These Lime Swirled Icebox Cookies are here to add some zest to your sweet snacking! Flecked with green and kissed with lime flavor, Ice Box Cookies are a spring and summertime favorite.
Love Icebox recipes? Our S’mores Icebox Cake is so easy, and a no bake favorite! Or give these red, white, and blue icebox cookies a try for the holidays!
What are Icebox Cookies
Icebox cookies get their name from the fact that you make ahead of time and keep the cookie dough in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to bake.
Modern names for icebox cookies are refrigerator cookies or slice and bakes.
If your kids like these as much as mine do, may I suggest making a few batches of ice box cookie dough at once so you always have some ready to go in the freezer?
Then, you’re never more than a few minutes away from delicious homemade cookies.
Why these icebox cookies are BEST
- These have a nice citrus taste thanks to the Lime JELL-O.
- Paired with vanilla sugar, you get a satisfying balance of sweet and citrus.
- Swirled white and green make them look fancy, even though they are simple to make.
If you love this technique of slice and bake cookies, you’ve got to try our cinnamon roll cookies next. Swirls of cinnamon sugar baked into every cookie.
Ingredient Notes
- Flour
- Butter– use our guide on how to soften butter.
- Eggs
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Lime JELL-O
- Green food coloring
- Vanilla Extract
- Vanilla sugar – Homemade or store bought. If you don’t have vanilla sugar, you can make a substitute by scraping a vanilla bean into regular granulated sugar.
- Green sprinkles – Sugar sprinkles for decorating the Ice Box cookies
How to Make Ice Box Cookies
STEP 1. Make the cookie dough
In a mixer, beat butter with vanilla sugar until fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add eggs. In separate bowl, mix flour with baking soda and salt. Gradually add to butter mixture. Divide dough in half.
STEP 2. Make the lime swirls
Add in vanilla extract to one half of the dough. Lay dough on large sheet of parchment paper. Lay a second sheet of parchment on top of dough. Roll dough to form a 12 inch x 8 inch rectangle. Freeze dough for about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, with second half of dough add in gelatin and food coloring. Lay dough on parchment paper, with a second sheet on top. Roll dough to form a similar sized rectangle. Freeze dough 15 minutes.
STEP 3. Roll and freeze
Remove both sheets of dough from freezer. Remove top layer of parchment paper for each rectangle. Lay sheets of dough together (with parchment on outside). Remove one sheet of parchment paper so the dough has one sheet remaining at the bottom.
Slowly peel the dough from bottom parchment by rolling up the long end. You are going to form a log of dough. Tightly roll this dough and rewrap in parchment. Freeze until ready to use!
STEP 4. Bake
When ready to bake, wet fingertips with water. Roll the whole log of dough in sprinkles. Slice 1/4inch thick and bake on a parchment lined baking sheet for about 7-9 minutes at 350 degrees.
Tips and Tricks
- How long to keep ice box cookie dough in the freezer: If you want to enjoy these cookies right away, I recommend letting the dough freeze for at least 30 minutes before baking. The dough can also stay wrapped in the freezer for up to 3 months!
- Do you have to thaw icebox cookie dough? Nope, no need to let the log of dough thaw or soften at all. You slice the frozen cookie dough and bake right away! So convenient.
- To keep the dough from sticking: Get your fingers a little damp before you roll the two sections of dough together. I also do this before rolling it in the sprinkles to make sure nothing sticks to my hands.
- How to store lime cookies: Once baked, these Lime Ice Box Cookies will keep well at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Good luck resisting them for that long, though!
Recipe FAQs
Refrigerator cookie dough stays fresh, if tightly wrapped for up to three days.
You can freeze cookie dough for up to three months. Be sure it’s in an airtight container to maintain freshness and flavor.
Swap out the lime gelatin in ice box cookies for any flavor. Pair it with matching sprinkles and you’ve got a new cookie flavor!
