Chocolate icebox cookies are dark, tender slice-and-bake rounds with a rich double-chocolate hit from cacao powder and melted cacao nibs. The dough chills in logs overnight, ready to slice and bake whenever the craving strikes. Forty-eight crisp-edged, fudgy-centred cookies with zero fuss on baking day.
MAKES 48 COOKIES
Ingredients
2 cups (480 ml) almond flour
¼ cup cacao powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (240 ml) coconut oil, softened
1¼ cup palm sugar
2 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
2 ounces melted and cooled cacao nibs
Preparation
1.В В Whisk flour, cacao powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.
2.В В In a separate large bowl, beat the coconut oil and palm sugar together using an electric mixer on medium-high speed for about 30 seconds or until well combined. Beat in the egg yolks, melted cacao nibs, and vanilla until combined (about 30 seconds), scraping down the bowl and beaters as needed. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture, beating until combined (about 30 seconds).
3.В В Transfer the dough to a clean counter and divide it into two equal pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a six-inch-long log, about two inches thick. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about two hours.
4.В В Adjust the oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
5.В В Working with one log at a time, slice the dough into quarter-inch-thick cookies. Lay the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, spaced about ¾ inch apart. Bake the cookies until edges begin to brown (12 to 15 minutes), switching and rotating baking sheets halfway through baking.
6.В В Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
Pro Tips
- Cool the melted cacao nibs before beating them in with the egg yolks — warm chocolate scrambles the yolks and the dough goes grainy.
- Chill the logs the full two hours and slice cold. Warm chocolate dough is stickier than most and gives ragged, spreading cookies.
- Slice to a true quarter-inch thickness — thin coins crisp at the edges while the centres stay tender, which is the whole charm of an icebox cookie.
- The logs freeze beautifully for two months, so make a double batch and bake half now, half whenever the tin runs low.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use cocoa powder instead of cacao powder?
Yes — they work interchangeably here. Dutch-process gives a darker, mellower cookie; raw cacao keeps the flavour sharper and more intense.
Why egg yolks instead of whole eggs?
Yolks make the cookies richer and more tender — whole eggs add extra moisture that turns the dough cakey instead of fudgy.
How do I store chocolate icebox cookies?
Airtight at room temperature for a week. Layer them with parchment so the dark cookies don't mark each other.
Can I add chocolate chips?
Fold in a handful along with the melted cacao nibs. Chill the dough well so the chips stay distributed through the log.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- 1. В В Whisk flour, cacao powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. 2. В В In a separate large bowl, beat the coconut oil and palm sugar together using an electric mixer on medium-high speed for about 30 seconds or until well combined.
- Beat in the egg yolks, melted cacao nibs, and vanilla until combined (about 30 seconds), scraping down the bowl and beaters as needed.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture, beating until combined (about 30 seconds). 3. В В Transfer the dough to a clean counter and divide it into two equal pieces.
- Roll each piece of dough into a six-inch-long log, about two inches thick.
- Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about two hours. 4. В В Adjust the oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 325°F.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. 5. В В Working with one log at a time, slice the dough into quarter-inch-thick cookies. Lay the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, spaced about ¾ inch apart.
- Bake the cookies until edges begin to brown (12 to 15 minutes), switching and rotating baking sheets halfway through baking. 6. В В Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
