Icebox method

The icebox method is a way of making cookies in which stiff dough is shaped into a log, chilled until firm, and then sliced into rounds to bake.

Icebox method: A sliced log of pale butter cookie dough with several round slices fanned out in front of it, edges rolled in coarse sugar
  • Techniques and preparation methods

Also called: slice-and-bake

Icebox cookies, also called slice-and-bake or refrigerator cookies, are prepared well ahead of baking. The dough is mixed, shaped into a cylinder, wrapped, and refrigerated until it is firm enough to cut cleanly.

When it is time to bake, the log is cut into equal slices, which are placed on a prepared cookie sheet. Because the dough stays in the cold until the last minute, the cookies tend to hold their shape well in the oven.

The method is popular because one batch of dough can be baked in small amounts over several days. Bakers often roll the log in sugar, nuts, or sprinkles before chilling so the edges of each slice are coated. The dough is a bit stiffer than that for drop cookies.

Related entries

Sources

Written by VanillaGoods in our own words from these sources. Last reviewed October 15, 2026.

  1. Introduction to Baking and Pastries: Glossary, LibreTexts / Chef John Folse Culinary Institute
  2. Introduction to Baking and Pastries: 1.9 Cookies, LibreTexts / Chef John Folse Culinary Institute