Easy Refrigerator Cookie Dough
Refrigerator cookie dough is a quick and easy way to ensure you’ve got cookies ready to be baked at any time! Chill, slice, and bake these golden, melt-in-your-mouth cookies that can be customized with your favorite add-ins!
If you’re one who usually grabs a ready-made cookie dough from the freezer section of your grocery store, you’re going to love this recipe!
Refrigerator cookie dough is made with easy access in mind. It’s a recipe for ready-made cookie dough that’s kept chilling in the fridge or freezer until you’re ready to slice them into discs and bake them into cookies!
It’s a very easy recipe that comes together in no time, and once you roll them into logs and wrap them up, it’s just a matter of bringing them out when you’re ready to bake them.
Refrigerator cookie dough is perfect to keep on hand for when you need dessert for last-minute company, or when your kid tells you they need a dozen cookies for school tomorrow. It’s great for the holidays when you need something quick and easy to add to your dessert table.
It’s a simple delicious cookie dough recipe that’s left a blank canvas for you to be able to add in whatever you’d like, whether it’s chocolate chips, raisins, nuts, seeds, you name it. You can even leave them as is and add a little drizzle of icing on top!
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Butter
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
How to Make these Ice Box Cookies
These are the perfect make-ahead cookies that have a crisp bite to them with a soft crumb finish.
In a stand mixer or large mixing bowl, beat butter until creamy for approximately 1-2 minutes. First, add the granulated sugar followed by the brown sugar, beating between each addition.
Add the egg and vanilla and beat to combine. Add the flour and salt and beat on low. You can also use a wooden spoon at this point to combine.
Divide the dough in half and roll each portion into a log wrapped in parchment paper or plastic wrap.
TIP: If your dough is too soft to roll, refrigerate it first for 30 minutes and then divide it in half to make logs.
Refrigerate dough logs for at least 8 hours or up to 3 days.
TIP: If you’re making them to freeze them, place the wrapped logs in a freezer-friendly bag and keep them frozen for up to 3 months.
Remove the rolls from the fridge and cut them into 1/4” slices. Place each round on a prepared cookie sheet. Sprinkle with nuts or sprinkles if desired, and keep them chilled in the fridge while the oven heats up to 350F (180C).
Bake for 9-11 minutes until lightly browned and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes on the cookie sheet. Then, move to a wire rack to cool completely.
Baking Tips
- Start with room temperature ingredients including softened butter and room temperature egg. This will help to ensure even baking.
- Be sure to use a flour with at least 11% protein, most all purpose flours are this amount. A low protein flour will cause your cookies to spread.
- Ideas for add-ins can include raisins, chocolate chips, chopped nuts, cranberries, sprinkles, and toffee bits.
- If you want to wait to add things to the top of the cookie, do this while the oven preheats.
- Always make sure you follow the directions for the chill time. Not only does the flour help from spreading cookies but so does chilling the dough. It’s important!
- If you decide you want to make your cookies thicker or thinner than what my recipe states, you’ll need to adjust for the bake time.
- They should have a golden finish around the edges, not fully brown. Keep an eye on them!
- Allow cookies to cool completely before serving.
FAQs
Once they have completely cooled, these cookies can stay covered at room temperature for up to 3 days. To extend their freshness a little longer, transfer to the fridge for another couple of days.
These cookies can be kept frozen in a freezer-friendly airtight container for up to 3 months. You always want to make sure to allow them to completely cool before storing them. If not, the heat will create too much moisture which will make for a mushy cookie!
Not completely. You just need to thaw it enough so that you can slice through it without a problem.
For clean slices, run the knife under hot water. If you find your knife is getting gunky, wipe it before the next slice. Keep the discs uniform in size, and keep one hand on the log and do the best you can at slicing in one motion with the other hand.
When you are searching for an easy but tasty cookie recipe, I hope you try this Refrigerator Cookie Dough. Enjoy!
More Delicious Easy Cookies
- Easy Cutout Sugar Cookies
- Easy Italian Pistachio Cookies
- Double Chocolate Chip Drop Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies
Easy Refrigerator Cookie Dough
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter (softened)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar (lightly packed)
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 1½ cups + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 pinch salt*
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
*If you use unsalted butter then add ¼ teaspoon of salt.
EXTRAS – chopped nuts and sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
- In a mixer beat the butter until creamy, approximately 1-2 minutes, add the granulated sugar first then the brown sugar, beating between each addition. Add the egg and vanilla and beat to combine, add the flour and salt, beat on low or stir with a wooden spoon to combine.
- If the dough is too soft to roll, then refrigerate for 30 minutes, divide the dough into two and roll each portion into a log, wrap in parchment paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 8 hours or up to 3 days. The dough can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
- Remove the rolls from the fridge and cut into ¼" inch slices, place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet, sprinkle with nuts and sprinkles if desired, chill while the oven is pre-heating, approximately 15 minutes.
- Pre-heat oven to 350F (180C).
- Bake for 9-11 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool 5-10 minutes on the cookie sheet then move to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!