How to Make Edible Sugar Cookie Dough (No Eggs, No Bake)

If you’re someone who enjoys letting your inner child out to play, I have a feeling you’re going to fall head over heels for my Edible Sugar Cookie Dough. Made with just 8 simple ingredients, no brown sugar, and only about 10 minutes of active prep time, these cheerful edible cookie dough bites are the perfect way to dip your toe into the “kidulting” pond.

As a formally trained pastry chef, I’m predisposed to loving all kinds of fancy desserts. From French macarons to perfectly caramelized crème brûlée, lofty layer cakes to kouign amann, I don’t think there’s a single pastry that I don’t love.

That said, there’s something super charming about low-lift desserts like Rice Krispies Treats or drop cookies. Easy, breezy, crowd-pleasing recipes like peanut butter cookies will always be in style, you know? But, what if we were to take the whole low-brow dessert idea a step further? Enter this edible sugar cookie dough recipe. 

If you’ve ever whipped up a batch of cookies and lost interest in the whole baking piece, I see you. But, rather than risk food poisoning from things like raw eggs and flour, why not just make a batch of my eggless sugar cookie dough made with heat-treated flour? That way you can throw caution to the wind and dive right into the bowl spoon-first, just like you’ve always dreamed.

⭐ Why You’ll Love This Recipe 

Serving up a bowl of sugar cookie edible cookie dough for dessert feels a bit irreverent but in the best possible way. After all, you’re the adult now, so you get to call all the shots! So if you’ve ever wanted to indulge in your childhood fantasy of devouring a whole bowl of cookie dough before baking any of the cookies, now’s your chance.

Aside from tasting like a nostalgic snapshot of childhood, this colorful funfetti edible cookie dough recipe is also:

• Quick & Easy - It takes just 15 minutes of active prep work to whip up a batch!
• Made With Fewer Than 10 Ingredients - Chances are, they’re all hanging out in your kitchen already. Oh, and I also developed this edible cookie dough recipe without brown sugar per reader requests!
• Easily Customizable - Whether you need to swap in gluten-free flour, make the recipe vegan, or use different mix-ins, these edible cookie dough balls are pretty much a blank canvas for your creativity. Read on below for lots of creative suggestions.
• Totally Safe To Eat Raw! When I was little, my favorite part of baking was getting to lick the beaters after making cookie dough or brownie batter. But my Mom always told me not to eat too much or I’d get sick. Turns out, she wasn’t messing around — raw eggs and flour can both harbor some pretty nasty bugs. But, with this edible birthday cake cookie dough, you don’t have to worry! So long as it’s properly stored in the fridge, you can eat ball after ball of raw cookie goodness without fear of bacterial infection. Hooray!

🍴Ingredients 

As promised, you only need a handful of pantry ingredients to make this edible sugar cookie dough. Here’s what to grab:

• All-Purpose Flour - If you’re looking for classic cookie dough flavor, AP flour is the way to go. That said, we don’t need to worry about gluten development like we would for baked cookies, so feel free to swap in other varieties of flour like nutty whole wheat flour, cake flour, or a gluten-free AP flour blend.
• Butter - If possible, use salted, organic, grass-fed, and/or cultured butter for the best flavor. You’re welcome to use vegan butter if needed. You can also swap in unsalted butter, though you’ll want to add an extra ¼ - ½ teaspoon of salt if you do.
• Granulated Sugar - Apparently many of you are in the market for an edible cookie dough without brown sugar, so this one’s for you. Of course, you could swap in brown sugar for a more pronounced molasses flavor, or experiment with the sweetener of your choice (e.g. cane sugar, jaggery, muscovado, or maple sugar).
• Applesauce - By opting for naturally sweet applesauce as our binder, we can make this edible cookie dough without milk or eggs. I typically use unsweetened plain apple sauce, but you’re welcome to use a sweet and/or cinnamon variety if you like.
• Vanilla Extract - For warmth and complexity. Feel free to use an equal amount of vanilla paste or powder instead.
• Almond Extract - For adding a touch of nuttiness and a certain je ne sais quois. If you don’t have any on hand, feel free to omit it.
• Salt - Achieving the perfect salty-sweet balance requires a bit of added sea salt.
• Funfetti Sprinkles - While you can certainly eat plain sugar cookie dough, I love the addition of festive sprinkles. Feel free to swap in the color, shape, and flavor of sprinkles you prefer!

