Pine nut-raisin icebox cookies are slice-and-bake rounds loaded with buttery pine nuts and plump raisins. The logs chill until firm, then slice into neat coins that bake golden at the edges and tender in the middle. Forty-eight cookies from one batch — the cookie tin that keeps on giving.
MAKES 48 COOKIES
Ingredients
2¼ cups almond flour
¼ cup salted and toasted pine nuts or pistachios
¼ cup raisins
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (240 ml) coconut oil, softened
1¼ cup palm sugar
2 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
Preparation
1.В В Whisk flour, pine nuts, raisins, 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 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). Fold in raisins and pine nuts with a spatula until evenly distributed.
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
- Toast the pine nuts before mixing — their buttery flavour blooms with heat, and raw pine nuts taste bland against the sweet raisins.
- Fold the raisins and pine nuts in with a spatula at the very end so they stay evenly distributed rather than sinking into the mixer.
- Chill the logs the full two hours. Warm icebox dough squashes when sliced and the cookies spread into shapeless puddles.
- Slice to a true quarter-inch thickness with a sharp knife — thin, even coins are what give these cookies their crisp-edge, tender-centre texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use pistachios instead of pine nuts?
Yes — salted, toasted pistachios are a wonderful swap and add a little green fleck that looks lovely against the golden cookie.
How far ahead can I make the dough?
The logs keep three days in the fridge and two months in the freezer. Slice and bake straight from chilled or frozen, adding a minute for frozen.
Why are they called icebox cookies?
The dough chills in a log in the icebox — the fridge — until firm enough to slice. It's the old-fashioned name for slice-and-bake cookies.
How should I store them?
Airtight at room temperature for a week. The raisins keep them tender while the edges stay pleasantly crisp.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- 1. В В Whisk flour, pine nuts, raisins, 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 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).
- Fold in raisins and pine nuts with a spatula until evenly distributed. 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.
