Sweet Surprises: Chocolate Icebox Cookies for Unexpected Guests
Sneak Preview: Keep these Chocolate Icebox Cookies (aka refrigerator 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. These slice-and-bake cookies, stowed safely in your freezer, are ready to spring into action when unexpected guests ring your doorbell, transforming an unexpected visit into a memorable culinary experience.
Five Reasons Why You Will Delight in This Recipe
- Although the raw slices appear to contain coconut, it’s actually oatmeal, which gives a wonderful chewy texture to the baked cookies.
- Oatmeal always makes me feel less guilty about eating cookies.
- Store the unbaked roll of cookie dough in the freezer for up to three months.
- The subtle almond flavor makes them especially tasty.
- If you like raw cookie dough (I’ll never tell), the cookie dough tastes kinda like fudge before it’s baked.
You’ll be deemed the “baker of the year” when the fresh-baked cookie aroma permeates your house.
Recipe Inspiration
Thanks to my friend Beth P. for putting me on to these cookies many years and memories ago.
This recipe is slightly adapted from a similar recipe in Betty Crocker’s Cooky Book(paid link) for Chocolate Oatmeal Refrigerator cookies.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- UNSWEETENED CHOCOLATE: To substitute for this important ingredient, combine six tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder with two 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: Pack your measuring cup to measure brown sugar accurately.
- 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: Use a table or sea salt. If you substitute Kosher salt, add a pinch more.
- 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
Do not overcook, or cookies will be hard when they cool. Remove cookies to a wire rack to cool.
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 last 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. However, 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 until soft enough to slice.
Yes, use this recipe for leftover chocolate chip cookies to make truffles, but use these chocolate cookies instead.
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 would rather eat cookies than breakfast, I suggest these Easy Raisin Bran Crunch Cookies.
Help at Your Fingertips: For questions or suggestions, email Paula at saladinajar.com. If you need help, I’m happy to troubleshoot via email (faster than leaving a comment). Attach pictures and as many details as possible for the best advice.
Double Chocolate Icebox Cookies with Oatmeal and Chocolate Chips
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Ingredients
- 2 squares (56 g) unsweetened chocolate
- ½ cup (113 g) butter
- 1 cup (220 g) brown sugar, packed
- 1 large (50 g) egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup (120 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (81 g) quick or old-fashioned oats
- ½ cup (54 g) chopped pecans
- 1 cup (180 g) mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Melt 2 squares (56 g) unsweetened chocolate in a microwave for 2 minutes on MEDIUM and set aside to cool.
- Mix 1/2 cup (113 g) butter and 1 cup (220 g) brown sugar, packed until light and fluffy. Add 1 large (50 g) egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1/2 teaspoon (½ teaspoon) almond extract, and continue to beat. Blend in cooled chocolate. Add 1 cup (120 g) unbleached all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon (½ teaspoon) baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon (½ teaspoon) salt. Stir in 1 cup (81 g) quick or old-fashioned oats, 1/2 cup (54 g) chopped pecans, and 1 cup (180 g) 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 (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
Equipment
Nutrition
All images and text ©️ Paula Rhodes for Salad in a Jar.com
This recipe is adapted from a similar recipe in Betty Crocker’s Cooky Book.
Paula Rhodes, owner
As a retired home economist, I created Saladinajar.com to share my belief that you don’t have to be a chef to find joy in creating homemade food worth sharing. Bread machines (used in an unconventional way), homemade yogurt, and quick microwave recipes are my specialty.