thaw in the refrigerator for an hour or two before slicing and baking. Having some cookie dough in the freezer is such a time-saver during the busy holiday season!
6 Ingredients for the Base Cookie Dough
All very basic baking staples:
- Butter: Make sure it’s proper room-temperature butter to start.
- Sugar: We’re sweetening these cookies with both brown and white granulated sugar.
- Egg: 1 egg serves to bind all the ingredients together.
- Vanilla: Key for flavor.
- Flour: The base of our cookies.
- Salt: To balance the sweet.
And, as an optional coating on the cookies, use coarse sugar such as sparkling sugar sprinkles or something like Sugar in the Raw. It provides a little extra sparkle and crunch.
Let Me Show You the Process
This is all very easy. Make the cookie dough all in 1 bowl, and then divide it in half. It’s quite creamy, so have a little extra flour on hand. If your dough seems too sticky to roll, beat in another 1–2 Tbsp of flour.
Shape each portion into a log (just roll it) that’s about 8 inches long, and then wrap up tightly and refrigerate for at least 4 hours… but preferably longer. Overnight is great, or they can chill in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for even longer.
After that, roll the dough logs in the coarse sugar. Slice each of the dough logs into 12 discs. They’re about 8 inches long, so each cookie will be a little thicker than 1/2 inch.
Arrange on your lined baking sheets and bake.
5 Slice and Bake Cookie Flavors
Each flavor variation below, and in the recipe Notes, lists the add-ins and toppings you need for the entire batch of dough (both logs). If you’d like to make more than one flavor, prepare a second batch of the base dough and customize each batch separately.
- Chocolate Caramel Toffee: Make the base cookie dough; no add-ins! After the cookies cool, dip them in thickened salted caramel, then melted semi-sweet chocolate, and garnish with toffee bits.
- Raspberry White Chocolate: To the base dough, you’ll add ground freeze-dried raspberries (after sifting out the seeds). After the cookies cool, drizzle them with melted white chocolate.
- Cookies & Cream: To the base dough, you’ll add crushed Oreo cookies. After the cookies cool, drizzle them with melted white chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate, and garnish with more crushed Oreos.
- Mint Chocolate Chip: To the base dough, you’ll add peppermint extract, finely chopped dark chocolate, and a drop of green gel food coloring (if desired). After the cookies cool, dip them in melted dark or semi-sweet chocolate.
- Maple Pecan: Use dark brown sugar in the dough (instead of light). Then add maple extract, cinnamon, and finely chopped pecans. Feel free to drizzle the cooled cookies with the maple icing we use on these maple brown sugar cookies!
Can I make more than 1 flavor from 1 batch of dough? Yes! Divide the dough in half in step 2 below and add half the flavor add-ins to each portion. Do the same with any toppings.
This recipe is part of my annual cookie countdown called Sally’s Cookie Palooza. It’s the biggest, most delicious event of the year! Browse dozens of cookie recipes over on the Sally’s Cookie Palooza page.
Icebox Slice & Bake Cookies (5 Flavors)
- Prep Time: 5 hours (includes chilling)
- Cook Time: 14 minutes
- Total Time: 5 hours, 30 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These easy slice-and-bake icebox cookies start with 1 versatile base dough that you can turn into 5 delicious flavors: chocolate caramel toffee, raspberry white chocolate, cookies & cream, mint chocolate chip, and maple pecan. The dough mixes up in one bowl, chills into neat logs, and bakes into buttery cookies with soft centers and crisp edges. Perfect for gifting, holidays, or make-ahead baking!
Ingredients
Dough
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups + 2 Tablespoons (267g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Add-Ins & Toppings
- Add-ins & toppings (see Notes for full flavor measurements)
Optional
- coarse sugar for rolling, such as this sparkling sugar
Instructions
- In a large bowl using a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until combined and creamy, about 3 minutes. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on how to cream butter and sugar.) Beat in the egg and vanilla extract on high speed. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed, and continue to beat until fully combined. Add the flour and salt and beat on low speed until combined.
