While a freshly-baked cookie warm out of the oven is a classic dessert, cookie dough itself has become a treat of its own. The taste, texture, and nostalgia of a spoonful of cookie dough is hard to beat — just ask TikTok, where RDNs and food bloggers alike have racked up millions of views on videos tagged #cookie dough (1.7B views) and #ediblecookiedough (287.7M views). The craze spawned store-bought versions of edible cookie dough made without raw egg (and the accompanying salmonella risk), but you can easily make your own dough at home and craft it to suit your dietary preferences.
Note: This is a treat, and not a health food by any measure. But a healthy diet is one that is balanced and enjoyable — and this treat is a cinch to make because there's no baking required. “It’s fun to make with kids but can be tailored to different dietary restrictions, which is a plus for parents,” says Alix Turoff, RDN, a virtual nutrition coach in New York City.
Depending on the recipe, edible cookie dough can fit in any diet plan. The nine recipes that follow cover keto, low-carb, low-fat, gluten-free, and dairy-free requirements.
Just be sure to watch portion size so you aren’t overdoing it with calories, fat, and sugar. “Since you’re not baking the cookie dough, the portion isn’t huge — cookies expand when you bake them,” Turoff says. When in doubt, stick to the serving size listed in the recipe.
The Importance of Heat-Treating Flour as a First Step
There’s a reason traditional cookie dough is unsafe to eat. Raw flour and eggs may contain bacteria such as Escherichia coli (E. coli), which causes food poisoning, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). While it’s impossible to avoid this risk when eating raw cookie dough with egg, you can enjoy recipes that call for raw flour by heat-treating the flour before mixing it into the dough.
Donald W. Schaffner, PhD, a professor of food microbiology at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, in New Brunswick, recommends following these steps for heat-treating all-purpose, oat, or coconut flour.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- While the oven is heating, place all-purpose or oat flour for your recipe on a baking sheet. Spread flour evenly so it’s no deeper than ¾ inch.
- Once the oven is done preheating, cook flour for 5 minutes.
- Allow flour to cool completely before mixing it into your recipe. Note that heat-treating your flour may create a slightly nutty flavor, according to the flour manufacturer Honeyville.
- Refrigerate edible cookie dough and eat within three days, which is the time period it remains safe to eat. (If you choose to freeze your cookie dough, food site Kitchn recommends enjoying it within three months of freezing.)
Research on safely heat-treating other types of flour is slim to nonexistent. That said, there have been some instances where enjoying these flours raw could be dangerous. In March 2018, for example, King Arthur Flour Company recalled 6,300 cases of organic coconut flour after discovering that some of its products were contaminated with salmonella, according to a news release from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. As with E. coli, salmonella exposure can cause foodborne illness.
None of the recipes here contain eggs, nor do they contain almond flour. Those that do contain flour use all-purpose wheat, oat, or coconut, and are described as such.
Now that you know how to indulge safely, here’s some recipe inspiration for this easy-to-make dessert.
Keto Cookie Dough Dip
Here’s a fun twist on classic cookie dough: chocolate chip cookie dough dip. This keto-friendly, flourless recipe from Chocolate Covered Katie includes cream cheese and butter (regular or nut) to make it extra smooth and creamy. Eat it with a spoon, or serve with dippable (albeit not keto-friendly) foods like cookies (blogger Katie Higgins, suggests gingersnaps), sliced strawberries and bananas, pretzels, or graham crackers. To make the recipe even more keto-compliant, use it to frost keto muffins.
Because ketogenic diet followers will need to mind their macronutrients, each ¼-cup serving of this dip contains 10 grams (g) fat; 3.4 g carbohydrates; 2.5 g net carbohydrates, which many keto dieters count; and 2 g protein.
Nutrition per serving (serves 12): 211 calories, 18g total fat (11.2g saturated fat), 2g protein, 12g carbohydrates, 1.1g fiber, 8.8g sugar (8.1g added sugar), 238mg sodium
Vegan Cookie Dough for One
This single-serve recipe from the Live-In Kitchen is perfect for those times when you just need a taste of cookie dough — without tons of leftovers to tempt you into overdoing it. The short ingredient list is entirely vegan, and Live-In Kitchen's proprietor Lindsay Moe offers options to make it gluten-free as well, if desired. It calls for 3 tablespoons (tbsp) of all-purpose flour, so be sure to heat-treat it as a first step. However, the calories, fat, and saturated fat in this recipe are all a bit high, so you may want to split this sweet with someone — or save half for another day.
Nutrition per serving (serves 1): 288 calories, 16g total fat (13g saturated fat), 2g protein, 33g carbohydrates, 1g fiber, 13g sugar, 2mg sodium
Gluten-Free Edible Cookie Dough
Here’s a quick nutritious treat that’s gluten-free, vegan, and nut-free (provided you use tahini or seed butter) from Jessica Cording Nutrition. The addition of chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans) not only gives this flourless recipe a smooth, nutty taste, it also offers a rich source of filling fiber and plant-based protein. In fact, just a ½ cup serving of chickpeas contains 5 g (18 percent daily value [DV]) of fiber and 10 g of protein, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Play around with the recipe by swapping out (or adding in) other toppings, such as dried fruit, cocoa powder, or, if you eat nuts, crushed walnuts for a boost of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, per the National Institutes of Health (NIH). While this recipe serves four people, the calories, fat, saturated fat, carbs, and sugar are high. Try splitting this into six servings to bring these numbers down.
