The Best Edible Cookie Dough Recipe

Name: Cookie Dough
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 cup All-purpose flour (- Heat-treated 350°F, 5 min, cooled); ½ cup Brown sugar (- Light or dark); ¼ cup Granulated sugar; ½ cup Unsalted butter (- Softened); 2 tsp Vanilla extract; ¼ tsp Salt (- Fine or flaky); 2 Tbsp Heavy cream or milk (- Adjust for desired consistency); ¼ cup Powdered sugar; ½ cup Mini chocolate chips (- “The Good Stuff”); — — Mix-In Options (- Crushed cookies chopped nuts, sprinkles…)

There's something about cookie dough that makes even grown-ups sneak spoonfuls when nobody's looking. After years of making cookies with Emma and watching her eat more dough than actual baked cookies, I finally figured out this edible cookie dough recipe that's completely safe to eat. No raw eggs, no worries about getting sick, just pure cookie dough heaven that tastes way better than the regular stuff.

An overhead view of three generous scoops of homemade cookie dough ice cream nestled in a simple white bowl. The off-white, creamy base is studded with irregular dark chocolate cookie bits. A vintage silver spoon rests against the side, and a few extra cookie crumbs are scattered on the gray stone surface around the bowl.

This edible cookie dough recipe has saved me from countless fights with Emma about "just one more taste" when we're making cookies. You can eat as much as you want without worrying about raw eggs or getting sick. Takes about ten minutes to make, and you probably already have most of this stuff sitting around.

What's great is it actually tastes better than regular cookie dough - I'm serious. The heat-treated flour has this toasted flavor that raw flour doesn't, and since there's no eggs to mess with, you can throw in whatever you want. Emma eats it straight from the bowl with a spoon, but I've used it as dip for crackers, mixed it into ice cream, or just kept some in the fridge for when I need chocolate.

Jump to:

Why You'll Love This Edible Cookie Dough
Ingredients for Edible Cookie Dough
How To Make Edible Cookie Dough Step By Step
Smart Swaps for Edible Cookie Dough
Cookie Dough Variations
Equipment For Cookie Dough
Storage tips
The Secret Recipe My Cousin Will Never Share
Top Tip
What to Serve With Edible Cookie Dough
FAQ
Cookie Dough Dreams Come True!
Related
Pairing
Cookie Dough

The Base:

All-purpose flour
Brown sugar
White sugar
Butter
Vanilla extract
Salt

The Good Stuff:

Mini chocolate chips
Heavy cream or milk
Powdered sugar

Mix-In Options:

Crushed cookies
Chopped nuts
Sprinkles
Candy pieces

See recipe card for quantities.

“A bright, top-down shot of ‘the good stuff’ ingredients for edible cookie dough on a light marble countertop: a glass bowl brimming with mini chocolate chips; a small white pitcher of cream; a clear bowl of powdered sugar; a dish of crushed cookies; a jar of rainbow sprinkles; and a bowl of colorful candy pieces, all lit by soft natural light casting gentle shadows.”

Heat-Treat the Flour:

Spread flour on baking sheet
Bake at 350°F for 5 minutes
Let it cool completely
Don't skip this (seriously)

A close overhead shot of a stainless-steel bowl containing silky-smooth edible cookie dough, swirled into a perfect spiral. The pale dough’s glossy surface catches the light, revealing the creamy, lump-free texture. The bowl sits alone against a clean white background.

Mix the Base:

Beat softened butter with both sugars
Add vanilla and salt
Mix in the cooled flour slowly
Add cream until it looks right

A small glass bowl of white all-purpose flour sits on a marble countertop next to a vintage silver spoon. The flour’s powdery surface is slightly uneven, and the spoon’s patina reflects soft daylight, hinting at a home-baking scene in progress.

Add the Fun Stuff:

Fold in chocolate chips
Don't beat it to death
Taste and fix sweetness
Add more cream if it's too thick

A stainless-steel mixing bowl on a marble counter holds thick, freshly mixed edible cookie dough teeming with chocolate chips. A wooden-handled, gray silicone spatula is buried in the dough, its blade coated and pulling up a textured scoop. The even, diffused lighting brings out the dough’s rough peaks and the spatula’s smooth surface.

The Wait:

Try not to eat it all at once
Chill for 30 minutes (you don't have to but it's better)
Keep in fridge up to a week
Eat with spoon or use as dip

Flour Stuff:

All-purpose → Almond flour (use way less)
Regular → Gluten-free flour blend
White → Oat flour (grind oats yourself)
Standard → Coconut flour (use even less)

Sugar Changes:

Brown sugar → Coconut sugar
White sugar → Maple syrup (cut back on liquid)
Both → Honey (gets sticky though)
Regular → Sugar-free stuff

Butter Changes:

Regular butter → Coconut oil (solid kind)
Dairy → Vegan butter
Salted → Unsalted (add your own salt)

Mix-In Stuff:

Chocolate chips → Whatever you got
Mini chips → Chopped up chocolate bar
Sweet → Nuts or dried fruit
Regular → Crushed up cookies

Cookie Flavors:

Snickerdoodle with cinnamon sugar
Birthday cake with sprinkles
Peanut butter with chopped peanuts
Oatmeal with raisins

Chocolate Stuff:

