Chocolate Chip Icebox Cookies

Chocolate Chip Icebox Cookies

The Spruce / Julia Estrada

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 12 mins
Chilling Time: 4 hrs 30 mins
Total: 4 hrs 57 mins
Servings: 18 servings
Yield: 36 cookies

Recipes for icebox cookies have been around a long time, passed down from generation to generation. The concept is simple: prepare the dough, form it into a log, and chill until firm. Then simply slice and bake. Perfect for when you want to make just a few cookies or want to churn out an entire batch in a short amount of time. The flavors can range from orange to coconut to (of course) chocolate chip.

Chocolate chip icebox cookies are buttery and delicious. Instead of whole chocolate chips, these cookies are filled with ground or finely chopped chocolate chips (you can use a small food processor to do this). Plan to let the dough logs chill for at least 4 hours or leave them in the refrigerator overnight. Feel free to add finely chopped pecans or walnuts to these cookies for extra crunch and flavor.

“A fun old-school variation of the classic cookie recipe that makes it really convenient to easily make in batches, letting you emulate the fresh out of the oven taste each time! I’m a big proponent of adding some walnuts to these for a bit of extra crunch.” —Noah Velush-Rogers

Chocolate Chip Icebox Cookies/Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (8-ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar

  • 1/2 cup lightly packed light brown sugar

  • 2 large eggs

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, finely chopped

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Chocolate Chip Icebox Cookies ingredients

    The Spruce / Julia Estrada

  2. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars together. Add eggs, vanilla, and salt and beat until light and fluffy. Alternatively, use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

    cookie batter in a bowl

    The Spruce / Julia Estrada

  3. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour. Stir in the chocolate chips. Chill the dough for about 30 minutes to 1 hour, or until firm enough to shape.

    cookie dough in a bowl

    The Spruce / Julia Estrada

  4. Divide chilled dough into 2 portions; form each portion into a 4 1/4-inch long log. Wrap in plastic or waxed paper. Refrigerate the dough logs until very firm, at least 4 hours.

    cookie dough wrapped in a parchment paper

    The Spruce / Julia Estrada

  5. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, a silicone baking mat, or lightly grease the pan.

    parchment paper lined baking sheet

    The Spruce / Julia Estrada

  6. Cut a log into 1/4-inch slices and place about 1-inch apart on the prepared baking sheet.

    cookie dough on a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Julia Estrada

  7. Bake the cookies until lightly golden, 9 to 12 minutes. Let cool before serving, or serve slightly warm.

    Chocolate Chip Icebox Cookies on a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Julia Estrada

Recipe Variations

•Add finely chopped pecans or walnuts to the cookie dough.

Where did icebox cookies originate?

Well before the invention of what we now know as refrigeration, people owned iceboxes, which were, basically, a box that had a compartment for ice and another space for food that you wanted to keep cold. The ice needed to be replaced as it melted, and that meant a visit from the ice wagon. In the 1800s, if you were lucky you lived in a neighborhood where the ice wagon would make deliveries to houses on your street (some people left their iceboxes on the front step to be filled when they weren't home). Although an ice-making appliance was invented in the mid-1800s, it was not until the 1930s that people began to own refrigerator iceboxes. Around this time recipes for icebox cakes and cookies became popular.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
262 Calories
14g Fat
33g Carbs
3g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 18
Amount per serving
Calories 262
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14g 18%
Saturated Fat 8g 41%
Cholesterol 48mg 16%
Sodium 42mg 2%
Total Carbohydrate 33g 12%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 16g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 17mg 1%
Iron 1mg 8%
Potassium 76mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)