Nutrition per serving (serves 4): 300 calories, 15g total fat (4.8g saturated fat), 8g protein, 39g carbohydrates, 5.9g fiber, 19.7g sugar (17.1g added sugar), 179mg sodium
Nut-Free Flourless Edible Cookie Dough
With unsalted butter, brown sugar, Graham crackers, and mini chocolate chips, this recipe from Dinner Then Dessert isn't the healthiest option. But in moderation, these flourless, nut-free cookie dough bites make a delectable treat. To make them vegan, use margarine in place of butter, almond milk in place of cow milk, and make sure the chocolate chips you choose are made without whey or milk. For a richer, nuttier flavor (if you aren’t allergic to nuts), mix in some peanut or almond butter.
Nutrition per serving (serves 30): 221 calories, 13g total fat (8g saturated fat), 1g protein, 26g carbohydrates, 1g fiber, 20g sugar, 147mg sodium
Low-Fat, Low-Carb, and Practically Flourless Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites
At only 30 calories each, these chocolate chip cookie dough bites courtesy of Amy’s Healthy Baking are the ideal option for those who want a sweet treat without a major calorie investment. They’re practically flourless, with just a small amount (¾ cup) of oat flour, which should be heat-treated first.
You can get around that step by following the directions to make the recipe gluten-free. Regardless, this treat is low-fat (0.9 g per serving), low-carb (4.3 g per serving), and vegan. Though the recipe calls for unsweetened cashew milk, you can use any kind of milk; just be sure you mix it in at room temperature, as cold milk will resolidify the butter.
Nutrition per serving (serves 16; 1 bite per serving): 30 calories, 0.9g total fat (0.3g saturated fat), 1g protein, 4.3g carbohydrates, 0.6g fiber, 0.5g sugar, 20.4mg sodium
Dairy-Free, 5-Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites
This cookie dough recipe from the blog Beaming Baker checks a lot of boxes: It’s vegan, gluten- and dairy-free, and there’s no refined sugar in sight. Plus, this simple recipe calls for only five ingredients, making it a breeze to whip together after you heat-treat the gluten-free oat flour. All you do is combine the ingredients in a bowl and scoop into small spheres. Let those spheres firm up for five minutes and you’re good to go!
Nutrition per serving (serves 20; 1 cookie dough ball per serving): 84 calories, 4g total fat, 1.6g protein, 10.6g carbohydrates, 0.9g fiber, 4.3g sugar, 2.1mg sodium
Anything Goes Funfetti Edible Cookie Dough
For a wacky twist on classic cookie dough, try this rainbow-sprinkle version from Show Me the Yummy. While it doesn’t fit perfectly into a regimented diet plan, it’s a great treat for special occasions. To make this dessert, combine butter, granulated sugar, instant vanilla pudding, milk, white chocolate chips, ground oats (to create a flourlike texture without facing the risks of eating raw flour), and — of course — sprinkles. To make the homemade oat “flour,” simply blend old-fashioned rolled oats in a food processor until it resembles fine flour.
Nutrition per serving (serves 20; 1 cookie dough ball per serving): 143 calories, 6g total fat (3g saturated fat), 1g protein, 19g carbohydrates, 13g sugar, 94mg sodium
Vegan and Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cookie Dough Bites
For a vegan and gluten-free fall treat, whip up these no-bake pumpkin cookie dough balls from Running to the Kitchen. They combine fiber- and protein-packed chickpeas with nutrient-rich pumpkin puree. Canned pumpkin not only gives this treat a sweet and nutty flavor, but it’s also an excellent source of vitamin A, per the USDA. Vitamin A plays a key role in immune function, vision, and development, per the NIH.
This recipe also calls for cashew butter, maple syrup, pumpkin pie spice, coconut flour, mini chocolate chips, and a sprinkle of sea salt to garnish). Optional: Drizzle these bites with melted chocolate mixed with a ½-teaspoon of coconut oil for an indulgent topping.
Nutrition per serving (serves 18; 1 cookie dough ball per serving): 102 calories, 4g total fat (2g saturated fat), 3g protein, 14g carbohydrates, 6g sugar, 152mg sodium
Chocolate Chip Vegan Cookie Dough
It couldn’t be simpler to make this vegan chocolate chip cookie dough recipe from Plant Based With Amy: Just add chickpeas, rolled oats, unsweetened powdered peanut butter, ground nutmeg, vanilla extract, baking powder, maple syrup, and unsweetened coconut milk to a food processor and blend until smooth. For added sweetness, stir in vegan chocolate chips. Opt for gluten-free rolled oats and you’ll score a tasty treat that’s both vegan and gluten-free.
Nutrition per serving (serves 10; 1 cookie dough ball per serving): 220 calories, 7g fat (3g saturated fat), 8g protein, 36g carbohydrates; 15g sugar, 85mg sodium
Lynn Grieger, RDN, CDCES
Medical Reviewer
Lynn Grieger is a registered dietitian-nutritionist, certified diabetes care and education specialist, certified personal trainer, and certified health and wellness coach. She completed requirements to become a registered dietitian at Valparaiso University in 1987 and completed a dietetic internship at Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey, Illinois, in 1988.
Lynn brings her expertise in nutrition, exercise, and behavior change to her work in helping people reach their individual health and fitness goals. In addition to writing for Everyday Health, she has also written for websites and publications like Food and Health Communications, Today's Dietitian, iVillage.com, and Rodale Press. She has a passion for healthy, nutrient-dense, great-tasting food and for being outdoors as much as possible — she can often be found running or hiking, and has completed a marathon in every state.
Lauren Bedosky
Author
When she's not writing about health and fitness — her favorite topics being anything related to running and strength training — she's reading up on the latest and greatest news in the field and working on her own health goals.