Edible Cookie Dough

This edible cookie dough recipe has the BEST flavor and texture, with options for every diet! Here’s how to make this ultimate treat.

Calling all cookie dough lovers! We present…the ultimate edible cookie dough recipe. Yes, this tasty mixture has the best cookie dough flavor and texture. Even better, we’ve done all the hard work for you: we’ve tested options for different diets, how to heat treat flour, and found out what makes the absolute best flavor. This recipe came about after trying to recreate a mound of cookie dough we had for dessert at a restaurant several years back. Come along as we teach you the ins and outs of how to make edible cookie dough…our ultimate treat!

What’s the difference: edible cookie dough vs cookie dough?

Cookie dough fans likely already know this. The difference between cookie dough and edible cookie dough is this: edible cookie dough has heat treated flour (to kill bacteria) and no eggs. This makes it safe to enjoy as dough instead of baked into cookies.

Edible cookie dough is a total treat! We like it best with flour and butter, but we’ve tried every variation and have options that work for all diets below. The key to working any version of this recipe into a healthy diet is to treat it as the treat that it is: keep serving sizes small and freeze leftovers for later! Ready to get started?

How to make edible cookie dough: the basic steps

Edible cookie dough is very easy to make. In fact, you don’t even need to whip out a stand mixer! We tested this recipe with a mixer and just a bowl and spoon, and our research found there’s no need for special equipment. Here are the basic steps:

• Step 1: If you’re using all purpose flour, heat treat it (see the section below). If using almond or oat flour, skip this step.
• Step 2: Soften the butter in a microwave, then mix it with brown sugar with a spoon. Brown sugar is key to the robust flavor: we tested with granulated sugar and it’s not nearly as delicious.
• Step 3: Mix in the flour, vanilla, salt, milk and chocolate chips! Store refrigerated or frozen rolled into balls.

Why and how to heat treat flour

Edible cookie dough requires an if you’re using all purpose flour you’ll have to heat treat the flour. We know, it’s annoying to add this extra step of turning on your oven when you’re not even baking! But here’s why:

• Flour is sold as a raw ingredient intended to be cooked, so there’s not a regulated process to remove bacteria in flour manufacturing.
• To heat treat flour, spread it on a baking sheet and bake at 300 degrees Fahrenheit until the temperature reaches 165 degrees. This should take about 5 minutes.
• Cool the flour completely before using. Do not attempt to use the hot flour in cookie dough! The texture of the dough will be off. Be patient (it’s worth it).

Other flour options: almond flour or oat flour!

Don’t want to heat treat your flour? No problem! You can use a few alternate flours and skip the heat treating step. Here are two options and the pros and cons of each:

• Almond flour: Almond flour is gluten free and easy to find at most grocery stores. It makes a fluffy texture for gluten free cookie dough and doesn’t require heat treating. This is our preferred gluten free flour for edible cookie dough!
• Oat flour: Oat flour is nut free and gluten free and also works here. Edible cookie dough with oat flour can have a stiffer texture, so we recommend starting with ¾ cup oat flour and adding more until it comes to the desired texture.

Small serving sizes are key

Most of the recipes on this website are healthy: but we always make room for the occasional treat in our lives. This edible cookie dough is a treat food for us: here’s how to integrate into a healthy diet:

• The serving size is 1 tablespoon. That’s right! All you need is a few bites. Really!
• This recipe makes 20 servings, so cut it in half if desired. If you’re worried about having lots around, make a half recipe!
• Freeze rolled into balls. This way, you don’t see it every time you open the fridge! This dough freezes very well.

Vegan and gluten free cookie dough

A few tweaks to this edible cookie dough recipe and it becomes a vegan cookie dough or gluten free cookie dough! Here’s what to do:

• Gluten free cookie dough: Use almond flour (preferred) or oat flour
• Vegan cookie dough: Use coconut oil, almond milk or oat milk, and dairy-free chocolate chips. You also may want to add another pinch of salt to mimic the savory flavor of butter.

Healthy chickpea cookie dough (er, healthy-ish)

There’s one more variation on cookie dough…Chickpea Cookie Dough! This is an internet sensation that uses food processed chickpeas to stand in for some of the flour and sugar. Here’s what to know about this variety of cookie dough:

• Does chickpea cookie dough taste good? Honestly, many recipes don’t. Which is why we developed our chickpea cookie dough recipe! But the edible cookie dough is the absolute best.
• Is chickpea cookie dough healthy? It’s not a health food, because it has lots of sugar and chocolate. But our chickpea cookie dough recipe does have half the sugar, butter and flour than the standard recipe below. So it’s a less caloric version — and you’re also getting a bit of garbanzo beans.
• What’s the best chickpea cookie dough recipe? We made a spin that’s healthy-ish but tastes better than the competitors. Go to Chickpea Cookie Dough.

Storage info: refrigerate or roll into balls and freeze

How long does edible cookie dough last? Here’s the storage info:

• Refrigerator: You can keep it up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
• Freezer: This is our preferred method! Roll it into balls and place them on a cookie sheet, then freeze until solid (about 30 minutes). Transfer to a container and they last about 2 to 3 months.

And that’s our dissertation: how to make edible cookie dough! Questions? Comments? Tell us in the comments below.

This edible cookie dough recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.

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