Vegan Edible Cookie Dough

I’ve made a few cookie dough cakes in the past (like my funfetti cookie dough cake or my ultimate cookie dough cake), but I felt like it was time to put a different spin on my classic edible cookie dough recipe. That’s where this vegan edible cookie dough comes in.

I love it because it’s super easy to make, and can be enjoyed in so many different ways.

Whether you want to enjoy it scooped as a dessert, rolled into snack-sized bites, or even as a cake or cupcake filling. This recipe is incredibly versatile and equally delicious.

Why This Vegan Edible Cookie Dough is Safe to Eat Raw?

This vegan cookie dough is safe to be consumed raw for two reasons.

The first is that this recipe doesn’t use eggs! The second reason is that the flour is heated to a safe temperature before being added into the dough.

How To Heat Treat Your Flour

To ensure your vegan cookie dough is safe to eat raw, I recommend heat-treating the flour in either your microwave or your oven.

Microwave Method

I know it sounds a little crazy, but if you heat your flour for a little over a minute, it should be good to go!

I like to heat the flour in 30-second intervals and stir between to prevent the flour from burning. This also helps it heat more evenly.

Just be sure that the internal temperature reaches 160°F/72°C. I like to use a digital kitchen thermometer to check.

Oven Method

If you don’t want to use a microwave, you can also heat treat your flour in the oven! It’s a very similar process to the microwave.

Simply preheat your oven to 300°F and bake your flour on a large parchment-lined pan.

It usually takes about 12 minutes for the internal temperature of the flour to reach 160°F. I recommend stirring the flour every 2-3 minutes to prevent it from browning.

What Type of Alternative Butter Should I Use?

Picking the right alternative butter is important. Just like with regular cookie dough, the type of butter or fat you use adds a lot of flavor to your cookie dough.

Test #1: Vegetable Shortening (Crisco)

Shortening was the first butter alternative I tried, and it was not my cup of tea.

While it gave the cookie dough a great consistency, it left a strange mouth feel after eating it. Shortening also doesn’t add any flavor!!

The texture is great, but I’d give it a B- for flavor. You can use Crisco if it’s all you have on hand, but I highly recommend using vegan butter sticks if possible.

Test #2: Vegan / Dairy Free Butter

This was when I realized I really needed to use a fat base with more flavor.

I did a little research on vegan butter, and tried both Miyokos vegan butter and Earth Balance vegan buttery sticks.

Both types of vegan butter worked great, but I preferred the taste of the cookie dough made with Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks.

One thing to note when using vegan butter in this recipe. Vegan butter is usually made with salt, so there’s no need to add in additional salt.

So when you read the recipe card below, don’t be surprised that it doesn’t include any additional salt. I didn’t forget it, it’s just already included in your vegan butter 🙂

Vegan Cookie Dough Ingredients & Substitutions

While I love this vegan cookie dough recipe just the way it is, I know some of you might not have all these ingredients on hand!

Below are some swaps and substitutions that can be made in this recipe.

• Vegan Butter – I recommend using a vegan butter stick like Miyoko’s vegan butter and Earth Balance vegan buttery sticks. Shortening can also be used in place of vegan butter, but the taste will not be the same!
• Brown Sugar – You can use light or dark brown sugar, but I don’t recommend using regular granulated sugar or a less refined sugar. They can throw off the texture and taste of the cookie dough.
• Vanilla Extract – This cookie dough would also taste great with vanilla bean paste, almond extract, or even coconut extract!
• All-purpose flour – You can use a gluten-free flour blend in place of the all-purpose flour in this recipe. Just be sure to use a good blend like King Arthur’s GF flour. I don’t recommend using straight-up almond flour!
• Vegan chocolate chips – You can use vegan chocolate chips or chunks! I suggest using whatever type of chocolate is your favorite.
• Vegan Sprinkles – Not all sprinkles are vegan! Be sure to double-check your package before using it.

Ways to Enjoy this Vegan Edible Cookie Dough

Like I mentioned above, this recipe is so versatile! While my favorite thing to do is roll it into tiny little vegan cookie dough bites to enjoy as a snack, there are a lot of other options!

You can snack on them, add them on top of ice cream, or even scoop them into little dishes to enjoy straight up!

You can also use this recipe to make cookie dough disks to fill cakes.

Tips for Making The Best Vegan Edible Cookie Dough:

• Heat your flour in the microwave or oven to pasteurize it and make it safe to eat raw.
• Use your favorite dairy-free butter rather than vegetable shortening! It gives the cookie dough so much more flavor.
• Fold the vegan sprinkles and chocolate chips in by hand so they don’t break as they get worked into the dough.
• Feel free to have fun adding in your favorite mix-ins! I used vegan mini chocolate chips and vegan sprinkles, but cocoa nibs, chopped nuts, or even dried fruit would all be delicious.
• Be sure not to use more than 2/3 cup of mix-ins! Otherwise, the dough can have a hard time sticking together.
• Make gluten-free cookie dough by using your favorite gluten-free flour blend in place of the all-purpose flour.
• Enjoy this vegan cookie dough however you want! I usually make 1 tsp bite-sized bits or scoop it just like ice cream.
• One batch is enough to fill and decorate 1 dozen cupcakes or a 6-inch layer cake.

Making This Vegan Edible Cookie Dough in Advance & Storage Tips

This vegan edible cookie dough can be made far in advance! It keeps in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or for up to 1 month in the freezer (if you can resist eating it that long).

I like to form the cookie dough into whatever shape I will need down the road, once I make a batch.

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you try this vegan edible cookie dough recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a comment and rating below.

And don’t forget to tag me @chelsweets and use #chelsweets so that I can see your delicious creations!

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