Healthy Edible Cookie Dough

Completely delicious and full of satisfaction, this healthy and edible chocolate chip cookie dough recipe is the best! This recipe tastes like Store-bought cookie dough…

side shot of a ball of edible cookie dough bite on a parchment paperCompletely delicious and full of satisfaction, this healthy and edible chocolate chip cookie dough recipe is the best! This recipe tastes like Store-bought cookie dough…

Vegan Cookie Dough

Dive into a bowl of this creamy, dreamy edible vegan cookie dough! Made with dairy-free plant-based ingredients, it’s packed with…

A Couple Cooks – Recipes worth repeating.

Dive into a bowl of this creamy, dreamy edible vegan cookie dough! Made with dairy-free plant-based ingredients, it’s packed with rich chocolate chips and ready to satisfy your cravings in the tastiest way possible.

Vegan Cookie Dough

Sure, cookies are tasty. But give us cookie dough any day! That gooey, salty sweet texture mixed with the crunch of the chocolate chips is the ultimate treat. Turns out, there’s no dairy needed. Try this vegan cookie dough, absolutely dreamy using only plant-based ingredients! The flavor and texture are exactly what you (and we) crave. Mix a few ingredients together and cozy up to this bowl of vegan dessert heaven!

There’s no way to spin it: vegan cookie dough is not healthy or wholesome. However, it is a craveable vegan dessert that’s absolutely worth the splurge when you’re looking for a treat. You’ll use a few simple ingredients to whip up this dairy-free goodness. Here’s what you’ll need:

  • All-purpose flour: Heat treat the flour for best safety (see below). For gluten-free, use almond flour.
  • Brown sugar: Brown sugar is key to the flavor; do not substitute granulated sugar here.
  • Vegan butter or refined coconut oil: Vegan butter is our pick, but coconut oil works too. We recommend refined coconut oil, since it has a more neutral coconut flavor.
  • Vanilla extract: Vanilla is key to the cookie dough flavor!
  • Kosher salt: Add another pinch of salt to balance the flavor if you’re using coconut oil.
  • Dairy free dark chocolate chips: Our favorite brand is Guittard 63% dark chocolate chips, which are marked dairy-free on the package.
Vegan Cookie Dough

Vegan cookie dough is very easy to make. All you need is a bowl and a spoon: no special equipment at all! Here are the basic steps:

  • Step 1: If you’re using all purpose flour, heat treat it (see the section below).
  • Step 2: Soften the butter in a microwave, then mix it with brown sugar with a spoon. Brown sugar is key to the robust flavor, so don’t substitute another type of sweetener.
  • Step 3: Mix in the flour, vanilla, salt, milk and chocolate chips! Store refrigerated or frozen rolled into balls.

Why and how to heat treat flour

Most edible cookie dough recipes recommend heat treating the flour. We know, it’s not fun to add this extra step of turning on your oven when you’re not even baking! To be honest, we often skip this step. But here’s why it’s recommended for food safety:

  • Flour is sold as a raw ingredient intended to be cooked, so there’s not a regulated process to remove bacteria in flour manufacturing.
  • To heat treat flour, spread it on a baking sheet and bake at 300°F until the temperature reaches 165°F. This should take about 5 minutes.
  • Cool the flour completely before using. Do not attempt to use the hot flour in cookie dough, since this affects the texture of the dough.
Vegan Cookie Dough

Remember: don’t bake it!

Don’t try baking this vegan cookie dough: it’s optimized for snacking on, not baking! For vegan chocolate chip cookies, head to our Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe.

Small serving sizes are key

The one thing we’ll say about vegan cookie dough: the serving size is fairly small. One cookie typically satisfies us, but when it comes to cookie dough it’s hard to stop eating spoonfuls. Here’s what to know about serving size:

  • The serving size is 1 tablespoon. That’s right! All you need is a few bites.
  • This recipe makes 20 servings, so cut it in half if desired. This way you won’t be temped to eat more.
  • Freeze rolled into balls. Or, you can freeze half the batch so you can save for later.
Vegan Cookie Dough ingredients

Storage info

Vegan cookie dough lasts well in the refrigerator, and it also works frozen as noted above. Here’s what to know about storing this treat:

  • Refrigerator: You can keep it up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
  • Freezer: This is our preferred method! Roll it into balls and place them on a cookie sheet, then freeze until solid (about 30 minutes). Transfer to a container and they last about 2 to 3 months.

Want to make your own cookie dough ice cream with any flavor? Make this vegan cookie dough into small dollops and freeze them. Then stir them into any purchased vegan ice cream or this homemade vegan ice cream. (We love chocolate ice cream with cookie dough, so this is the best way to do it!) Follow the instructions in our homemade Cookie Dough Ice Cream.