Double chocolate with cocoa powder
S'mores with crushed graham crackers
Mint chocolate with peppermint extract
White chocolate with dried cranberries

Seasonal Things:

Pumpkin spice in fall
Gingerbread with molasses
Lemon with zest
Strawberry with freeze-dried berries

Emma's Ideas:

"Everything" with leftover Halloween candy
Pizza dough (don't ask, it was gross)
Ice cream sandwich filling
Dip for animal crackers

Basic Stuff:

Big mixing bowl
Electric mixer (or wooden spoon and strong arms)
Measuring cups
Baking sheet for the flour
Rubber spatula

Emma's Helpers:

Ice cream scoop for scooping
Small bowls for mix-ins
Her special tasting spoon
Step stool to reach everything

Storage tips

Fridge Storage (1 week):

Put it in a container with a lid
Press plastic wrap right on top
Stops it from getting crusty
Emma checks on it every day (she calls it quality control)

Freezer (3 months):

Scoop into balls first
Freeze on a tray
Move to freezer bags
Thaw in fridge when you want some

Room Temperature:

Don't leave it out more than 2 hours
Butter gets gross
Emma learned this when she left some on the counter
Just put it back in the fridge

Portions:

Ice cream scoop makes good balls
Freeze single servings
Good for not eating too much
Emma thinks portion control is stupid

My cousin makes this cookie dough that's supposed to be some big family secret from his mom's side. Every time we have family stuff, he brings this and everyone loses their minds over it. For years, he'd just grin when people asked what made it so good. "Family recipe," he'd say, like he was protecting nuclear codes or something.

Well, Emma and I finally figured it out last summer when she was "helping" in the kitchen. His big secret is brown butter. He browns the butter first, lets it cool, then uses it in the dough. That nutty, burnt-sugar flavor makes everything taste like it came from some expensive place. But here's the thing - he also puts in a tiny bit of instant coffee. Not enough to taste coffee, just enough to make the chocolate taste more chocolate.

Now Emma and I make our cookie dough with brown butter every time, and still doesn't know we figured it out. Emma thinks it's funny that we "stole" his recipe. Sometimes the best family secrets aren't really secrets - they're just good ideas waiting for someone to pay attention.

Top Tip

Don't skip heat-treating the flour, and make sure it's totally cool before you use it. I used to think this step was just being weird about germs, but it actually changes how the dough tastes and feels. Hot flour will melt your butter and turn everything into greasy soup - Emma and I learned this when we got impatient one night and tried to rush it.

The other thing nobody tells you is that this dough gets way better after it sits in the fridge for a few hours. The flour soaks up the butter and everything kind of comes together. Emma calls it "cookie dough nap time" because she says it needs to chill just like people do. She's right - fresh-made dough is fine, but day-old dough from the fridge is crazy good.

From hosting way too many movie nights and play dates, I've figured out what actually works for dipping in this stuff. The usual suspects are graham crackers (Emma's favorite), animal crackers that don't crumble everywhere, vanilla wafers that can handle the weight, and pretzels for people who like that sweet-salty combo. Fresh fruit works too, but you gotta be smart about it - apple slices that don't turn brown right away, good strawberries, thick banana slices, and grapes that Emma can actually eat without dropping half of them on the floor.

For parties, I put it in small bowls with different dippers around each one. You can make it fancy with a cookie dough bar setup, or just stuff it between two cookies for an instant sandwich. Emma discovered that spreading it on brownies while they're still warm is basically heaven. The main thing I've learned is don't put out anything that gets soggy fast - crackers beat chips every time, and thick fruit slices work way better than thin ones.

FAQ

What is cookie dough made out of?

Regular cookie dough has flour, butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Our edible version skips the eggs and uses heat-treated flour so you can eat it raw without getting sick. We add cream or milk to get the right feel without eggs.

How to make cookie dough in 3 steps?

Heat your flour by baking it at 350°F for 5 minutes, then let it cool down. Mix soft butter with sugars, vanilla, and salt, then add the cooled flour. Stir in cream until it looks right, then fold in chocolate chips.

Is it better to bake cookies at 350 or 400?

Since this is edible cookie dough that you don't bake, it doesn't matter. But for regular cookies, 350°F works better for most recipes - gives them time to spread out and cook through without burning the edges.

Can you use plain flour for edible cookie dough?

Yeah, but you have to heat it first to kill germs. Spread it on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 5 minutes. Let it cool completely before using or it'll melt your butter and make everything gross.

Now you know how to make edible cookie dough that's safe, tasty, and way better than sneaking bites of the regular stuff. Emma and I have probably made this recipe fifty times, and it never gets old. Whether you eat it straight from the bowl, use it as dip, or hide some in the freezer for when you need chocolate, this recipe works.

Want more sweet stuff that doesn't suck? Try our The Best Sweet Potato Brownies Recipe that tricks people into eating vegetables. Our Classic Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe is what Emma's friends always beg for at sleepovers. And when fall comes around, our Best Pumpkin Dump Cake Recipe is so easy even Emma can make it by herself (with me watching, obviously).

Show off your cookie dough masterpieces by tagging us we can’t wait to see your inventive mix-ins! Drop a five-star rating and join our sweet-tooth squad!

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Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with Cookie Dough