10 Safe-to-Eat Cookie-Dough Recipes Because Dammit, You Deserve This

Whenever you make a fresh batch of cookies, it can be more than a little tempting to sneak a spoonful of the dough. But due to the health risks involved, eating raw cookie dough is ill-advised. Olivia Hops, the founder of online dessert shop Unbaked: A Cookie Dough Bar, however, has created a way to enjoy cookie dough safely. In her new book The Edible Cookie Dough Cookbook, Olivia shares some of her recipes so you can make and eat raw cookie dough at home.

Before you do anything: Heat-treat your flour.

It's a must to ensure your dough is safe to eat. I’ll walk you through the steps below. It’s a simple process and takes only minutes to do. You can heat-treat your flour ahead of time; just be sure to store it in a clean container, separately from raw flour.

Materials needed:
Flour
2 microwave-safe bowls
Microwave
Spoon
Candy thermometer
Sifter

1. Measure out the amount of flour needed for the recipe you wish to make, and place it in one of your microwave-safe bowls.
2. Place the bowl into the microwave and heat for 30 seconds on high. Take the bowl out of the microwave and stir the flour. It will clump together, but that’s OK. Heat the flour for two additional 30-second intervals, stirring in between each interval.
3. After heating the flour for a total of 1½ minutes, place the candy thermometer into the center of the flour. The temperature should read above 160F.
4. Place the sifter over the other bowl and sift the flour into it until no more lumps remain. Make sure the bowl is big enough that you can stir your flour in it without making a mess.
5. Allow the flour to cool completely before using it in your chosen edible cookie-dough recipe.

Note: If you don’t have a thermometer, no worries. Heating the flour for 1½ minutes is more than enough to kill any possible bacteria. If you place your finger into the center of the flour, it should be hot enough that you can’t keep your finger there for more than a few seconds.