There’s nothing quite like deep fried cookie dough! I make this food-truck-inspired treat with homemade chocolate chip cookie dough that gets lightly breaded and fried so it’s crispy and golden.
If you love recipes like my edible cookie dough, this deep-fried cookie dough is right up your alley!
Easy Deep Fried Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
I first had deep-fried cookie dough in Austin, Texas while I was there for a blogging trip way back in 2013. A group of us visited Torchy’s Taco truck for tacos, margs, and deep-fried cookie dough. One bite of that golden-fried, crispy dough, and I was hooked.
Torchy’s was a popular food truck destination then, and now they have restaurants all over the city. I still make it a point to stop in for a basket of their fried cookie dough if I’m in Austin!
In the meantime, this homemade version gets pretty darn close. It has soft, warm cookie dough wrapped in light and crispy batter, with gooey chocolate chips throughout. It’s the best!
Why You’ll Love Fried Cookie Dough
- Lightly breaded. I coated my cookie dough with a mixture of egg, pancake mix, and crushed cornflakes. The cornflakes give the outside a light, crispy layer without weighing down or overpowering the dough like some battered versions tend to do.
- Safe-to-eat cookie dough. The raw cookie dough inside the crispy coating is 100% safe to eat thanks to heat-treated flour, and there are no eggs in the recipe.
- Fun to make. Besides being a little hands-on and messy, this was pretty fun. Deep-fried cookie dough is more than worth it and it’s a great rainy day activity. Nothing brightens up an afternoon better than ooey-gooey fried chocolate chip cookie dough!
- Customizable. These fried cookie dough balls are great dusted with powdered sugar or drizzled with chocolate. You can make them with whichever edible cookie dough you’d like, so feel free to get creative!
Ingredients to Note
This recipe works with any flavor of edible cookie dough, but I’m making chocolate chip cookie dough this time. Below are my notes on the important ingredients, and you’ll find a printable recipe card at the end of the post with the full recipe details.
- Flour – Since we aren’t baking the cookie dough, I strongly recommend heat-treating the flour beforehand to kill off any bacteria. See below.
- Butter – Unsalted butter, brought to room temperature.
- Sugar – Just like classic chocolate chip cookie, I use a combination of granulated sugar and brown sugar. You can use all of one or the other if you prefer.
- Mini Chocolate Chips – I recommend using mini chocolate chips since the dough balls are smaller, you’ll get more chocolate in every bite!). But these can be any kind of chocolate chips you have on hand.
- Oil – Vegetable oil with a high smoke point, for deep-frying. Good options are canola oil, sunflower oil, and peanut oil.
- Cornflakes Cereal – Cornflakes give the outside a crunchy layer that doesn’t overpower the cookie dough flavor. I usually buy cornflake crumbs to save time and use the leftovers to make breaded chicken for dinner. Otherwise, you can buy a box of cereal and use a food processor to pulse it into crumbs.
- Pancake Mix – Like Krusteaz or Bisquick, or you can use flour. The pancake mix is just a touch sweeter.
What Is Heat Treated Flour?
Heat-treated flour has been heated to 160ºF to kill off any harmful bacteria that can be found in raw flour. This step is important when making edible cookie dough and other treats with flour or cake mix that won’t be cooked or baked afterward.
To heat treat flour, you’ll need to bake it in the oven at 350ºF for 10 minutes until the temperature of the flour reaches 160ºF. If you don’t feel like using the oven, it’s possible to heat treat flour in the microwave or on the stovetop, too. You’ll find those alternatives in this in depth post on how to heat treat flour.
How to Deep Fry Cookie Dough
You can deep fry cookie dough in a deep fryer if you have one, otherwise, a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot on the stove works, too. Follow the steps below, and scroll to the recipe card for printable instructions.
- Make the cookie dough. Cream softened butter and sugar together, then add your heat-treated flour, salt, vanilla, and a little milk. Mix that up and then fold in the chocolate chips. Use a medium-sized cookie scoop to portion out the dough and then roll it into balls. Chill the dough while the oil preheats.
- Coat the dough. Meanwhile, prepare a breading station with an egg wash in one bowl, pancake mix in another, and a third bowl of cornflake crumbs. One at a time, dip the cookie dough into the pancake mix, then the egg, and finally the cornflakes to coat. You can prep this all ahead of time while the oil preheats.
- Fry. When the oil hits 365ºF, fry the cookie dough balls in batches of 4 pieces at a time for 1-2 minutes, turning over in the oil until the outside is golden. Use a slotted spoon or stainless-steel strainer like the one pictured to lift the fried cookie dough out of the oil. Drain the fried dough on a paper towel-lined plate.
- Serve. Let the deep-fried cookie dough cool for a minute and then serve them warm dusted with powdered sugar. See below for more serving ideas!
Deep Frying Tip
I recommend using a candy thermometer to keep an eye on the oil temperature. If it drops too low, the dough won’t fry. Also, keep a heat-proof spoon handy to fish out any burnt crumbs, so the oil stays clean.
