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Vanilla icebox cookies are the make-ahead log every baker should know: a tender almond dough rolled into a cylinder, chilled until firm, then sliced into neat rounds. Crisp edges, sandy centers, and pure vanilla flavor. The log waits in the fridge and warm cookies happen on demand.
Pro Tips
- Roll the logs to an even 2 inches thick so every slice bakes at the same rate.
- Chill at least 2 hours until genuinely firm. Soft logs squish under the knife and lose their round shape.
- Slice a quarter inch thick and space the rounds 3/4 inch apart. Icebox cookies spread sideways more than they rise.
- Bake 12 to 15 minutes until the edges just begin to brown, then cool 3 minutes on the sheet before moving to a rack.
- Keep an unbaked log in the freezer and slice straight from cold for warm cookies any night of the week.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does the dough log keep?
Up to 3 days in the fridge, or 2 months in the freezer, wrapped tightly in plastic. That is the whole appeal of icebox cookies.
Can I slice the dough while it is very cold?
Yes, and you should. If a log is rock hard from the freezer, let it sit 10 minutes so the knife does not shatter the slices.
Why are my icebox cookies crumbly?
They were likely sliced too thin or baked a minute too long. Pull them when the edges just brown and let them firm on the sheet.
Are vanilla icebox cookies paleo?
Yes. Almond flour, coconut oil, palm sugar, egg yolks, and vanilla: grain-free, dairy-free, and perfectly sliceable.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- 1.
- Whisk flour and salt together in a medium bowl.
- 2.
- 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).
- 3.
- Transfer the dough to a clean counter and divide 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. Twenty minutes before baking time, 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.
- 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.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
