A classic chocolate chip cookie recipe made without eggs, this Edible Cookie Dough is a fun no-bake treat that you can enjoy straight from the bowl. A delicious safe version of the raw cookie dough you love to sneak bites of!
Edible Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Ever since I can remember, I’ve loved to snitch a spoonful of chocolate chip cookie dough from the bowl. (Thanks, Mom!) It’s just one of the perks associated with baking homemade cookies, am I right?!
Well, our daughters have definitely followed in their mother’s and grandmother’s footsteps. So much so, that a number of years ago Hatti and Tessa started making batches of edible cookie dough, for the sole purpose of eating it raw. Needless to say, I did not complain!
In our recipe trials, we experienced Good, Better, and Best when it came to no-bake cookie dough. We tweaked, and then we tweaked some more. And this Edible Cookie Dough recipe is the one our family has happily settled on. We think it’s the best raw chocolate chip cookie dough recipe out there, with the perfect texture and flavor!
This is the Best Cookie Dough Recipe!
Eggless, edible chocolate chip cookie dough is super easy to make. It just takes the right ingredients, perfect proportions, and some easy prep. Through many trials, we experienced it all… The greasy, the dry, the bland, and the way too sweet. We were a picky bunch, making sure we got this just right.
No more testing. No more tweaking. This is it, folks. Our favorite way to make raw cookie dough that’s safe to eat!
Like chocolate chip cookie treats? Then don’t miss these super popular Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars, this yummy Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie, or the ultra fabulous Chocolate Chip Cookies from The Vanilla Bean Baking Book (also called pan-banging chocolate chip cookies!). Also be sure to try these easy Cookie Dough Truffles – they’re perfect for Christmas treat platters, plus other holidays and special events!
Is This Cookie Dough Safe to Eat?
The risk of eating raw cookie dough comes from two things – the possibility of salmonella from the raw eggs (especially unpasteurized) and the possibility of E. coli from the raw flour.
Of course, many of us sneak bites of raw cookie dough with no ill effects. But salmonella and E. coli are real things in this world, and our daughters remind me of that whenever we’re baking cookies together. They are the ones who started this cookie dough recipe journey for our family!
So what makes this no-bake cookie dough safe to eat?
First off, this recipe uses heat treated flour (which is super easy to make with regular all-purpose flour). Because raw flour is just as much of a concern as raw eggs. It was just a few years ago when my sister Cheryl texted me a link to a national brand’s flour recall, where the company disclosed about “the potential presence of E. coli”. Just the facts, flour is a raw agricultural product that hasn’t been treated to kill germs. From the CDC: Bacteria are killed only when food made with flour is cooked.
And, of course, unbaked cookie dough that’s truly safe to eat means no raw eggs allowed. Because raw eggs can potentially carry salmonella.
By omitting the eggs completely and baking the flour, this edible cookie dough becomes 100% safe to eat.
What You’ll Need
This edible chocolate chip cookie dough comes together with many of the same ingredients you’d make cookies with, though a few are omitted.
- All-purpose flour
- Unsalted butter – For the best results, use soft room temperature butter.
- Sugar – More brown sugar is used than granulated sugar to not only help keep the dough moist, but to also add a bit of richer, deeper flavor.
- Half and half – You can also use cream or milk.
- Pure vanilla extract – Gives these the classic cookie dough flavor.
- Kosher salt
- Chocolate chips – We use mini chocolate chips so there’s small bits of chocolate in every bite, but you could use regular chocolate chips as well.
How to Heat Treat Flour
One of the most common questions I get is, “Do I really need to bake the flour before making edible cookie dough?” The answer is yes, if you want to be sure it’s safe to eat.
We heat treat flour in the oven. Simply spread the flour into an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet and cook it in a 350° F oven, until the flour reaches 160° F. This only takes five to seven minutes. Super easy. Use an instant-read thermometer to gauge the temperature.
You could also use a microwave. Place the flour in a microwave-safe bowl and heat on high power in 20-second increments, whisking in between each increment to cook evenly. When the flour reaches 160° F, it’s done!
How to Make Edible Cookie Dough
Making this edible chocolate chip cookie dough begins just like any other cookie dough recipe – the process just ends before baking!
- Heat treat the flour. Bake (or microwave) the flour according to the instructions above. Let cool completely.
- Make the dough. Beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Mix in the half & half and vanilla. Mix in the flour and salt on low. Use a wooden spoon to fold in the chocolate chips.
- Serve. Enjoy immediately or refrigerate for later.
