Edible chocolate chip cookie dough tastes just like the “forbidden” version you love to sneak bites of, only this dough is safe to eat! I’ll show you how to make edible cookie dough with heat-treated flour and without eggs. It’s a fun no-bake treat that you can enjoy straight from the bowl, great for dessert and movie nights.
Sneaking a spoonful of cookie dough from the bowl has always been one of the perks of baking chocolate chip cookies! I know, even with the risk of raw flour and egg, I can’t be stopped. Thankfully, edible cookie dough eliminates that risk and tastes JUST as good as the bakeable version. What makes it edible? The flour is heat-treated against bacteria, and there’s not an egg to be seen in this cookie dough recipe. It keeps in the fridge for a few days, and you can easily swap the chocolate chips with M&Ms and other mix-ins. This buttery no-bake cookie dough is perfect to have on hand for a movie marathon or a game night.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough That’s Safe to Eat
In our recipe trials, this is the recipe my family happily settled on as the best edible chocolate chip cookie dough! Making cookie dough that’s safe to eat comes down to a few simple tweaks.
Why This edible Cookie Dough Recipe Works:
- Heat-treated flour. As-is, raw flour can harbor bacteria. Since we’re not baking this cookie dough, heating the flour in the oven or microwave kills any bacteria, making it safe to eat uncooked.
- No eggs. Another culprit that makes traditional cookie dough a no-go is raw eggs. Edible cookie dough doesn’t need them!
- Thick and buttery. Isn’t that what makes cookie dough so addictive in the first place? My recipe was tested and tested again to make it true to my original chocolate chip cookie dough. It just takes the right ingredients, the right proportions, and some mixing. This version is just as spoonable, scoopable, and melt-in-your-mouth.
Love classic chocolate chip cookies? You’ll also want to make my irresitible chewy chocolate chip cookie bars or a giant chocolate chip skillet cookie next!
Edible Cookie Dough Ingredients
These are my recipe ingredients. By omitting the eggs completely and baking the flour, this edible cookie dough becomes 100% safe to eat. Scroll to the recipe card for the exact measurements for each ingredient.
- All-purpose flour – See below for a guide on how to heat treat it.
- Unsalted butter – For the best results, use soft, room temperature butter.
- Sugar – More brown sugar is used than granulated sugar, not only to help keep the dough moist, but also to deepen the flavor.
- Half and half – You can also use cream or milk.
- Pure vanilla extract – For a classic cookie dough flavor.
- Chocolate chips – I like to use mini chocolate chips so there are small bits of chocolate in every bite, but you could use regular chocolate chips as well.
How to Heat Treat Flour (2 Ways)
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. There are two ways to do it:
- Oven: This is the method I usually use. Spread the flour into an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet and cook it in a 350°F oven for 5-7 minutes, until the flour reaches 160°F. Super easy. Use an instant-read thermometer to gauge the temperature.
- 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!
Making Edible Cookie Dough
Edible chocolate chip cookie dough begins just like any other cookie dough recipe, only the process 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-and-half and vanilla. Then, mix in the flour and salt. Use a wooden spoon to fold in the chocolate chips.
- Serve. Enjoy immediately or refrigerate for later.
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, but there’s also no leavening agent. The cookies would be completely flat and crumbly.
Tips From Recipe Testing
- Use SOFT room temperature butter. The method I ended up liking best uses perfectly softened butter. Not melty. Just very soft. It’s easier 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. With so many rounds of testing, I bulk heat-treated my flour to make it easier. 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!
Cookie Dough Flavors
Edible cookie dough doesn’t need to stop at chocolate chips. I’ve even made edible Oreo cookie dough packed with crushed cookies. Here are a few other edible cookie dough flavors to try.
- Sweet-salty. 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.
- Chocolate chocolate chunk. Add a couple of tablespoons of Dutch-processed cocoa powder and swap the chocolate chips for chopped dark chocolate or dark chocolate chips. Perfect for chocolate lovers!
- Funfetti cookie dough. 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. For birthday cake flavor, substitute half of the vanilla extract with almond extract.
- More mix-ins. Try a version of M&M cookie dough, or stir in chopped pecans, walnuts, shredded coconut, or toffee bits.
How to Eat Edible Cookie Dough
Our favorite way to eat this edible chocolate chip cookie dough is immediately after making it, when the texture is utter perfection. You can dive in by the spoonful or use a cookie scoop to serve it as balls of dough, as pictured here. Dip the dough balls into chocolate to make cookie dough truffles!
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, hardening the cookie dough. So you’ll want to let it rest at room temperature for a bit to soften it up.
Storing Raw 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 it come to room temperature before consuming.
More No-Bake Desserts You’ll Love
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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