Name: Edible Candy Chocolate Cookie Dough
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 105 g (3/4 cup) all-purpose flour; 113 g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature; 110 g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar; 2.8 g (1/2 teaspoon) salt; 5 g (1 1/2 teaspoons) pure vanilla extract; 40 g (1/4 cup) unsweetened cocoa powder; 14–28 g (1–2 tablespoons) whole milk; 150 g (1 cup) chopped candy

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If you can't resist tasting cookie dough while making cookies, then you will enjoy this Edible Candy Chocolate Cookie Dough. It's chocolaty with a mix-in of your favorite candy for a fun and easy treat.

Who else loves sampling cookie dough while baking cookies? It's hard to resist, but it isn't safe to consume because of the raw ingredients. That's why edible cookie dough is the answer. It's safe to eat, made with chocolate, and has a mixture of your favorite candy. Your whole family will love this cookie dough!

Why this recipe works

Perfect for leftover holiday candy.
There's no need for refrigeration. You can eat it immediately.
This recipe can easily be made into larger batches.
Safe to consume with no eggs and heat-treated flour.

Before you begin

Take out the following baking equipment.

Digital kitchen scale
Parchment paper
Baking sheet pan
Sifter
2 small bowls
Stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment

Allow all of your ingredients to come to room temperature.
Read the recipe through from start to finish.

Understanding ingredients

Using unsalted butter will allow you to control the amount of salt in your recipe and your cookie dough's final flavor. Not all brands use the same amount of salt in their butter, so it’s difficult to control the flavor.

Use your favorite unsweetened cocoa powder. There are two different types of unsweetened cocoa powder, dutch-processed and natural. Because they differ in their chemical properties, they have different roles in recipes. However, because this edible cookie dough is not baked, it does not matter which one you use.

Milk is added to the dough to help achieve the perfect texture. Typically, the milk protein contributes to the moisture, color, and flavor of cookies, so it’s ideal to use whole milk. Since we are not baking this cookie dough, you can use whatever milk you have on hand or even substitute with cream or half-and-half.

What makes edible cookie dough edible?

Edible cookie dough looks and tastes like cookie dough that you bake into cookies, but there are three key differences.

No eggs - Because raw eggs can carry Salmonella, this cookie dough is made without eggs. Plus, eggs are necessary for the structure of cookies, and when not being baked, it's not an essential ingredient.
Heat-treated flour - Because of possible contamination, raw flour is a big no-no in edible cookie dough. But because flour is necessary, heat treating it makes it acceptable to use for this recipe. Most people are aware that you should not eat raw cookie dough because of the egg. Fewer people realize that raw flour could cause illness as well.
No leavening agents - Baking powder and baking soda contribute to the texture of cookies. They have no role or need in edible cookie dough.

How to heat treat flour

It is best to not consume raw flour because it could potentially carry E. Coli. When making edible cookie dough, it is important to heat-treat the flour. Because it undergoes high heat during baking, normally, this isn’t a concern.

To heat-treat your flour, preheat your oven to 350°F/177°C. Spread an even layer of flour onto a parchment-lined baking sheet pan. Bake for 5 minutes and then allow it to cool to room temperature. It’s that simple. I recommend taking the extra step of sifting the flour to break up any clumps.

How to make edible candy chocolate cookie dough

Combine ingredients. Beat together the butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.

Add flour and cocoa. Sift together the heat-treated flour and cocoa powder. Mix the flour mixture with the butter until combined.

Add milk. Pour in just enough milk until you reach your preferred consistency.

Add candy. Finally, mix in the chopped candy until just combined.

Can this cookie dough be baked?

Edible cookie dough is just that, edible. Do not try and bake this recipe because it does not have eggs or leaveners. If you were to bake a batch of this dough, it would spread completely flat and yield an undesirable cookie. For flavorful chocolate sugar cookies that are soft and chewy, try baking my chocolate sugar cookies.

How to store edible cookie dough

You'll want to store your dough covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week (but for my family, we definitely consume it within two days!).

This recipe is great for making larger batches and freezing the extra dough. You can freeze this cookie dough for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Ideally, you'll want to scoop the dough into balls and freeze individually (how to freeze cookie dough). This way, you can remove the desired amount from the freezer, allow to thaw in the refrigerator overnight, and enjoy!

Tips and takeaways

If you don’t have a mixer or prefer not to use one, you can mix this dough by hand. Begin with super soft butter but not melted to incorporate all the ingredients by hand more easily.
No candy? That's ok, substitute your favorite chocolate chips, nuts, or chopped brownies.
This recipe is perfect for transforming into cookie dough pops.

If you love cookies, try these other recipes...

Make sure to tag me @thesweetoccasion on Instagram and leave me a review below if you make this Edible Candy Chocolate Cookie Dough. I’d love to see your creations and read your feedback. And if you would like to make this recipe later, be sure to pin this recipe using the button on any of these images. Let’s make every occasion a sweet occasion!