The cookies are perfect for that unexpected guest.
All you do is slice and bake.
Slice-and-bake cookies, and what was called icebox or refrigerator cookies growing are the fastest way to fill that cookie jar and to make fabulous cookies for sharing with friends and family.
These can be left plain and edges decorated, the dough can be tinted and flavored or you can just slice and bake adding your favorite chocolate chips, raisins, nuts or whatever makes you and your family happy.
They can shout any party or holiday theme you like just by changing the dough.
A basic easy refrigerator tube of dough, that's ready to bake when you are.
Make a little or a lot!
We love the colorful cookies on our cookie tray around the Holiday.
Christmas Italian Slice and Bake Cookies are the perfect addition to any cookie exchange too!
One of the prettiest yet most delicious easy cookie you will ever make.
Take a look at how simple this is to wow your guests as it becomes a work of art in one fine cookie recipe!
Great for weddings, gender reveals baby showers, 4th of July, you pick the color and flavor you want and let's get creative.
Scroll down to the printable recipe card and check out the ideas and photos on how to make them!
Gender Reveal Style?
Besides holidays, check out how easy colorful slice and bake cookies are to make these cookies for a gender reveal party?
Just leave one white rolled out and the other two the color of the baby.
Then I just rolled the whole length in coordinating colored sugar!
Tinted or Plain The Cookies are Delicious
Of course, if you don't want to tint the dough, leave it plain white and decorate the edges.
Slice the dough then roll and roll into your favorite tiny colorful candies to match the holiday theme instead.
You can make them 3 different colors for a flag them, red white, and blue is perfect for the 4th of July, orange-yellow and white for Halloween, and these cookies are perfect for a gender reveal!
Whatever you have in mind the most important reason to make the slice and bake cookies is that they're delicious!
Change the Dough
The flavor is up to you! Add whatever your friends and family like!
By making the coordinating colors for your themed party these cookies are will be the talk of your event!
Separate the dough in 3 sections leaving one white, tint one with red food coloring, and one with green.
You can also flavor each one with your favorite extracts, cherry for red, mint for green, and almond for white, or leave this plain for a plain butter cookie.
Easy Cookies
The ingredients are blended and not overmixed.
Less mixing is definitely better than more, the cookies will be buttery and tender not hard.
Remember after mixing to refrigerate or slightly freeze to keep their shape at least 30 minutes before baking.
Shape in those suggested cylinders, and roll up on something that will be easy without sticking like the parchment paper suggested.
Moistening your hands ever so slightly keeps that smooth look on the cookie and for shaping them.
Do not overbake or you will have hard cookies unless you like them that way ( I have a son that like the edges dark!)
Tips
- For the recipe see my slice-and-bake recipe from the Halloween addition by clicking here.
- Remember to use the paper towel holder to cut up the center to place the dough in that holds the shape while in the freezer. Also, empty Pringles cans work well.
- These are always a big hit for any event or party easy to make and quite a conversation piece and such an easy recipe to follow!
- Roll out all 3 colors if making a spiral-formed cookie making sure the dough is on a heavily floured piece of parchment paper and around 1/4 inch thick for each. Then starting rolling with flour hands, leaving the parchment paper flat on the surface and not rolling with the dough.
- Use colorful sugar on the edges before baking and leave the dough plain.
- These are much easier when cold to slice.
Note: the dough is tricky with 3 colors, you must make sure it's not sticky when rolling using the flour.
More Tips
On a wax-papered board, roll out each piece evenly then stack on top of each other. Using the wax paper helps to roll it up easier. Then use the same wax paper to cover and freeze by twisting the sides.
After 2 hours of being frozen, take out then slice, place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, and bake at degree 350 oven for 4 to 5 minutes or until lightly browned.
If you do not like tints in your dough, add some funfetti for a colorful cookie instead.
Here are more of our favorite cookie recipes:
Cucidati Fig Sicilian Cookies
24 One-Stop Cookie Shop
Fried Bow Tie Cookies
25 Holiday Cookies
Perfect for Santa
The kids love to decorate and these easy slice-and-bake cookies are perfect to leave for Santa on Christmas Eve night.
