How To Make Butterscotch Icebox Cookies

Follow this easy recipe for a tasty butterscotch icebox cookies. In the matter of minutes, you’ll be able to roll up a log of refrigerator cookie dough that gets kept in the fridge until you’re ready to bake. My kids love these warm butterscotch cookies straight from the oven.

Ingredients for Butterscotch Icebox Cookies

My kids absolutely love these cookies. I like to make a batch, and then bake them off a few cookies at a time, putting the remaining cookie dough back into the fridge. That way, we don’t have tons of extra cookies sitting around. Instead, each child gets one or two right from the oven when they are the best.

• Shortening
• Brown Sugar
• Large Egg
• Vanilla Extract
• All Purpose Flour
• Baking Powder
• Salt
• Chopped Nuts

The butterscotch flavor comes from the combination of shortening and brown sugar. If you like your cookies on the softer side, bake them around 8 minutes, and if you like a crunchy cookie texture, bake around 10 minutes.

Refrigerator Cookies

Take a step back in time to your childhood when your mom or grandma were whipping up delicious cookies several times a week. What was their secret to getting cookies made in lickity split?

I have the answer—Refrigerator Cookies.

Refrigerator cookies refer to a type of cookie in which the cookie dough is refrigerated until it’s time to bake.

What a time saver!

The kids invite a friend over after school—Boom, warm cookies for everyone. The school asks for baked goods for the bake sale—icebox cookies to the rescue. In a time crunch for the holiday cooking? Make this dough several day ahead, and bake them at the last second.

Why is it called an icebox cookie?

Icebox cookies (also called refrigerator cookies) consist of cookie dough that is prepped ahead rolled into a log, and stored in the refrigerator. When it’s time to bake the cookies, the dough gets pulled from the refrigerator, sliced thin, and baked accordingly. This time of cookie is super helpful because you can prep it ahead and keep it until you need it.

What does icebox mean in baking?

An icebox is another name for a refrigerator or fridge. This terms comes from the good old days before standard refrigerators were created. Instead, households had a box with a large piece of ice used to keep the foods cold.

How to make icebox cookies?

Step by Step Instructions

1. Using a stand mixer or a large bowl and a hand mixer, cream together the shortening and sugar; add egg, and beat until incorporated. Mix in vanilla.
2. Sift the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
3. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in small amounts, mixing in between. Stir in chopped nuts.
4. Place the cookie dough mixture onto a large piece of waxed paper or plastic wrap.
5. Roll into a uniform log.
6. Chill for several hours or overnight up to a week.
7. To bake, slice into 1/8-inch slices with a sharp knife.
8. Arrange on an ungreased cookie sheet, allowing room for the dough to expand during baking.
9. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.
10. Let cool on the sheet pan for a couple minutes before removing with a spatula to a wire rack.

Storage Instructions

Transfer the cooled butterscotch icebox cookies to an airtight container, and store at room temperature.

For the full ingredient amounts and recipe steps for butterscotch refrigerator cookies, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Refrigerator Cookies Recipe FAQs

• Be sure to bake on either a light colored baking sheet or bake on parchment paper. Butterscotch icebox cookies will burn easily if a dark sheet pan is used.
• Check out the recipe variations below to customize these.
• Try to roll the cookie dough in an evenly shaped log. This helps during baking.
• Use waxed paper or plastic wrap to wrap up the dough before shaping.
• Love refrigerator cookie recipes? Try these Chocolate Walnut Cookies.

Recipe Variations

• Use your favorite variety of chopped nuts. I typically use walnuts or pecans. Or omit nuts completely.
• Replace vanilla extract for almond extract for a fun new flavor.
• Add cocoa powder for a chocolate icebox cookie recipe.
• Substitute shredded coconut for the nuts.
• Make these as big or small as you desire by changing the size of the cookie dough log.

Can you freeze ice box cookie dough?

Yes, freezing ice box cookie dough is a great idea. Wrap up the dough tightly in two layers of plastic wrap before freezing. Freeze the cookie dough log for up to 3 months. To thaw, place in the refrigerator. Bake from the thawed state according to recipe instructions.

How do you keep cookies from getting hard after baking?

An old trick I learned is to place a slice of bread in the same airtight container as the cookies. The moisture in the bread will transfer to the cookies, keeping them amazingly soft.

The Best Cookie Recipes

We love a good cookie on this blog. We don’t discriminate on types of cookies (except maybe for an oatmeal raisin…). Another cookie we don’t have on here is a white chocolate macadamia nut cookie recipe but don’t worry, our friend, Leah, has one! Check out our Dessert Recipes page to find all our cookie recipes.

Chocolate Chip Dream Bars

Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies

French Butter Cookies

Fudge Oat Squares

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bark