- Finally, beat in the chosen flavor add-ins (see Notes) on low speed until just combined. Avoid overmixing—blend only until the mix-ins are evenly distributed. The cookie dough will be thick and slightly sticky. If it seems too sticky to roll into logs, beat in 1–2 Tbsp more flour.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and, with floured hands, divide or cut in half. Roll/shape each half into an 8-inch log, about 1.5 to 2 inches in diameter. The measurements don’t have to be exact. Tightly wrap the dough logs in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and up to 5 days.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- Optional rolling in sugar: Pour enough coarse sugar on an 8-inch or larger plate to cover it. Roll the logs in the sugar. You may need to really press the dough logs down into the sugar if it’s not really sticking. (I find coating the dough logs in sugar after chilling much easier, as the dough is too sticky to neatly roll in sugar right after mixing.)
- Slice each dough log into 12 equally thick cookies and arrange cookies on prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
- Bake the cookies for 13–15 minutes or until very lightly brown around the edges (they won’t brown much). Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Dip or drizzle with melted chocolate and add toppings, if desired. See Flavors in the recipe Notes below.
- Cookies will stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make-Ahead Instructions: Baked cookies, with or without melted chocolate or caramel topping, freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving. You can make the cookie dough logs, wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for up to 5 days (step 3). Cookie dough logs freeze well too, up to 3 months. Allow the wrapped logs to thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then continue with step 4.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Coarse Sugar | Cooling Rack
- (Flavor 1) Chocolate Caramel Toffee: For this variation, follow step 2 exactly as written with no add-ins. As the cookies bake, prepare one batch of salted caramel sauce and let it thicken for about 1 hour, until it’s no longer liquid. In step 8, dip each cooled cookie halfway into the caramel, allow the excess to drip off, and place the cookies on a lined tray. Refrigerate or freeze for 10–15 minutes so the caramel sets. Melt 4 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate, dip the caramel-coated half into the chocolate, and finish with flaky sea salt or toffee bits (such as Heath Bits O’ Brickle).
- (Flavor 2) Raspberry White Chocolate: Using a food processor, grind 1 cup (25g) freeze-dried raspberries. Sift out and discard the seeds. You should have about 14g of raspberry powder left after sifting out the seeds. In step 2, beat the ground raspberry powder into the dough. In step 8, melt 4 ounces of white chocolate, and drizzle over the cooled cookies.
- (Flavor 3) Cookies & Cream: In step 2, beat 6 crushed Oreos (70g) into the dough. In step 8, melt 2 ounces of white chocolate and 2 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate (separately), and drizzle over the cooled cookies. Crush 2 more Oreo cookies and sprinkle over the chocolate while it’s still wet.
- (Flavor 4) Mint Chocolate Chip: In step 2, beat 3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract, 4 ounces (113g) finely chopped bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, and 1 drop green gel food coloring such as Americolor Leaf Green (optional), into the dough. In step 8, melt 4 ounces of bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate. Dip each cookie into chocolate.
- (Flavor 5) Maple Pecan: In step 1, use dark brown sugar instead of light brown. In step 2, beat 1 teaspoon maple extract, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1 cup (100g) finely chopped pecans into the dough.
- How to Melt Chocolate / Best Chocolate for Topping: Finely chop baking chocolate bars (typically 4 ounces/113g each). I prefer Ghirardelli or Baker’s. Place in a heat-proof bowl or glass measuring cup. Microwave in 20-second increments, stirring after each, until smooth. Or use a double boiler.
- Can I Make More Than 1 Flavor With 1 Batch of Dough? Yes! Divide the dough in half in step 2 and add half the flavor add-ins to each portion. Do the same in step 8 with any toppings.
- Be sure to check out my top 5 cookie baking tips AND these are my 10 must-have cookie baking tools.
Reader Comments and Reviews
This was delicious. The cranberry and orange with the chocolate chips definitely tastes like Christmas. We really enjoyed it. Thank you!
I made the base cookie version, dipped the cookies in dark chocolate, and sprinkled some with peppermint pieces and some with Christmas sprinkles to pass out in Christmas cookie boxes. I really wanted to also dip it in caramel, but I too exhausted from pregnancy to do the extra step of making caramel. Even with a more simplified version of the recipe, these were really good! I like that they are not overly sweet, could me started multiple days in advance, and were overall a pretty quick cookie to come together – great for Christmas cookie boxes!
I made 3 varieties. Maple pecan, raspberry white chocolate and cookies and cream. The recipe is super easy and tastes great. Family couldn’t wait to taste liked how they weren’t overly sweet. I need tips on how to drizzle the chocolate. That was a catastrophe. It cooled way to fast and then sized on me. I used double boiler. Tips would be appreciated because I want them to look as good as they taste.