More Easy Cookie Recipes
- Oreo Stuffed Cookies
- Oatmeal Scotchies
- Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Pecan Sandies
- 7 Layer Bars
- Key Lime Pie Bars
Favorite Cookies
See all Cookies recipes
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Lime Swirled Icebox Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter softened
- 1 ¼ cup vanilla sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons Lime JELL-O
- ¼ teaspoon green gel food coloring optional
- ¼ cup green sugar sprinkles optional
Instructions
- In mixer, beat butter with vanilla sugar until fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add eggs.
- In separate bowl, mix flour with baking soda and salt. Gradually add to butter mixture. Divide dough in half.
- To one half add in vanilla extract. Lay dough on large sheet of parchment paper. Lay a second sheet of parchment on top of dough. Roll dough to form a 12 inch x 8 inch rectangle. Freeze dough for about 15 minutes.
- With second half of dough add in gelatin and food coloring. Lay dough on parchment paper, with a second sheet on top. Roll dough to form a similar sized rectangle. Freeze dough 15 minutes.
- Remove both sheets of dough from freezer. Remove top layer of parchment paper for each rectangle. Lay sheets of dough together (with parchment on outside). Remove one sheet of parchment paper (dough should have one remaining on bottom). Slowly peel dough from bottom parchment by rolling up the long end. You are going to form a log of dough. Tightly roll this dough and rewrap in parchment. Freeze until ready to use.
- When ready to bake, wet fingertips with water. Roll log of dough in sprinkles. Slice 1/4inch thick and bake on a parchment lined baking sheet for about 7-9 minutes (in a 350 degree oven).
Notes
- Vanilla sugar – Homemade or store bought. If you don’t have vanilla sugar, you can make a substitute by scraping a vanilla bean into regular granulated sugar.
- How long to keep ice box cookie dough in the freezer: If you want to enjoy these cookies right away, I recommend letting the dough freeze for at least 30 minutes before baking. The dough can also stay wrapped in the freezer for up to 3 months!
- Do you have to thaw icebox cookie dough? Nope, no need to let the log of dough thaw or soften at all. You slice the frozen cookie dough and bake right away! So convenient.
- To keep the dough from sticking: Get your fingers a little damp before you roll the two sections of dough together. I also do this before rolling it in the sprinkles to make sure nothing sticks to my hands.
- How to store lime cookies: Once baked, these Lime Ice Box Cookies will keep well at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Good luck resisting them for that long, though!
Nutrition
With swirls of bright green lime and vanilla, Ice Box Cookies are a pretty and delicious addition to your spring time and summer dessert tables!
We just loved these! They were so easy and delicious. Can’t wait to make them again!
These are so delicious! Loved them.
Absolutely delicious! Lime cookies are the best!
I’m baking these cookies as I type. I see lots of coments about how pretty the cookies are, but I wonder if anyone has actually tried them. They are not easy cookies to deal with. The dough is incredibly sticky, to the point where I think it needs more flour or something. You can hardly slice the frozen dough because it becomes so sticky. The second thing is that these cookies spread in the oven…. A lot. 6 cookies on a tray if you don’t want them to touch. Thirdly, the baking time is not 7-9 minutes. No way, no how. I baked mine for 9, and they were grossly under baked, especially the green part. You’re looking at 12-15 minutes for these. I like the idea of these cookies, but after making them, I’m not sold.
I’ve featured your post on this week’s “A Little Birdie Told Me…”. Come on by, grab a button, and join the party!
Jenn
These cookies are so cute! I’m have a St. Patty’s link party and I would love for you to come and share them. 🙂
http://whitelightsonwednesday.blogspot.com/2012/02/st-patricks-day-linky-party.html
Thanks for sharing these at TEa Party Tuesday – I love anything lime, these are sure a popular post – you have gotten some much deserved features! YA!
Hmm! Looks delicious!
Hope you’ll link up to my Monday Link party! 🙂
Mauvin’ Monday Link Party
Cheers,
Jessica, your newest Linky Follower
Beautiful! Love that you can have these in the freezer at the ready~perfect!
These are super cute!!
Pinning this too. These are just so pretty! Thanks again for linking up at Weekend Potluck.
@anonymous, yes, you can just use 1 Tsp vanilla extract. It won’t have as much vanilla flavor, but will still be delicious!