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
I made two batches for my Christmas cookie boxes and they were delicious. My hubby said they were the best shortbread cookies he’s ever had! I did a few dipped in salted caramel and chocolate though these ended up being not quite as good for cookie boxes due to the sticky (but so yummy!) caramel. So I gifted some plain shortbread ones and some strawberry white chocolate. I went with strawberry since I couldn’t find freeze dried raspberries and they were so delish with a strong strawberry flavor!
I made two batches for my Christmas cookie boxes and they were delicious. My hubby said they were the best shortbread cookies he’s ever had! I did a few dipped in salted caramel and chocolate though these ended up being not quite as good for cookie boxes due to the sticky (but so yummy!) caramel. So I gifted some plain shortbread ones and some strawberry white chocolate. I went with strawberry since I couldn’t find freeze dried raspberries and they were so delish with a strong strawberry flavor!
Delicious, the salted caramel ones disappeared in seconds
I made the maple pecan version. They tasted good but the texture was way too dense. I didn’t even cook them as long as suggested but they were as hard as a rock. The dough seemed fine so not sure what happened.
Blondes are just the right amount of chewiness! I like the smooth taste of the chocolate along with the sweetness of the cranberries… a winner!
I made the mint chocolate version. They were so good! I usually make Sally’s thin mints for our Christmas plates, but these were an easy and delicious alternative. I think I may have found a new favorite. I’m excited to try the other variations.
If making the raspberry mux-ins I would definitely recommend using only white sugar. It looks like bologna.
I have to agree that they looked like bologna and they were oddly lacking in raspberry flavor. I drizzled them with white chocolate and sprinkled with some red decorating sugar, which helped a little. Still, very disappointed in this recipe.
These were great! Everyone loved them 🙂 I made the cookies and cream and then tried my own versions!
The dough was easy enough to work with. Tastes like a solid shortbread type cookie. Trying to make multiple variations near the same time was too much, but I appreciate the variety to choose one at a time in the future!
Yes please! So easy, so versatile and so tasty! I ended up keeping the dough playing and dipping the cookie and chocolate and sprinkling on some peppermint! You can so what ever you want with theses cookies and they’ll turn out great
Great base dough with lots of options to customize. Honestly the base dough itself was tasty! We made the salted caramel toffee with a number of other Christmas cookies and they were one of my favorites! They look good, too.
Easy and tasty dough to make. It’s fun to have so many options on variations of the cookies. Loved the chocolate caramel toffee.
Easy recipe with multiple choice options, I’m in! I chose the raspberry option but used strawberry powder instead since that’s what I had on hand. Then spread melted white chocolate on top and topped with sparkling sugar. Easy to make a double batch as well! Make some and freeze some!
These were very easy to make and I love that they were slice and bake.
These are sooooo good. Very easy to customize to your liking too!
Very good and easy to make.
I made the maple pecan cookies and dipped them in a brown sugar caramel. I will definitely make them again!!
Super fun recipe. I love the variety of colors and flavors to choose from. Exilent and easy to follow.
This was an easy recipe and simple enough! However, I found it lacking in flavor. I did the Oreo version and it just seemed bland. A good recipe to make in a pinch or with kids though!
I made the caramel toffee and maple versions. Both were fantastic. I left the chocolate off the caramel toffee ones, and my maple ones were made with walnuts rather than pecans and included the maple drizzle. These were quick and easy to make, and yummy to eat. I will definitely be making them again!
This is a simple recipe and great for variations. Unfortunately for my family, we were underwhelmed. The cookie is bland (I made mint chocolate chip and oreo). It needs something to push it beyond “meh” in flavor. We can’t figure out what. I made the dough twice to try two flavors and at this point don’t think it’s user error. Loved the idea but the outcome means we won’t be using this is our future cookie rotation.
I made these cookies for the December 2025 Baking Challenge. While they were tasty, I don’t think they’ll be in my regular Christmas cookie rotation. However, I think this could be a great recipe to make among friends or family since everyone could make their own flavor combination to share with the group! The recipe is super simple, so anyone should be able to follow along.
I made the mint chocolate cookies and they are really good! They were easy to make as well besides the long chill time. I’d like to make again but the raspberry flavor next time.
Love how simple and delicious these cookies are. You can get the dough ready days beforehand and just slice and bake! Perfect!
Great recipe. Tried the mint chocolate, not too much mint flavor so that was nice.
These cookies were so easy to make and sliced up perfectly. I made the mint chocolate type and the flavors are perfectly balanced. I think next time I will slightly flatten each slice before baking. They seem rather thick and took longer to bake than the recipe states. Overall it’s a keeper!
I made the maple pecan and the chocolate caramel toffee versions. They turned out pretty but were really thick (and I cut each log into 12 cookies), if I made again I would cut thinner. They were beautiful cookies though and looked great on the holiday spread. Flavors were good and easily customizable- I added brown butter espresso icing swirls to the maple pecan (think maple pecan latte!) and that dressed up the cookie and added an extra zing of flavor.
This recipe is AMAZING!!!!! I have been using Sally’s recipes for over a year now, and she has never failed me! I know that if I need a good quality recipe, you go to Sally, she rocks, and her recipes always turn out, I know that if one of her recipes don’t turn out, then it’s me doing something wrong, not her!! This was my first time making slice and bake cookies, and I will 100% be using this recipe again! It worked out perfectly, my dough wasn’t too sticky, and it was pretty easy to mold and cut. I chose the mint chocolate chip as my family does love mint, and it was what I had on hand. Thank you Sally for giving us these amazing recipes!!
And I was wondering, for the maple pecan flavor, I don’t have any maple extract on hand, could maple syrup work? Thanks!
I loved how versatile this recipe was! I love Sally’s recipes and trust her unconditionally to steer me in the correct direction but this recipe was super easy to make and tastes incredible. I made the raspberry white chocolate, the mint chocolate, the cookies and cream, and I made a lemon white chocolate using the same measurements as the mint! They all turned out beautifully. Thank you!!
Made these for a Christmas party and dunked each whole cookie in caramel and the chocolate! Everyone said they tasted just like Twix candy!