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Mom says “YES you can lick the batter” once you know How to Make Edible Cookie Dough. Here is how to make indulgent cookie dough that is safe to eat, made with our favorite cookie ingredients like butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and chocolate chips, plus you’ll find five cookie dough flavor variations.

the best edible cookie dough

Cookie dough lovers, this recipe is for you!

My sister and I each taking one of the kitchen mixer beaters after whipping up cookie dough was a childhood ritual. 

This edible cookie dough recipe is the best straight-up cookie dough recipe that is safe to eat.

Plus, it can be adapted for numerous flavors like double chocolate and funfetti—I’ve included 5 flavors for you below!

I am no stranger to edible cookie doughs.

  • Healthy Cookie Dough recipe is a bit lightened up, made with peanut butter and naturally sweetened.
  • Chickpea Cookie Dough is a healthy treat, made with chickpeas, peanut butter, and oat flour, and you really cannot taste the chickpeas, I promise.
  • And today’s cookie dough: CLASSIC buttery, sugary bliss.
many flavors of edible cookie dough in bowls

Why Can You Not Eat Raw Cookie Dough?

As you’ve likely heard, you should not eat traditional raw cookie dough. I know, how unfun is that.

But why?

  • Raw Eggs. Salmonella bacteria is one of the most common causes of food poisoning according to the FDA, and raw eggs can contain Salmonella..
  • Raw Flour. Did you know it’s not just the eggs that can make you sick, but also the flour? That is because the flour can be contaminated with E. coli bacteria (eww).

I tend to live on the edge and sneak a bite of dough now and then, but that doesn’t lessen the risk, since even a tiny bit of bacteria can be enough to make you sick.

edible cookie dough recipe in a bowl

If you are one those people who bakes cookies more for the dough than for the cookie itself, or if you are having a cookie dough craving and want a way to enjoy it safely, you can make safe edible cookie dough!

Since we want the cookie dough to be safe to eat, we need to address the two factors that make it unsafe: the raw eggs and the raw flour.

  • Raw Eggs. this one is easy; we just omit them! Since the cookies don’t need to bake, the lack of eggs will not negatively impact the recipe.
  • Raw Flour. All we need to do is cook it first. The microwave makes it easy.

Cookie dough lovers, this recipe is for you!


The Ingredients

  • Flour. Good ol’ all-purpose flour is the base for our edible cookie dough. You must use heat-treated flour to make this edible chocolate chip cookie dough.
  • Butter. Indulgence is necessary when it comes to cookie dough. The butter is at the heart of their flavor.
  • Brown Sugar. Light brown sugar adds a little more warmth to the sweetness than white granulated sugar.
  • Milk. Or cream to thin the dough to a consistency just right for scooping.
  • Vanilla. Pure vanilla extract is an essential ingredient to truly homemade-tasting baked (or in this case, no bake!) goods.
  • Baking Soda. Even though the cookies are not baked, the baking soda gives the dough a familiar cookie flavor.
  • Chocolate Chips. I liked minis for this edible cookie dough because you can grab little bites of dough, but feel free to use chopped chocolate or regular chips. Dark chocolate is my favorite.

The Directions

a bowl of flour for edible cookie dough
  1. Cook the flour in the microwave.
mixing together edible cookie dough safe to eat
  1. Beat together the butter and sugar in a large bowl.
ready to eat edible cookie dough in a bowl
  1. Stir in the milk, vanilla, salt, and baking soda.
ready to eat easy edible cookie dough
  1. Add in the flour slowly while mixing.
chocolate chip edible cookie dough
  1. Fold in the chocolate chips. ENJOY!

How To Make Different Flavors of Edible Cookie Dough

  • Funfetti. Swap the brown sugar for white sugar, and add sprinkles instead of chocolate chips.
  • Double Chocolate. Replace half of the flour with unsweetened cocoa powder and add one more tablespoon of milk.
  • Peanut Butter. Add 1/4 cup of creamy peanut butter. For double peanut butter power, use peanut butter chips instead of chocolate chips.
  • Oatmeal Raisin. Replace half of the flour with quick oats and use raisins instead of chocolate chips.
simple edible cookie dough recipe

Storage Tips

  • To Store. Store leftover edible cookie dough in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week (as if it will last that long).
  • To Freeze. Edible cookie dough can be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight, freezer-safe container. Let thaw overnight before enjoying.