See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

⏲️ Substitutions & Variations

The greatest thing about making a batch of edible cookie dough is you’re not bound by the same rules as traditional baking. Making ingredient swaps is much easier when you’re not dealing with chemical changes caused by heat! 

Anyway, here are some easy adaptations worth considering:

• Gluten-Free Edible Cookie Dough - Swap in your favorite gluten-free cup-for-cup all-purpose flour to make this recipe celiac-friendly.
• Dairy-Free/Vegan Edible Cookie Dough - Simply swap in your favorite plant-based butter.
• Nut-Free - Omit the almond extract.
• Extra Speedy - Don’t want to fuss with heat-treating your flour? Use raw oat flour instead. It’s totally safe to eat raw!
• Different Mix-Ins - Feel free to get creative here. Instead of (or in addition to?!?) sprinkles, try other add-ins like mini chocolate chips, mini M&Ms, chopped nuts, or any of your other favorite cookie inclusions.

This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!

📖 How To Make Edible Sugar Cookie Dough: Step-by-Step Instructions

So, here’s the deal: making edible cookie dough is *almost* as simple as making regular cookie dough. The only difference is you need to heat-treat your flour first to kill off any lingering pathogens. Below I offer two easy methods, so opt for whichever suits your kitchen best.

How To Heat Treat All-Purpose Flour 

Heating your flour to a temp of 165F is a surefire way to make your edible cookie dough safe for human consumption. Here’s how to do it:

Option 1: Oven Method:

Step 1: Prep. Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C). Spread the flour evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a thin layer.

Step 2: Bake. Place the baking sheet in the oven for about 10 minutes. Make sure to stir the flour occasionally to ensure even heat distribution! Use a food thermometer to check that the flour has reached a temperature of 165°F (74°C) throughout.

Step 3: Cool. Once treated, let the flour cool completely before using it in your edible cookie dough recipe.

Microwave Method:

Step 1: Pour your flour into a microwave-safe bowl, spreading it out as evenly as possible.

Step 2: Microwave the flour on high for 1-minute intervals, stirring in between intervals to ensure even heating. After each interval, use a food thermometer to check the temperature. You want to reach a consistent 165°F (74°C) throughout the flour. In my microwave, this took about 3 minutes.

Step 3: Cool. Once treated, remove the flour from the microwave and let it cool completely before using it in your edible cookie dough recipe.

Edible Cookie Dough Instructions

Now that your flour is safe to eat and has cooled enough to handle, we’re ready to make some seriously delicious sugar cookie-flavored edible dough. Here’s how:

Step 1: Dry Ingredients. Mix the heat-treated all-purpose flour and salt in a small bowl and set aside. 

Step 2: Creaming Step. Place the butter and sugar in your mixing bowl, using the paddle attachment or hand mixer, and cream until you reach a fluffy, rather pale color. 

Step 3: Add Remaining Wet Ingredients. Take a second to scrape down the bowl, then mix in the applesauce, vanilla extract, and almond extract. 

Step 4: Mix. Slowly add the dry ingredients in two separate stages. Finally, mix in the funfetti sprinkles. 

Step 5: Chill the completed dough in the fridge for an hour to firm up the butter. Enjoy by the spoonful or scoop the dough into small balls or bites! 

👩🏻‍🍳 Expert Tips

• Cream the butter and sugar together until they are light and fluffy, and the butter is a pale yellow. This step is crucial for achieving the right cookie dough texture we’re after.
• Add the flour gradually and mix on low speed to prevent over-mixing and ensure even distribution.
• Rest the dough. After preparing the dough, give it some time to chill in the refrigerator to help the flavors meld together and firm up the dough for easier handling.
• Edible cookie dough is rich, so serving it in smaller portions is a good idea. I like to use my smallest spring-loaded cookie scoop to make roughly 1 tablespoon-sized balls. 

💭 Recipe FAQs

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