Double Chocolate Icebox Cookies (Slice-and-Bake with Oatmeal)
These slice-and-bake chocolate icebox cookies are rich, chewy, and packed with texture from oatmeal, optional pecans, and mini chocolate chips. The dough freezes beautifully—just slice and bake what you need, when you need it. A hint of almond extract sets them apart from the usual chocolate cookie.
Melt Chocolate: Melt 2 squares unsweetened chocolate in a microwave for 2 minutes on MEDIUM and set aside to cool.
Combine Ingredients: Mix 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup brown sugar, packed until light and fluffy. Add 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract, and continue to beat. Blend in cooled chocolate. Add 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir in 1 cup quick or old-fashioned oats, 1/2 cup chopped pecans, and 1 cup mini chocolate chips.
Shape dough: Mold cookie dough into a long cylinder and wrap in waxed paper. Refrigerate at least 4-5 hours or overnight.
Bake: Cut cookies with a sharp knife into 1/4-inch thick slices. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 °F (180˚C) 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
DO NOT OVERBAKE or these cookies will be hard when cool. Mine are always done in 10 minutes (when coming out of the fridge), but your oven may be different. Allow an extra minute or two if the cookie dough is frozen.
How long does the dough last in the freezer? Double-wrapped logs last up to 3 months. Slice only when ready to bake.
How to slice frozen dough without breaking it?
Use mini chocolate chips, not regular ones.
Slice with a sharp or high-quality serrated knife (e.g., Victorinox).
Frozen dough slices cleaner than refrigerated but let it soften slightly if too hard.