Vanilla Pecan Icebox Cookies are a freezer cookie recipe that you can slice-and-bake whenever you want for sweet convenience.
Vanilla Pecan Icebox Cookies allow you to make a batch, freeze, and slice off a few (or a bunch) as often as you need them. These crispy-sweet treats are perfect for dunking or dipping and easy to dress up any way you like.
Good food with no fuss is what it’s all about. Hey there. I’m Rachel Ballard–I’m not Shawn, but she’s been kind enough to let me in to her world at I Wash You Dry to share my love of easy no-fuss food with you. I normally blog about my wacky Kentucky farm life and love of recipes that use easy to find ingredients over on The Country Contessa and I’d love to have you pull up a chair at my table anytime. We’ll eat cookies and have some sweet tea.
Frozen Cookie Dough or Refrigerator Cookies?
Desserts you can make once and enjoy whenever you want them? Well, there aren’t too many of those that can hang on for weeks and weeks in your freezer, but these vanilla icebox cookies can.
I’ve always been a big believer in sticking to food that has ingredients I can pronounce in them. No, I’m not a super health nut (obviously, or we wouldn’t be talking about cookies with a cup of butter in them).
And maybe you have the same thought–you’d like to make something that doesn’t come from the store but you’ve been sticking to the classic chocolate chip or haven’t bucked up your bravery to try anything at all yet.
But it’s time to put on your “I don’t need those cookies in a roll from the store” pants and make these vanilla pecan icebox cookies. They’re a nearly foolproof recipe to start with–complete with the sweet smell of vanilla and pecans that get all toasty while they’re in the oven. The butter (all of the butter) make these perfectly crispy and still sturdy enough to slather with ice cream, dip in chocolate or just eat straight up.
How to Freeze Cookie Dough
You won’t need any fancy equipment to whip these up–just a bowl and a hand mixer. Then? This is the best part–you chill the dough, then you can freeze it and use it whenever you’re ready.
Just slice off as many as you’d like and bake them.
Danger Will Robinson! You can bake yourself fresh cookies every night after work for weeks.
You will eat too many cookies! Your family will think you’ve been swapped for a cookie baking alien imposter.
Feel free to swap those nuts for a different one–pistachios would be great here. Or add some dried fruit and yes, even chunks of chocolate would be okay.
A little almond extract in place of half of the vanilla would add a new flavor and you could even throw in some cinnamon or dried fruit if you got the urge. So many ideas! Make them your family’s next favorite dessert.
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Slice-and-Bake Vanilla Pecan Icebox Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy—about 4 minutes.
- Add the egg and vanilla and mix well.
- In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt and add to the butter mixture.
- Mix well until no pockets of flour are left. Dough will be very stiff. You may need to stir it by hand if the mixer can’t handle it.
- Stir in the pecans at the end.
- Divide the dough in half and shape into a log on a piece of plastc wrap.
- Twist the ends to seal and refrigerate the rolls for two hours or up to 5 days. You can also transfer the dough to the freezer and freeze for up to a month.
- When you’re ready to bake slice off ¼” thick slices and bake on ungreased cookie sheets at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
You may also like these freezable cookie recipes:
Almond Toffee Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Super Easy Wild Rice Mushroom Pilaf
Rebecca A Sullivan
I’m going to try these in place of a recipe I lost for Dutch Refrigerator Cookies….if you happen across that one let me know!! It’s rolled and sliced and full of spice! Made with shortening not butter…. happy baking!
oldunc
This is an old Massachusetts standard- the version I use, published by Maida Heatter under the name Pecan Butterscotch Icebox Cookies, differs in two respects; it uses 1/2tsp. each of baking soda and cream of tartar (the recipe predates baking powder) and the sugar is 1c, of light brown (a bit more butterscothy than this version.). They can be cut thinner for crisper cookies.
Alex
Great loved it.My mom used to love it.
Kathi Stokes
Are these cookies really crispy? I cannot find my grandma’s icebox cookie recipe and the other recipes I have tried have not been crispy like hers were.
Sandy_of_WV
Please clarify…
6. Divide the dough in half and shape into a log on a piece of plastic wrap
— in pic, looks like parchment paper — which do you use?
Rachel Ballard
Hey Sandy, Good question! You can use either one. I used parchment paper in the pictures because honestly plastic wrap isn’t too pretty to photograph. If you want to store your logs of dough in the freezer, I’d definitely use plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn, but if you want to just wrap them and chill them quickly in the fridge you can use parchment. Thanks for your question–Rachel
Sandy_of_WV
thx for the quick response and clarification – much appreciated 🙂
Nadine
Oh wow, I think they’d be super tasty to pair with a hot cappuccino.
Unfortunately, Pecans are really hard to find here in Italy, Could you suggest me a good replacement?
I always see a lot of recipes with pecans, and I’m really curious to try them. I guess the only way is to book a flight to the USA 🙂
Rachel Ballard
You’re right Nadine! If you can’t get pecans, you could use any nut you like–hazelnuts or pistachios would all work great. I hope you get a chance to make them sometime soon! –Rachel
IRENE
My mom used to makes these all the time. We used thread to cut the cookies instead of a knife. Slide thread under log, tie a knot. Nice clean cut.
Rachel Ballard
Irene I use dental floss a lot (not the mint kind) to cut all kinds of baked goods–especially my cinnamon roll dough. It does make a nice clean cut. –Rachel