Julianne’s Recipe Tips
- Keep the dough chilled. If you’ve prepared and breaded the cookie dough balls and you’re still waiting for the oil to come to temperature, place the dough balls into the fridge until you’re ready to fry. If the dough is too warm, it can split in the hot oil. Alternatively, you’ll want to make sure that the dough isn’t too cold, as it won’t soften when fried. For instance, a frozen ball of cookie dough won’t melt in the oil since the fry time is rather short.
- If the cereal coating is breaking. Return the cookie dough to the fridge and allow it to chill a little more, or you may be over cooking them in the oil.
- Work in small batches. I recommend frying up to 4 pcs at a time, and rotate them around to evenly cook.
- Eat Fresh. Once these are cooled, they are best enjoyed right away. As they cool, the dough hardens and the crust softens.
- Safety first! Use caution when deep-frying as the oil is extremely hot. Use tongs or spoons to lift dough balls out of deep fryer. I also recommend using oven mitts when handling deep-fry baskets. Make sure to stay close to the fryer or stove while deep frying, and give the hot oil your full attention. Your kitchen should also be clear of tiny hands (or paws!) to avoid any accidents.
- Try different flavors. Try this recipe with edible sugar cookie dough instead of chocolate chip. I also have recipes for funfetti, peanut butter and chocolate cookie dough located here.
Candy Thermometer with Side Clamp for Melting Chocolate and Hard Candy Sugar, nougats, fudge, chocolate, oil and more. Great for sweet to savory treats.
This spider strainer is great for removing large items from hot liquids like boil water or foods that are deep-fried.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy these deep-fried cookie dough balls when they’re fresh and warm, drizzled with melted chocolate or salted caramel sauce. I also love to add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a swirl of whipped cream.
Make-Ahead
You can prepare the cookie dough in advance (just leave off the breading) and refrigerate or freeze the dough balls until you’re ready to fry them, but you don’t want to coat the cookie dough while it’s frozen. Let it sit at room temperature until it softens a bit, then proceed to add the coating.
How Long Does Deep-Fried Cookie Dough Last?
Like most things that are deep fried, this fried cookie dough tastes best when it’s served right away. Storage makes the coating soggy and the texture of the cold cookie dough isn’t great. So, fry and enjoy! See the section above for make-ahead tips, if needed.
Deep Fried Cookie Dough
- Prep Time: 60 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 2 minutes
- Yield: 14 cookie dough balls
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Fried
- Cuisine: American
Description
This deep fried cookie dough is made from soft, homemade chocolate chip cookie dough wrapped in a crispy cornflake coating and fried until golden. Delicious drizzled with chocolate sauce!
Ingredients
For the Cookie Dough
- 1 ½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour, heat treated
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup (95g) granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup (73g) light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons (45ml) milk
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) vanilla extract
- ½ cup (90g) mini chocolate chip
For the Coating
- 1 quart (40oz) Vegetable oil for frying
- 2 Large eggs
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) Water
- ¾ cup Corn Flake cereal crumbs
- ½ cup Pancake mix or flour
Instructions
For the Cookie Dough
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the flour on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for approximately 10 minutes, or until the temperature of the flour reaches 160°F. Stir the flour halfway through and allow it to cool completely. Sift the flour through a fine mesh sieve.
- Soften the butter in the microwave for about 15 seconds. In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar and beat until creamy.
- Add the heat-treated flour, salt, vanilla extract, and 1 tablespoon of milk. Beat together until the dough starts to form. Add additional milk as needed until the dough reaches your desired consistency. Mix in the chocolate chips.
- Scoop the dough using a medium cookie scoop, (about 1 ½ tablespoon). Roll into a round ball. Chill for about 30 minutes while the oil is heating.
To Prepare and Fry
- In a heavy-duty pot, preheat the oil to 365°F. While the oil is preheating, prepare the cookie dough.
- In a small bowl, beat the eggs with a fork. Add water. In separate bowls, prepare the cornflake crumbs and dry pancake mix.
- First, roll the cookie dough in dry pancake mix, then dip into the eggs, lifting with a fork and allowing the excess egg to drip back into the bowl. Lastly, roll in cornflake crumbs. Return the fridge if the oil is not ready.
- Place 3-4 cookie dough balls in the oil and fry for 1-2 minutes until golden brown on all sides. Try to avoid the crust cracking. Remove from the oil tapping off excess oil, and place on a paper. Allow them to cool for several minutes before eating. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or drizzle with chocolate syrup. Serve warm.
Notes
- These are best enjoyed fresh and warm (just not piping hot!). Once the cookie dough in the middle has cooled, the texture overall is not great.
- Chill the cookie dough for best results. The cookie dough should be firm but not super cold or frozen. If it’s too cold, it prevents the dough from softening. Alternatively, if the dough is too warm, it can cause these to split open during frying and make a mess, they can fall apart.
- If you want to prepare the cookie dough in advance, keep it refrigerated or allow frozen to soften before coating.
- Keep the oil temperature consistent. If you notice it’s dropped a bit, let it come back to temperature before refrying.
- Remove any burned pieces from the oil using the spider spatula or a slotted spoon.