What to Serve with Edible Cookie Dough

  • Golden Milk. A cookie calls for a glass of milk. This plus edible cookie dough would be the ultimate night cap.
  • Oat Milk Ice Cream. Top your ice cream with your delectable edible cookie dough.
  • Brownies. What goes better with dessert than more dessert? These One Bowl Brownies get me into any party.
  • Mixing Bowls. There is a bowl for any mixing job with this collection of nesting glass mixing bowls.
  • Electric Mixer. If you can’t spring for the famous stand mixer, a hand mixer also does the job!
  • Rubber Spatulas. Cookie dough and kitchen essential. This set has every size.
making edible cookie dough in a bowl

Now that you know how to make edible cookie dough, what are you waiting for?

Helllllllo batter-licking goodness!

Frequently Asked Questions

What Happens if You Bake Edible Cookie Dough?

You can bake edible cookie dough, but note that the cookies will remain very soft and be flat. I would try omitting the milk if you would like to bake this recipe.

Can I Just Make Vegan Cookie Dough to Make Cookie Dough Safe to Eat?

It is not just the eggs that can be unsafe to eat in the cookie dough, so if you make eggless or vegan cookies, you’re not in the clear because raw flour is also unsafe to eat.

How Do I Cook Flour So It Is Not Raw?

You can make flour safe to eat by either microwaving it or cooking it in the oven. Microwaving on high for 1 minute will kill any possible bacteria, or baking at 350°F for 10 minutes. The flour should reach 160°F.

How Do I Make Cookie Dough for Cookie Dough Ice Cream?

To make the all-American cookie dough ice cream, use this edible cookie dough recipe, chill for 10 minutes, then roll the dough into small balls. Freeze before mixing into your ice cream.

How to Make Edible Cookie Dough

4.67 from 27 votes
How to make edible cookie dough that is safe to eat by the spoonful! Including 5 flavors: chocolate chip, funfetti, peanut butter, and more.

Prep: 10 minutes
Total: 10 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter softened and cut into 4 pieces
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons milk or cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Instructions
 

  • Place the flour in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute to heat treat it and kill any bacteria. Let cool completely to room temperature. For an oven option to heat-treat the flour, see recipe notes.
  • In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the milk, vanilla, salt, and baking soda.
  • Gradually add the flour as you mix on low speed until just combined.
  • Fold in the chocolate chips.

For Edible Cookie Dough Variations:

  • Funfetti: Substitute brown sugar for white sugar, omit the chocolate chips and fold in 1/4 cup rainbow sprinkles. Avoid over-mixing, as the sprinkles color will run.
  • Double Chocolate: Replace half of the all-purpose flour with unsweetened cocoa powder; add 1 tablespoon milk.
  • Peanut Butter: Use 1/4 cup butter and 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter. You can also replace the chocolate chips with peanut butter chips for even more peanut butter.
  • Oatmeal Raisin: Replace half of the all-purpose flour with quick oats and replace the chocolate chips with raisins. Or keep the chips for oatmeal chocolate chip cookie dough.

Notes

  • To bake the flour instead of microwaving it, place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat to 350°F. Spread the flour onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. To check for doneness, gather the flour into a mound and insert an instant read thermometer into the center; it should register at least 160°F. If it doesn’t, spread out the flour back out and continue baking, rechecking the temperature every 3 to 5 minutes. Let the flour cool completely to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
  • If adding the edible cookie dough to ice cream, chill the dough for at least 10 minutes, then roll into small balls and freeze before mixing it into your ice cream.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 (of 4 – chocolate chip)Calories: 272kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 2gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 33mgPotassium: 48mgFiber: 1gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 389IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 37mgIron: 1mg

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Erin Clarke

Hi, I'm Erin Clarke, and I'm fearlessly dedicated to making healthy food that's affordable, easy-to-make, and best of all DELISH. I'm the author and recipe developer here at wellplated.com and of The Well Plated Cookbook. I adore both sweets and veggies, and I am on a mission to save you time and dishes. WELCOME!

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40 Comments

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  1. I love this recipe, it sounds so delicious! Is there a substitute for butter that I could use?  Thanks! 

    Ps. Can’t wait for your cookbook to be out, I’ll be first in line!

    1. Hi Olivia, thank you so much! I think you could sub in another nut butter of your choice. I hope you love the cookie dough!

    1. Hi Monica! From a quick google search, it looks like you can follow the same process using gluten free-flour, but obviously it might taste a little different depending on what type you use. I hope you enjoy!

  2. Thank you for this recipe, Erin! I’m excited to try it! Will toasting the flour stovetop (until lightly browned) on a pan work, too?

