Edible Sugar Cookie Dough

I know I am not the only one tempted to eat bites of cookie dough straight from the bowl while baking homemade sugar cookies for the holidays! Luckily, this edible sugar cookie dough recipe removes the risks of uncooked eggs and raw flour, so it’s safe to eat without baking. And it still has all the sweet, buttery flavor of classic sugar cookie dough. This makes a perfect movie night snack or ice cream topping, or I’ll coat my edible cookie dough with chocolate (like these Easter Eggs), or make deep-fried cookie dough.

I made my original edible cookie dough recipe in four variations, including chocolate chip, funfetti, peanut butter, and chocolate. This edible sugar cookie dough recipe has a few key differences, so I figured it deserved its own post.

Ingredient Notes

This easy edible sugar cookie dough recipe needs minimal ingredients. I’ve included my notes below. Scroll to the printable recipe card for the full ingredient amounts.

• Flour – I use all-purpose flour and heat-treat it beforehand so it’s safe to eat raw. See below.
• Butter – Take the butter out of the fridge 30 minutes to 1 hour ahead of time so it’s easy to mix. Or, to soften the butter quickly, you can microwave it for a few seconds. You want it soft, not melted.
• Granulated sugar – Using only white granulated sugar in this recipe creates the classic sugar cookie flavor.
• Milk – Whole milk, 2%, or any milk you’d like.
• Vanilla Extract – Make sure to use pure vanilla extract (or an equal amount of vanilla paste). You can swap vanilla with almond extract, or try peppermint extract for a festive touch.
• Sprinkles – Or your favorite mix-ins, like M&Ms or chocolate chips. I include my favorites below!

How to Heat Treat Flour for Cookie Dough

Unlike traditional sugar cookies, this edible cookie dough isn’t baked in the oven. Raw flour can contain harmful bacteria, so to avoid the risk, I heat-treat it before making my cookie dough. I published an in-depth tutorial on how to heat treat flour, which is helpful if you’ve never done it before. The goal is to heat the flour to 160ºF using one of two methods:

• Oven: Spread the flour out on a baking sheet and bake at 350ºF for 7-10 minutes, stirring halfway through. Sift the flour afterward to remove any lumps.
• Microwave: Add the flour to a microwave-safe container. Heat the flour in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until the temperature is reached.

How to Make Edible Sugar Cookie Dough

Here’s how to make easy edible cookie dough that tastes just like sugar cookies. See the recipe card for printable steps.

1. Treat the flour. Follow the steps above to heat the flour, either in the oven or microwave, until it reaches 160ºF. Cool the flour completely, then sift it.
2. Combine the butter and sugar. Soften the butter in the microwave in 5- to 10-second intervals until it’s softened a little. Next, cream the butter with the sugar until it’s smooth.
3. Make the dough. Now, add the flour, salt, and vanilla. Slowly begin to mix while adding the milk. Add just enough so that the cookie dough comes together. Finally, add your sprinkles or any desired mix-ins.

Ways to Eat Edible Cookie Dough

Roll this edible sugar cookie dough into bite-sized balls (about the size of a nickel), or portion it out with a cookie scoop. Or, do like I often do, and dive right in with a spoon!

• Serve it as an ice cream topping or as a mix-in for birthday cake ice cream.
• Add it to the filling in a no-bake cheesecake.
• Use it as a base for my s’mores dip.
• Enjoy this cookie dough on movie night with more sweet snacks, like puppy chow or peanut clusters.
• Coat the cookie dough with batter to make stuffed donut holes.

Storage and Freezing

• Refrigerate. Once you’ve mixed your edible cookie dough, it’s ready to eat right away, or you can store it airtight in the fridge for up to one week.
• Freeze. Freeze this cookie dough in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw the frozen cookie dough overnight in the fridge before serving.

More Baked Sugar Cookie Recipes

• Sprinkle Sugar Cookies
• Unicorn Cookies
• Sugar Cookie Bars
• M&M Cookies