More vegan dessert recipes

This vegan cookie dough recipe is one of our favorite plant-based treats! Here are a few more vegan desserts we love:

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free. For gluten-free, use almond flour.

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Vegan Cookie Dough

Vegan Cookie Dough


  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 20 servings or 1 ¼ cups

Description

Dive into a bowl of this creamy, dreamy edible vegan cookie dough! Made with dairy-free plant-based ingredients, it’s packed with rich chocolate chips and ready to satisfy your cravings in the tastiest way possible.


Ingredients

  • 1 cup white all-purpose flour (for gluten-free, use almond flour)
  • ½ cup brown sugar (do not substitute granulated)
  • ½ cup softened vegan butter, or melted refined coconut oil*
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • ⅓ cup dairy free dark chocolate chips (we like Guittard 63%)

Instructions

  1. Heat treat the all-purpose flour to prevent bacteria growth (optional): Preheat the oven to 300°F. Place the flour on a baking sheet and bake for 4 to 6 minutes until the temperature reaches 165°F, checking every few minutes with a food thermometer. Cool completely before using (be patient: if the flour is warm the texture of the cookie dough will suffer).
  2. Mix the butter and sugar: Soften the butter in the microwave for about 10 seconds until just soft. Mash it with a fork with the brown sugar until fully incorporated. 
  3. Make the cookie dough: Mix in all the other ingredients, using as much milk as you’d like to bring it together into a thick or smoother texture. Eat immediately, or store refrigerated for 1 week or roll into balls and store frozen for 3 months. Don’t bake this cookie dough: for bake-able dough, go to our Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies. 

Notes

*If using coconut oil, add another pinch of salt.

  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: No Cook
  • Cuisine: Dessert
  • Diet: Vegan

Keywords: Vegan cookie dough

A Couple Cooks - Recipes worth repeating.

Cookie Dough Ice Cream

This chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream is a dream! Use the dough recipe as a mix-in for purchased ice…

A Couple Cooks – Recipes worth repeating.

This chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream is a dream! Use the dough recipe as a mix-in for purchased ice cream, or make a homemade base.

Cookie Dough Ice Cream

We’ve always had a habit of sneaking bits of dough from the bowl when we’re baking. So it’s no surprise that this ice cream flavor is at the top of the list at our house: cookie dough ice cream! Wow, is the homemade version of this flavor sublime! The soft, salty sweet bits of dough with pops of chocolate are abundant in the creamy, frosty vanilla cream. You can also make just the dough and throw it into purchased ice cream: a fun trick that lets you have any flavor base you want!

When was cookie dough ice cream invented? Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream claims to have invented the popular flavor in 1984 when a customer suggested the idea at their original shop in Burlington, Vermont. It went on to become a fan favorite and they started selling it in grocery stores in 1991.

There’s no surprise why this is a popular flavor. That chewy dough texture with a hint of salty sweet is incredibly satisfying! The cookie dough ice cream recipe below shows you how to make it using homemade vanilla base. Or, simply make the dough and fold it into store-bought ice cream for a fun, semi-homemade treat! Here’s what you’ll need:

  • 1 recipe Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream or 1 quart purchased ice cream
  • All-purpose flour
  • Salted butter
  • Brown sugar
  • Vanilla extract
  • Mini chocolate chips
Chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream

Edible cookie dough is very simple to whip up as an ice cream mix-in! In fact, we like making the dough recipe to use for topping sundaes or mixing into purchased ice cream. As a choco-holic, I’ve always wanted cookie dough with a chocolate ice cream base: and here’s the way to do it! Here are a few tips for mixing up the dough:

  • If desired, heat treat the flour. For best food safety, you can heat treat it to prevent bacteria growth. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Place the flour on a baking sheet and bake for 4 to 6 minutes until the temperature reaches 165°F, checking every few minutes with a food thermometer. Cool completely before using (be patient: if the flour is warm the texture of the cookie dough will suffer). While we don’t always do this, it’s a good safety step to note.
  • Form into pea-sized balls and freeze. It’s easiest to incorporate the cookie dough into ice cream when it’s made into very small bits. Portion out the bits with your hands and place them on a baking sheet, then freeze for 15 minutes or until hardened.
  • If making in advance, store cookie dough until ready to use. If making in advance, remove the cookie dough bits from the tray once they are hardened and place in a sealed container for storage.
Cookie dough ice cream

You can use the cookie dough with this homemade vanilla ice cream recipe and mix it in after churning, or you can use it with a purchased ice cream! Here are a few things to note about adding the cookie dough to the ice cream base:

  • For homemade ice cream: Churn the ice cream, about 25 to 30 minutes. Place the ice cream in a loaf pan, then mix in the cookie dough crumbles. Then freeze for another 3 hours for hard ice cream texture.
  • For purchased ice cream: Scoop a quart of purchased ice cream into a loaf pan and mix in the dough. Re-freeze for about 2 hours or until the desired hard ice cream texture is reached.
  • Use any flavor you like! You can make your own version of cookie dough ice cream by varying the ice cream base. Make it with chocolate ice cream, peanut butter ice cream, or coffee ice cream as fun variations!