    1. Hi Rosario, I haven’t tried that method myself, but I’ve seen it done before, so that’s likely an option too. I hope you enjoy the cookie dough!

    1. Hi Debora, I mention this in the post, but raw flour can carry bad germs such as E. coli, so the CDC recommends that it not be consumed raw.

  3. Hi Erin,
    This sounds silly perhaps but I am going to ask anyway…could you cool some of the cookie dough and would it turn out into cookies? I like the idea of edible cookie dough that can be baked. Did you try that by chance? If not, I can try it out and report back. 

    1. Hi Catherine! Since the cookies don’t have any leavening in them, they weren’t really designed to be baked, though you could experiment and see what happens if you like. Otherwise, here are some other peanut butter cookie recipes you might enjoy: https://www.wellplated.com/peanut-butter-protein-cookies/, https://www.wellplated.com/peanut-butter-oatmeal-bars/

  4. Eggs have never been used in biscuit recipes. Not here at least and egg nog has raw egg and that is not an issue. Not sure where you get your info from. Sugar butter and flour are biscuit not egg.

    1. Hi Dee, in the drop biscuits, I use the egg to help make them tender and ensure they rise. It’s worth it to me for lighter-than-air biscuits that don’t need rolling and are more forgiving! As for this edible cookie dough, the CDC advises against consuming raw egg in any recipe, so that is why I omit it here. Here is the information: https://www.cdc.gov/features/salmonellaeggs/index.html

  5. This was tasty, but it didn’t taste like cookie dough to me. I have eaten plenty to know!  Perhaps more like a peanut butter cup. Wasn’t what I was expecting, but a delightful treat nonetheless. 

  6. I LOVE THIS COOKIE DOUGH SO MUCH THAT THE WHOLE RECIPE IS LOCKED INTO MY BRAIN! It is literally THE ONLY COOKIE DOUGH that turns into DOUGH and not LIQUID! I found this from a pure coincidence two weeks ago and I am so glad that I did.5 stars

  7. How about using oat flour instead? I use my coffee bean grinder to pulverize oatmeal until it’s the consistency of regular flour.

    1. Hi Dylan! I have not tried to make the recipe with oat flour, so I’m afraid I don’t have any specific advice to offer. If you decide to play around with it, I’d love to hear how it goes!

  8. This looks delicious! Can I use regular flour? It’s hard to find certain varieties of flour nowadays so I only have regular ol white flour. Thanks! 

    1. Hi Kate! I haven’t tried this recipe with regular flour, but you could experiment with it. Just make sure you cook the flour as directed first. I hope you enjoy it!

  9. Can u substitute coconut or almond flour in stead of whole wheat flour?  I eat gluten free and would love to make this recipe. Thanks 

    1. Hi Lauri! I’ve never tried this recipe with either flour, so it would be an experiment. You could also try using gluten free flour. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to hear how it goes!

  10. Can this be made low carb?, With almond flour and/or coconut flour? If so, how much of each? If one, will either one work? Does the flour (coconut &/or almond flour still need to be cooked?
    Can egg substitute be used as it’s not raw eggs? Sorry for all the questions, but I’m not sure of substitutions & use the south beach diet.
    Thank you.

    1. Hi Jill! I’ve never tried this recipe with either flour, so it would be an experiment. The almond flour would not need to be cooked. This recipe wasn’t designed to use eggs, so you do not need to include an egg substitute. You might also enjoy these Coconut Flour Cookies or Almond Flour Cookies for low-carb options. I hope this helps!

  11. Made this for my Cookie Monster who also loves peanut butter, and it was a huge hit! Thanks for what has to be the 100th recipe of yours that we love, Erin!!!!5 stars

  12. Yum, this is tasty! Maybe it’s because I’m reading from Canada but I don’t know what Toll House cookie dough tastes like. I was looking more for a classic vanilla-ey cookie dough recipe, this tastes more like peanut butter cookie dough so maybe the title of the recipe could use a do-over :). It is still tasty though, just not what I was after.4 stars

  13. I had my twin grandsons (age 3) help make the cookie dough. Once the dough was finished, we all nibbled and nibbled and nibbled… So good! More so because it is a safe recipe with no eggs.5 stars

  14. This recipe was so good I’m a high school student so this was a nice treat after testing though I would use a little less butter.5 stars

    1. Hi Natalie, I have’t tried it myself, but maybe almond extract or maple syrup. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to know how it comes out!