That's if they last long enough.
My family eats these delicious cookies so fast, especially flavored with almond extract or lemon.
I always make an assortment of flavors added to the dough.
Christmas Italian Slice and Bake Cookie Pin for later
Christmas Italian Slice and Bake Cookie
Yield: 40
prep time: 15 Mcook time: 4 Mtotal time: 19 M
These cookies have so many names depending on what year you are in! Refrigerator cookies, icebox cookies, slice-and-bake cookies, and even gender-reveal cookies!
These are easy-to-make ahead-of-time logs, sliced and baked anytime you need them! You can use any colored sugar, food coloring or even funfetti to make the theme of your holiday or event!
These are easy-to-make ahead-of-time logs, sliced and baked anytime you need them! You can use any colored sugar, food coloring or even funfetti to make the theme of your holiday or event!
ingredients:
- 2 cups flour
- 3/4 cup butter (at room temperature)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg (at room temperature)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or any flavor you prefer
- Suggestive Additions in the dough or on the outside before baking:
- Any food coloring a few drops for desired colors
- Funfetti
- Colored sugars for the outside match dough colors
- Spices, raisins, and nuts
- Coconut
- Refer to highlighted pages for instructions
instructions:
How to cook Christmas Italian Slice and Bake Cookie
- Mix the flour, salt, and baking powder together in a measuring cup or bowl and set aside.
- In a heavy-duty electric mixer beat the butter and sugar till light around 4 minutes.
- Add the egg and vanilla, and blend evenly.
- Pour in the flour mixture and beat on low speed until the dough comes together.
- Add any tints and colors, additional chips, funfetti or flavoring to each dough before wrapping.
- If tinting roll out as shown in the photo on plastic wrap or parchment paper, flour, roll up and get the logs cold before baking and slicing.
- Note: if using colorful sugar on the outside do this just before baking.
- Turn the dough onto some wax paper and shape it into a 10 x 2 inch long.
- Wrap in wax paper or plastic wrap and freeze for at least 30 minutes.
- You can leave them in the freezer until ready to bake and thaw in the refrigerator overnight. The dough stays fresh for 1 week.
- Keep turning every half hour not to lose its shape.
- Slice rounds to 1/4 inch thick or 1/2 inch thick for a softer cookie and bake and place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet at 350 degrees preheated oven.
- Bake anywhere from 4 to 8 minutes depending on the thickness and if you want crisp cookies or soft.
- You can either make a few and then return the dough to the freezer or bake them all and freeze the cookies and take out as needed.
- See step by step recipe by clicking here.
- Flavored Cookies:
- Coffee: add 1 tablespoon in with the egg.
- Almond: substitute almond extract and add 1/4 cup chopped almonds with the egg or for
- Pistachio add 1/4 chopped pistachios along with the almond extract with 1 drop of green food coloring
- Chocolate: add 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, and another 1/2 cup sugar and reduce the flour by 1/2 cup (add in the flour mixture section.)
- Cherry: add 1 teaspoon cherry flavoring with 1/4 cup chopped maraschino cherries
- Lemon: add 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract and 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- in with the egg
- Orange: Add 1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and 1 teaspoon orange juice in with egg
- Spice: Add 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon allspice, a pinch of ginger to the flour mixture, and optional: add 3 tablespoons mini chocolate chips
Calories
79
79
Fat (grams)
11
11
Sat. Fat (grams)
6
6
Carbs (grams)
15
15
Net carbs
9
9
Sugar (grams)
19
19
Christmas Italian Slice and Bake Cookie Pin for later
More Favorite Cookies to Try
Cinnamon Browned Butter
Best Sesame Cookies
Lemon Ricotta Cookies
Copycat Loft Cookies
Christmas Italian Slice and Bake Cookie Pin for later
Disclosure: This recipe was originally shared in 2013. It was edited and re-published in 2019.