Tips for Success
As I mentioned, we experimented with many versions of this edible cookie dough recipe before settling on this one as the absolute best. Here are a few things we learned along the way:
- Use SOFT room temperature butter. The method we ended up liking best uses butter that’s perfectly soft. Not melty. Just very soft. It’s easy to incorporate and gives the cookie dough a luxurious texture.
- Use pure vanilla extract. If you haven’t heard my preaching about eliminating imitation vanilla extract from your cupboard, please hear me now: Get rid of the fake stuff and find yourself some pure vanilla extract! Real vanilla DOES make a difference!
- Heat treat flour in bulk. If you make edible cookie dough regularly, make a big batch of heat treated flour and then store it in an airtight container until ready to use. It makes this edible cookie dough recipe go even faster!
Easy Variation Ideas
Edible cookie dough doesn’t need to stop at chocolate chips! Here are a few other no bake cookie dough options:
- Add some flaky sea salt. You know me. I like my flaky sea salt. If you do, too, then sprinkle a little over the top of individual portions right before eating. Yum!
- Chocolate chocolate chunk cookies. Add a couple tablespoons of Dutch processed cocoa powder and swap the chocolate chips for chopped dark chocolate or dark chocolate chips. Perfect for chocolate lovers!
- Funfetti or sugar cookies. Skip the brown sugar and use all granulated sugar. Then add equal parts vanilla and almond extracts for sugar cookies. For funfetti cookies, stir in some white chocolate chips and sprinkles.
- Switch up the mix-ins. Or keep the base the same and swap the chocolate chips for dark chocolate, white chocolate, or any other chips you’d like. You can also add in some crushed nuts if desired.
Can I Bake Edible Cookie Dough?
Eggless cookie dough should not be baked. Not only does this dough lack the egg which would hold it all together, there’s also no leavening agent. The cookies would be completely flat and crumbly.
How to Eat It
Our favorite way to eat this edible chocolate chip cookie dough is immediately after making it, when the texture is utter perfection. You can use a cookie scoop to serve it as balls of dough, as pictured here, or just dive in with spoons.
Our girls like to place a couple scoops of the cookie dough in an individual small dessert bowl and then eat it with a small dessert/coffee spoon. It’s fun + a little bit fancy!
If not enjoying right away, place the cookie dough in an airtight container and refrigerate for later. Just know that the butter will solidify in the refrigerator and harden the cookie dough. So you’ll simply want to let it rest at room temperature for a bit to soften it up.
Storing Homemade Cookie Dough
- How to store eggless cookie dough. Cookie dough is always best right after it’s just been made. But if there is leftover dough, just store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Let it come to room temperature again for the best soft texture.
- Can I freeze edible cookie dough? Yes, this dough can be frozen for up to 3 months. I recommend portioning it out with a cookie scoop, flash freezing on a baking sheet, and then freezing in ziploc bags. Thaw in the fridge and let come to room temperature before consuming.
More Cookie Recipes:
- Pan-Banging Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
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Edible Cookie Dough
Ingredients
- 1.25 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsalted butter at soft room temperature
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons half & half or use cream or milk
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅔ cup mini chocolate chips – We use these chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Spread flour evenly on a large rimmed pan. Place in preheated oven until lightly toasty and temperature reaches 160° F when tested with an instant-read thermometer, about 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
- In a medium bowl, beat butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in half & half and vanilla until combined. Reduce speed to low and then mix in flour and salt. With a spatula or wooden spoon, fold in chocolate chips.
- Cookie dough can be consumed immediately (when the texture is utter perfection!). Or place in an airtight container and refrigerate for later. Just know that the butter will solidify in the refrigerator and harden the cookie dough – simply let it rest at room temperature to soften.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
This post was previously published in 2019 and then updated in 2022.
This recipe was easyto follow and delisious
amazing I made it and was immediately addicted love the recipe
thank you, didn’t realize how dangerously I was living from my years of cookie dough sampling with the orgininal recipe!
So happy to have found this recipe! My middle daughter had a liver transplant this past summer, so she’s on immunosuppressants. Although we always ate bits of raw cookie dough and never had an issue, we’re not taking any chances now! And raw flour? Who knew? Not me! Definitely making this soon, as I have no doubt it’ll be awesome, as all your recipes that I’ve tried have been. Oh, and I agree with Jessica, you gotta double the vanilla. :)
Please come to my house and take this away from me! So, so good!! Thank you for sharing the recipe!!
Ha! That’s awesome. I’m happy to hear that you feel the very same way! :)
Oh, this looks like a fun treat. Bring on the chocolate chip cookie dough!!
Now YOU can eat it safely, too. Ha! Love you, Mom. xo