Edible Cookie Dough Recipe — Paleo, Vegan and Gluten-Free!
We’ve all done it. Too tempted by the smell of chocolate and the promise of a delicious dessert that’s on the way. Eating cookie dough may be a childhood memory, but it usually came with warnings of salmonella from the raw eggs or consuming bacteria that lives in raw flour.
Well, worry no more. My edible cookie dough recipe is completely safe to eat before it goes in the oven, and it’s delicious if you decide to bake it, too. Win-win! Plus, you won’t find any unhealthy ingredients, like refined sugar, white flour or canola oil here. Only the healthiest, nutrient-rich and anti-inflammatory foods out there.
What Is Edible Cookie Dough?
The popularity of edible cookie dough continues to grow. It seems like people just can’t get enough, with shops and parlors popping up that are exclusively dedicated to serving different flavors of the stuff. I don’t blame them — we’ve been told since we’re kids that we can’t eat it, so of course we want to indulge now that it’s “safe” to do so.
The edible cookie dough recipes out there vary, with some calling for refined, white flour and conventional milk as the main ingredients. As always, I like to find the healthiest mix of ingredients possible. Ingredients that not only taste good, but help my body to function optimally, too.
How to Make Edible Cookie Dough
The base for my edible cookie dough is one cup of almond flour. I love baking (or not baking) with almond flour because it’s a gluten-free flour that boosts heart health, aids in managing blood sugar levels and works as a natural energy booster.
Next I use a half-cup of nut butter. Choose whatever nut butter you like best. I like to use a good quality almond butter because I love the taste, especially when it’s combined with our next ingredient.
The best part — chocolate. It’s necessary for an edible cookie dough recipe, and did you know that there are a number dark chocolate benefits? Dark chocolate (70 percent or higher) protects us from disease-causing free radicals because it’s one of the top high-antioxidant foods.
Add 1½ cups of good quality dark chocolate chips to the mixture. Then add in a quarter cup of coconut flour, half cup of maple sugar and a quarter teaspoon of sea salt. Did you know that adding salt to your dough makes it a little stronger and tighter? It also contributes to the overall flavor of the dough.
Only a few more ingredients left. Add in one-and-a-half teaspoons of pure vanilla extract next. This delicious dessert spice works as a powerful antioxidant, and it helps to reduce inflammation in the body, something that can be helpful for all of us.
And finally, bring in one ripe banana, which will serve as your binder for this edible cookie dough. Bananas are a great source of essential vitamins and minerals, including potassium, magnesium and fiber.
If you just don’t like bananas very much, you have another option. Use one flax egg, which is a tablespoon of ground flax seeds mixed with three tablespoons of water. Either choice will bring the ingredients together and don’t need to be cooked, so they work perfectly for this edible cookie dough.
And after letting your mixture chill for about 10 minutes, your edible cookie dough is officially ready to eat! And, as I promised earlier, this recipe can be served two ways.
If you rather use your dough for baking cookies, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and roll your dough into small disks that are about 1 inch in circumference and ¼ inch thick. Place your cookie disks on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and let them bake for 15–18 minutes, until they are light golden brown.
PrintEdible Cookie Dough Recipe
- Total Time: 28 minutes
- Yield: 20 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This edible cookie dough recipe is completely safe to eat, vegan and also healthy! Eat it before it goes in the oven, but it’s aslo delicious if you decide to bake it, too.
Ingredients
- 1 ripe banana or flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flax seeds mixed with 3 tablespoons water)
- ½ cup almond butter or nut butter of choice
- 1 cup almond flour
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- ½ cup maple sugar
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips (70% or higher)
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Mix all contents in a large bowl and refrigerate until chilled, about 10–12 minutes.
- Eat raw OR if you choose to bake, preheat oven to 350 F.
- Roll dough into small disks, about 1 inch diameter and ¼ inch thick.
- Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 15–18 minutes, or until cookies are a light golden brown.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 18 min
- Category: Snacks, Desserts
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie/dough (28g)
- Calories: 121
- Sugar: 7.2g
- Sodium: 31mg (2% DV)
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 1.6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5.8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 10.5g
- Fiber: 1.9g
- Protein: 2.8g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Comments
Please keep comments under 200 characters.
Maple sugar is sugar. Suggest substituting with Now Stevia. There’s sugar in most dark chocolate too
Every time people come up with these recipes why does it have to have Coconut in it? I don’t like Coconut and I can tell even if it has a little bit in it! I wish I didn’t hate it but I do! It ruins a lot of recipes I would like to try on diet’s. I don’t do good with milk but the Almond milk I can do. Didn’t know there was a Almond Flour. At 69 I’m thankful for the information of health you give. I don’t ever go to a Dr. because my Stepdad (1900-97) was a Chiropactor in his younger years and taught me to research everything. So glad he did! Thanks again for your knowledge Sir! God Bless you for what you do Sincerely!
How many grams is the recipe?
cookie dough is already edible
Not if made with raw egg. Salmonella risk.
This looks amazing. I would love the nutrition facts on this. How many grams of sugar per serving?
My family loves these, we use coconut sugar and mashed banana. A treat to satisfy a decadent craving without refined or animal based ingredients. Thank you!
