Chocolate Icebox Cookies: You Will Love Having These On Hand
Sneak Preview: Keep these Chocolate Icebox Cookies with oatmeal in the freezer at all times. Optional chocolate chips and pecans add flavor to this easy slice-and-bake recipe.
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That moment when you’re kids, grandkids, or Eddie Haskell-like neighbor kids start going through your pantry looking for something to eat: Will they find a) a nearly-empty bag of crumbled corn chips, b)some stale saltines, or c) leftover marshmallows from last Christmas?
My solution is to make these rich and fudgy slice-and-bake Chocolate Icebox Cookies. Store them in the freezer for up to three months. You’ll be deemed the “baker of the year” when that fresh-baked cookie aroma permeates the house.
Recipe inspiration:
Thanks to my friend Beth P. for putting me on to these cookies many years and memories ago. The subtle almond flavor makes them especially tasty.
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This recipe is slightly adapted from a similar recipe in Betty Crocker’s Cooky Book for Chocolate Oatmeal Refrigerator cookies.
Do you secretly eat raw cookie dough? (I’ll never tell.)
This particular cookie tastes kinda like fudge before it’s baked. Although the raw slices appear to contain coconut, it’s actually oatmeal which gives a wonderful chewy texture to the baked cookies.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- UNSWEETENED CHOCOLATE: To substitute for this important ingredient, Cooks Illustrated recommends you combine 6 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder with 2 tablespoons of oil or melted butter. Stir together. I’ve tried it. Works great.
- BUTTER: I can’t recommend substituting margarine for butter, but it will probably work. The original recipe called for shortening, so that’s another option.
- BROWN SUGAR: Be sure to pack your measuring cup to accurately measure brown sugar.
- EGG: I always use a large egg.
- VANILLA AND ALMOND EXTRACT: You don’t need much, but the almond extract is the secret ingredient in this recipe.
- FLOUR: Bleached or unbleached all-purpose flour is fine.
- SALT: Kosher salt is what I use, but table salt is a good substitute.
- OATMEAL: Quick oats or old-fashioned oats are both acceptable. Instant oatmeal with added sugar and flavorings is not suitable.
- PECANS: These are optional, but not for me. I always toast pecans in any recipe so they won’t be toasted in the baking process. Try toasting nuts in the microwave. It only takes a couple of minutes.
- MINI CHOCOLATE CHIPS: You don’t have to use the mini chips, but when frozen inside the dough, they are easier to slice than regular chips.
How to make Chocolate Icebox Cookies
Frequently Asked Questions
Refrigerators used to be called iceboxes before electricity was invented. My grandmother called her electric refrigerator an “icebox” for her entire life. Since these cookies have been around for a while, I suspect the original recipe was created by somebody with personal experience with an icebox.
They are the same. However, slice-and-bake cookies usually refer to the rolls of dough you can buy in a supermarket.
If you keep them double-wrapped, the dough logs will keep for up to 3 months. Don’t slice them until you are ready to bake.
Don’t substitute regular-sized chocolate chips for miniature chips. They are REALLY hard to slice.
Use a sharp knife.
Try a serrated knife. Although a cheap serrated knife will make it worse. A Victorinox serrated knife is my favorite. It doesn’t tear cookies or bread if you saw it patiently with a steady hand.
The frozen dough will slice cleaner than the refrigerated dough. However, frozen dough that is too hard can be nearly impossible to slice. Let it sit out of the freezer just until soft enough to slice.
Parting Thoughts: If you love chocolate and oatmeal together, I highly recommend my Irresistible Chocolate Granola. My Low-Calorie Granola is good if you’ve already eaten too much chocolate.
If you have questions or suggestions, email me privately for a quick answer: Paula at saladinajar.com. Hope to see you again soon!
Double Chocolate Icebox Cookies with Oatmeal and Chocolate Chips
Video
Ingredients
- 2 squares unsweetened chocolate - 56 g (2 oz)
- ½ cup butter - 113 g
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed - 213 g
- 1 large egg - 50 g
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour - 120 g
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup quick or old-fashioned oats - 80 g
- ½ cup chopped pecans - 65 g
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips - 170 g
Instructions
- Melt chocolate in a microwave for 2 minutes on MEDIUM and set aside to cool.
- Mix butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and flavorings and continue to beat. Blend in cooled chocolate. Add flour, soda, and salt. Stir in oats, pecans, and mini chocolate chips.
- Mold into a long cylinder and wrap in waxed paper. Refrigerate at least 4-5 hours or overnight.
- Cut cookies with a sharp knife into 1/4-inch thick slices. Bake in a preheated oven at 350˚F for 10-12 minutes. It is difficult to tell when they're done because you won't see any browning. The entire cookie should be puffed up but soft in the middle.
Notes
Essentials
Nutrition
This recipe is adapted from a similar recipe in Betty Crocker’s Cooky Book.
Paula Rhodes, author
I’m a retired home economist, wife, mother, grandmother, and creator of Saladinajar.com. I believe you don’t have to be a chef to find joy in creating homemade food worth sharing. Here you’ll find time-saving tips, troubleshooting advice, and confidence-inspiring recipes to make life in the kitchen more fun, appetizing, and satisfying.