Equipment for homemade: an ice cream maker!

For the homemade ice cream base, you’ll need an ice cream maker. It’s a great investment you can use to make sorbetssherbet and ice creams all year round. The two main types of ice cream makers are:

  • Freezer bowl ice cream maker: This type of inexpensive: it simply requires freezing the base of the ice cream maker overnight before making the recipe. We like this 2 quart freezer bowl ice cream maker, which is durable and has held up well over the years.
  • Automatic ice cream maker: If you make ice cream often, you may want to consider an automatic ice cream maker. It’s larger and more expensive but requires no pre-freezing, so you can make ice cream at any time! (This is the type we use, but only because this is our job!)

Dietary swaps

Got a special diet? Here are a few notes for adapting this recipe to a special diet:

  • Vegan: Use this Vegan Ice Cream base and vegan butter or refined coconut oil in the cookie dough
  • Gluten-free: Use almond flour or gluten-free 1 for 1 flour
Cookie dough ice cream

This chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream stores for up to 2 weeks. Place it in a loaf pan with a parchment sheet over the top, or simply scoop it into a sealed container. The texture is lusciously creamy for the entire storage period, not icy like other methods. The cookie dough itself stores frozen for up to 1 month.

More ice cream recipes

Love making ice cream? Here are a few more homemade ice cream recipes to try:

Vegetarian. For vegan, use Vegan Ice Cream and vegan butter or refined coconut oil in the cookie dough. For gluten-free, use almond flour or gluten-free 1 for 1 flour.

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Cookie Dough Ice Cream

Cookie Dough Ice Cream


  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 2 hours
  • Cook Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
  • Yield: 1 quart

Description

This chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream is a dream! Use the dough recipe as a mix-in for purchased ice cream, or make a homemade base.


Ingredients

Ice Cream (or use purchased ice cream*)

  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch 
  • 1 ½ cups whole milk, divided
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cookie dough

  • 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 6 tablespoons salted butter, softened (or unsalted butter plus ¼ tsp salt)
  • 6 tablespoons brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ⅓ cup mini chocolate chips, plus additional if desired

Instructions

  1. In a small saucepan, slowly whisk the cornstarch into 1 cup whole milk, then whisk in the sugar. Heat over medium heat for 4 to 6 minutes, whisking frequently, until it’s almost simmering and the mixture thickens.
  2. Remove from the heat. Stir in the remaining ½ cup whole milk and the heavy cream, salt and vanilla extract.
  3. Transfer the mixture to a large metal or glass bowl. Place the bowl in a smaller bowl of ice water for 1 hour, making sure not to splash any water into the custard. Alternatively, simply place the bowl in the refrigerator and wait for 3 hours or until the temperature drops to 40°F.
  4. Meanwhile, make the cookie dough: If desired, heat treat the flour*. Soften the butter in the microwave for about 10 seconds until just soft. Mash it with a fork with the brown sugar until fully incorporated. Mix in all the other ingredients, kneading with your hands as necessary. Add the chocolate chips and stir until evenly distributed. Form the dough into small pea sized balls and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place the sheet in the freezer for at least 15 minutes or until hardened. (If making in advance, remove the cookie dough bits from the tray once they are hardened and place in a sealed container for storage.)
  5. Churn according to your ice cream maker instructions, about 25 minutes for soft serve consistency. Transfer to a loaf pan or sealable container. Add the cookie dough crumbles to the ice cream and mix in, saving out a few crumbles for the top. If desired, mix in 2 tablespoons additional mini chocolate chips. Top with more cookie dough and mini chocolate chips. Freeze 3 hours or overnight (or eat immediately for soft serve texture). Store in a loaf pan with a parchment sheet over the top or a sealed container for up to 2 weeks.

Notes

*Make your own ice cream base, or use the cookie dough recipe as a mix-in for store-bought ice cream! If using purchased ice cream, make the cookie dough in Step 4, freeze it for 15 minutes, then scoop a quart of purchased ice cream into a loaf pan and mix in the crumbles. Re-freeze for about 2 hours or until the desired texture is reached.

**If using all purpose flour, you can heat treat it to prevent bacteria growth (optional). Preheat the oven to 300°F. Place the flour on a baking sheet and bake for 4 to 6 minutes until the temperature reaches 165°F, checking every few minutes with a food thermometer. Cool completely before using (be patient: if the flour is warm the texture of the cookie dough will suffer).

  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Frozen
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Keywords: Cookie dough ice cream, chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream

A Couple Cooks - Recipes worth repeating.