I have to watch my sugar in take.
Cause of my Kidney.
If I use avocado instead of banana how many cups of avocado I should use.______.
For maple sugar, can this recipe can be use honey? And how many cups of honey should be use in this recipe.’_____.
I heard dark chocolate have sugar. Do they have sugar free dark chocolate ______ or maybe I can use Mac Nut , or walnut.
This recipe is good, only thing is the sugar intake..
I like this recipe ,. I would like to make my own cookies ..cause out in the market has too much sugar and additive ingredient.
Thank-you, hope to hear from you folks soon.
Mahalo From Hawaii.
Brenda Cabote
I have to watch my sugar in take.
Cause of my Kidney.
If I use avocado instead of banana how many cups of avocado I should us.______.
For maple sugar, can this recipe can be use honey? And how many cups of honey should be use in this recipe.’_____.
I heard dark chocolate had sugar. Do they have sugar free dark chocolate ______ or maybe I can use Mac Nut , or walnut.
This recipe is good be is the sugar intake..
I like this recipe ,. I would like to make my own…cause out in the market has too much sugar and additive ingredient.
Thank- you hope to hear from you folks soon
Mahalo From Hawaii.
Brenda Cabote
Hi Dr Axe,
This comment is intended just for YOU, not a post.
Nothing to do with your great recipes, just something I needed to share.
I must tell you – you are truly a generous, caring person, I can feel your wonderful energy even through all the electronics! Thank you for being so wonderful. You give so much.
and… your cookie recipes look scrumptious
God Bless you,!
Rose
I am allergic to Almonds is there something I can use to substitute for the almond flour and almonds?
Can I replace the maple sugar with honey or agave?
You may! Just remember the consistency may change slightly. I hope you enjoy this recipe!
I can’t find maple sugar at the grocery store I shop at.
You can get Maple Sugar on Amazon
You can also substitute coconut sugar if need be.
Please give the basic nutritional information. Very important for my diet. Thanks.
You can copy and paste the ingredients here to quickly get the nutional information https://www.verywell.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4129594
Instead of almond flour I read somewhere you could use sunflower seed flour or cassava flour.
Any other flour can be substituted but just remember that the consistency will change. Blessings!
What is the nutritional information breakdown? Does anyone know? Thank you ?
You can enter the recipe into MyFitnessPal. It will calculate nutrion information for you
Not diabetic friendly.
Why isn’t this diabetic friendly? Just found out my sugar numbers are high and am loosing weight and walking. Doing well so far but would like a little treat ocassionally
Recipe looks great but I need a replacement for the almond flour and nut butter – any suggestions ???
Feel free to try brown rice, chickpea, coconut or other flours. Same for the nut butter. Just remember that the consistency may change. Blessings to you and yours!
Can you suggest a substitute for the Almond Flour?
Nuts cause pains in my joints?
Thanx!
Maybe try coconut flour. there is also sunflower seed butter for a swap of the almond butter.
1 inch circumference? (distance around the edge of the circle.). Do you mean “diameter” (across the center) or radius ( from edge to center?” I will have to make mine a bit larger when baking them.
Thanks so much for the recipe.
Thank you for noticing that, Margaret. It should have said “diameter.” I have edited the recipe!
Er,, And how about substituting HIMALAYAN PINK SALT for the sea salt ???
You can substitute Himalayan pink salt for the sea salt!
I’d be willing to say that all the suggested substitutions would work great. I’m always substituting various ingredients in recipes and usually they work out fine.
Could you use coconut sugar instead of Maple sugar?
You can use coconut sugar instead of maple sugar. Coconut sugar is not as sweet, so I would recommend starting with an equal amount of sugar, tasting it and adding more if desired.
1 ¹/₂ chocolate chips?? ? Oz? Tbsp?
Cups of course!
Of course!! I’d add more LOL
Cups of course!
Hi Nicolas, It’s ½ cup. I apologize about that!
can stevia be used instead of maple sugar?
You can substitute stevia. Just be sure to use much less and add it slowly as it is much more potent than maple sugar.
I used coconut sugar instead, is that ok? I could not find maple sugar anywhere.
reid stevia. great for custard with edens soy milk but too tart and dry for any baked dry recipes like cookies. just ruined a batch of peanut butter cookies but only less than a dozen. Never use stevia in this recipe for cookies or any recipe for baked dry treats. Missy j’s best carob treats ever. just got a box from the man I live with for sweetest day.
Might a chia “egg” work in place of flax (for those of us who have trouble with even flax)???? And would it then also bake, do you think?? Thanks for any ideas on this!
Good recipe!
I just use flaxseed meal, freshly ground and mixed with water to make the binder.
Can’t do most gluten-free flours due to the potato starch they usually put (no Nightshades for me = much pain)
Coconut and chickpea flour does it
Jan, chia seed works as well for a binder
For those who can’t do nuts, Tahini (sesame butter) is delicious, as well as sunflower seed butter
Yes, this is actually very similar to a recipe I made up myself and ground chia in a bit of water until it is paste works just fine. I also substitute stevia for syrup. If you want to bake them I add a teaspoon if nongmo aluminum and corn free baking powder.