Peanut Butter Cookie Dough

This food-safe Peanut Butter Cookie Dough is creamy, rich, and indulgent! It’s easy to make and perfectly safe to consume  (heat-treated flour and no eggs!).

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough

For those who’ve been cautioned against eating raw cookie dough but do it regardless, this recipe is a must-try. It’s become incredibly popular on my site, quickly rising to the top recipe this past month, and many of you have tried and loved it.

Increasingly, many of you are baking from home, exploring new recipes, and relishing comfort food – just as we are. I firmly believe that a good treat can solve numerous problems. This edible cookie dough is a recipe for which you likely already have most, if not all, of the ingredients, making it an ideal dessert option when a store visit isn’t possible.

This past week, I’ve worked diligently to create not just one, but three new edible cookie dough recipes: Peanut Butter Cookie Dough, Edible Brownie Batter, and Edible Cake Batter. I hope these recipes bring you joy – they’ve certainly brightened my boys’ days!

Ingredients In Peanut Butter Cookie Dough

• White Flour: Gives the dough its shape. It’s heated to kill germs so it’s safe to eat raw.
• Butter: Makes the dough rich and creamy. It’s used at room temperature for easy mixing.
• Peanut Butter: The main flavor of the dough.
• White and Brown Sugar: Sweeten the dough. Brown sugar also makes it moist.
• Heavy Cream: Adds creaminess.
• Vanilla Extract: For extra flavor.
• Salt & Baking Soda: Salt boosts flavor, and baking soda is for a cookie dough taste.

How To Make Peanut Butter Cookie Dough

1. Heat Flour: Heat treat the flour to kill germs and let it cool.
2. Dry Mix: Combine cooled flour with salt and baking soda.
3. Wet Mix: Cream together butter and peanut butter, then add white and brown sugars, heavy cream, and vanilla.
4. Combine: Mix dry and wet ingredients together.
5. Extras: Stir in optional ingredients like chocolate chips.
6. Enjoy: Eat the dough fresh, chilled, or frozen.

Heat Treating Flour

Heat treating flour is essential for safe edible cookie dough, as raw flour can contain harmful germs like e. coli. There are three methods:

1. Buy Pre-Treated Flour: Look for flour labeled as heat-treated. Read more about it here.
2. Microwave Method: Place extra flour in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring each time, until it reaches 165°F. Be careful to avoid burning.
3. Oven Method: Spread extra flour on a lined baking sheet and bake at 300°F. Stir and check the temperature every 1 and 1/2 minutes until it reaches 165°F.

Storage

While you can reduce the amount of each of the ingredients called for in this recipe to make a smaller batch of dough, I recommend skipping the trouble, making this recipe as is, and then dividing it into portions, and freezing. In fact, this peanut butter cookie dough is divine straight out of the freezer!

Divide the dough into portions, wrap portions tightly with plastic wrap, and place them in an airtight bag or container. Label the bag and freeze until you are ready to eat it. This way you have edible Peanut Butter Cookie Dough on hand whenever you need it! 

When wrapped and stored correctly, this cookie dough will stay fresh in the fridge for up to five days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. 

More Peanut Butter Treats:

• Peanut Butter Granola delicious snack or breakfast!
• Peanut Butter Blossoms peanut butter cookies with chocolate kisses
• The BEST Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies (reader favorite recipe!)
• Peanut Butter Rice Krispies Treats with chocolate topping
• No-Bake Peanut Butter Cheesecake

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5 from 6 votes

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough

By Chelsea Lords

This edible Peanut Butter Cookie Dough is creamy, rich, and totally safe to eat—heat-treated flour, no eggs, and pure indulgence. So easy to whip up!

Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Equipment

• Stand mixer or hand mixer

Ingredients

1x2x3x

USMetric

• ▢ 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon baking soda optional
• ▢ 8 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
• ▢ 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• ▢ 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons light brown sugar firmly packed
• ▢ 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
• ▢ Optional additions see note 1

Instructions 

• You can heat treat flour in the microwave (see note 2) or in the oven (see note 3). Test the flour to ensure it’s reached a safe temperature of 165°F. Let flour cool completely to room temperature before using. Don’t use any burnt or clumpy flour (if it’s off-color or smells burnt, it’s burnt). The flour should be light, white, and fluffy. Spoon the cooled flour into a measuring cup and level the top of the measuring cup with the back of a table knife.
• Add the spooned and leveled flour, salt, and baking soda to a medium bowl and stir. (While we aren’t baking this dough, the baking soda gives it an authentic cookie dough flavor; leave it out if desired, just don’t forget the salt!)
• In a large bowl with a stand mixer (or use a hand mixer), beat the room temperature (not melted) butter and peanut butter. Beat until very smooth and creamy, about 2–3 minutes. Add granulated sugar and brown sugar and beat to combine. Beat for an additional 3–4 minutes or until mixture becomes light, smooth, and fluffy. Add heavy cream and vanilla (if using) and mix until combined.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Beat until just combined; do not overmix. Use a spatula to scrape the sides as needed. If the dough is at all dry, add a bit more heavy cream; if it is wet, add a tablespoon or 2 more of the heat-treated flour.
• Stir in any of desired mix-ins and enjoy! I love this dough freshly made, chilled, or even frozen!

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Optional add-in suggestions: coarsely chopped chocolate or chocolate chips, chopped mini Reese’s, coarsely chopped Reese’s pieces, coarsely chopped Nutter Butters, swirl of marshmallow fluff.

Note 2: Heat treat flour in the microwave: Add the flour to a microwave-safe bowl. I recommend heat treating more than the recipe calls for (1/2 to 1 cup extra) to ensure you have enough. Microwave on high in bursts of 30 seconds, stirring between each burst. Take your time to make sure none of the flour burns or clumps. Use a thermometer to test the flour in a few places to make sure it has reached 165°F throughout all the flour.

Note 3: Heat treat flour in the oven: Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line a large sheet pan (with sides) with a nonstick liner or parchment paper. Spread flour on the pan (treat 1/2 to 1 cup more than you’ll use). Bake the flour, removing and stirring it, every 1 and 1/2 minutes. Every time you remove the flour to stir, test it with the thermometer. As soon as it reaches 165°F, it’s safe. (This takes about 3–6 minutes in my oven.)

Storage: Keep this cookie dough in the fridge for up to 5 days. To freeze, divide the dough into portions, wrap each tightly with plastic wrap, and place them in an airtight bag or container in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 437kcal | Carbohydrates: 31.5g | Protein: 9.5g | Fat: 33g | Cholesterol: 43.5mg | Sodium: 140.6mg | Fiber: 2.2g | Sugar: 11.8g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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