I tried two flavors, cookies & cream and raspberry white chocolate. Both were great but the raspberry was my favorite!
These were very easy. I made the Cookies and Cream variety and they turned out great!
As a home baker, I will try and bake anything once, but I’ve always steered away from cookies. I think the amount of batches deters me. This recipe was so incredibly easy, my kids had so much fun making homemade caramel and helping melt the chocolate. And they loved dunking the cookies and drizzling Oreos or toffee bits on top. So amazing!!!
The mint chocolate flavor option #4 cookies turned out perfect! The cookies come together smoothly and bake up great. I did dip them in chocolate which did elevate the cookies. I would recommend this recipe.
I LOVED the ease of making these and having the opportunity to do various types and flavors!! These were fun to do and I am looking forward to traditionally making these more and more! The cookies & cream was def my favorite!
I really liked these. I made the caramel chocolate version and maple walnut. I may slice the cookies a little thinner next time.
These cookies were fun and easy to make. I am a huge fan of salted Carmel so that’s the version I did. So delicious!
Love a slice and bake cookie! I made the raspberry white chocolate and I think I missed a step because mine were not pink. Rather, it was sugar cookie with raspberry bits. I added a time touch of flaked salt and they were a hit!
Great cookie
I made the maple pecan and they are super good!
I want to try the mint ones next time
These were so good!
I love that there are multiple flavor options for these cookies, and I opted for the maple pecan version. It made the house smell like French toast, which is a great thing, in my opinion! Directions were easy to follow and yielded delicious cookies. The icing drizzle really helped set these off.
These cookies were so fun and easy to make! I was able to use the base dough and have various add ins to create multiple cookies for my Christmas cookie box to give away. The recipients thought they were so fancy!
These cookies are great and endlessly customizable! I made some dark chocolate orange ones by adding orange zest to the dough, then dipping in dark chocolate, and finishing with some more orange zest and flaky sea salt. Delish!
I opted to make the raspberry and white chocolate version of these cookies. They came together easily, baked well, and were enjoyed by all who tried them. For the future, I’m interested in swapping out the raspberries with other freeze-dried fruits.
These cookies were really good. I made Mint Chocolate chip and Maple Pecan cookies since I had the ingredients for those. I rolled the Mint Chocolate Chip in sugar but not the Maple Pecan. I thought the Maple Pecan looked too plain so I decided to make a maple glaze to drizzle on them.
This was such a fun recipe to prep ahead for Christmas! Love the different flavor combinations!
These might be my new favorite cookies to bake! So easy and multiple variations! I also love the flavors and the make ahead ease of this recipe
Love these!!
Love these!!
Easy and fun! I made the mint chocolate chip using mini chocolate chips and the raspberry, but used freeze dried strawberries instead. A few I dipped in chocolate and added sprinkles (because of course) but some were eaten up before I could do that! Another winner from Sally + team!
The taste and the texture of the dough turns out perfectly, but I would suggest a trial run before making these as a gift for someone or to take somewhere for Christmas, just to make sure you know how long to take to chill in your specific refrigerator. Mine runs cold, so I would have ended up with prettier cookies if I chilled them for less time or let the logs sit on the counter for a bit before rolling them in sugar and slicing them. At least they still taste delicious and made the whole house smell like Christmas!
We made the raspberry variation, but used a bit of ganache on them instead of white chocolate. Delicious!
Super yummy and easy to make!
These cookies were so fun to make! Our only problem was that the cookies spread more than we had anticipated. Is there a reason why? The flavors were very tasty!
Hi Heather! Here’s our best tips for preventing cookies from spreading – glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I made the chocolate salted caramel and the mint chocolate chip. The flavor of both is phenomenal! It took me 6 oz of chocolate for dipping each batch rather than just 4.
These were so easy and delicious! I made a double batch of the base dough and split it for 4 flavors. Santa will love these
While the recipe was easy to make, and the instructions easy to follow. I found it very challenging to get the sugar to stick to the dough after it was refrigerated. The cookies taste good but a little on the dry side.
Delicious! Easy to follow directions. I (age 10) made the Cookies & Cream and the Mint Chocolate. They turned out great. Fun to make, too! Thanks, Sally!