Table of Contents

• Why You’ll Adore These Cookie Dough Cookies
• Essential Ingredients for Cookie Dough Cookies
• Crafting Perfect Homemade Edible Cookie Dough
• Step-by-Step Guide to Making Cookie Dough Cookies
• Expert Tips & Exciting Variations
• Storing Your Cookie Dough Cookies for Freshness
• Explore More Easy Cookie Recipes
• Full Cookie Dough Cookies Recipe Card

Why You’ll Adore These Cookie Dough Cookies

• Safe & Delicious Edible Cookie Dough: The star of these cookies is undoubtedly the homemade edible cookie dough. It’s a true game-changer, allowing you to indulge in that raw cookie dough craving without any of the worries associated with uncooked eggs or raw flour. By heat-treating the flour, we ensure it’s completely safe. Plus, this versatile edible cookie dough recipe is fantastic on its own – perfect for whenever a spontaneous cookie dough craving strikes! You can even make a larger batch to enjoy separately.
• Impressive Bakery-Worthy Appearance: These cookies don’t just taste incredible; they look like they’ve been whisked straight from the display window of a high-end bakery. Their substantial size, thick frosting, and charming edible cookie dough toppings give them a gourmet appeal – but without the hefty price tag. You’ll be amazed at how easily you can create such professional-looking treats right in your own kitchen using common pantry ingredients.
• Surprisingly Easy to Make: Despite their fancy appearance, these cookies are remarkably straightforward to prepare. The base is a classic, no-fuss sugar cookie dough that doesn’t require any chilling time, meaning you can go from craving to baking faster. The brown sugar buttercream frosting is also a standard, easy-to-master recipe. The addition of edible cookie dough is a simple step that adds immense flavor and visual charm, making this recipe accessible for bakers of all skill levels.

Essential Ingredients for Cookie Dough Cookies

Crafting these delectable cookie dough cookies requires a few simple, readily available ingredients. Below, I’ve provided some quick notes on the key components. For the comprehensive list of measurements and step-by-step instructions, please scroll down to the printable recipe card at the end of this post.

• Unsalted Butter: My preference for baking is always unsalted butter. This gives you complete control over the total salt content in your recipe, preventing your cookies from becoming too salty. Ensure it’s softened to room temperature for optimal creaming with the sugars.
• Sugars (Granulated & Brown): We use a combination of both granulated sugar and light brown sugar. Granulated sugar helps the cookies spread slightly and provides a crispier edge, while brown sugar is crucial for adding incredible moisture, depth of flavor, and that wonderfully chewy texture characteristic of a perfect sugar cookie. In the frosting, brown sugar is key to mimicking the rich, caramel notes found in actual cookie dough.
• Eggs and Vanilla Extract: Eggs act as a binder and provide structure and moisture to the cookies. Vanilla extract is essential for its warm, aromatic flavor. While vanilla paste can be a great substitute for a more intense vanilla flavor, I strongly advise against using artificial vanilla, as it can compromise the overall taste.
• Dry Ingredients (All-Purpose Flour, Baking Soda, Baking Powder, Salt): All-purpose flour forms the base structure of our cookies. Baking soda and baking powder are leavening agents that give the cookies their lift and soft crumb. Salt is vital for balancing the sweetness and enhancing all the other flavors in the cookie.
• Cornstarch: This is a secret ingredient for exceptional sugar cookies! Adding cornstarch to your cookie dough is a simple yet effective trick. It helps to create an incredibly soft, tender, and chewy interior while contributing to a slightly crispier exterior. It prevents the cookies from becoming too cakey and ensures that coveted bakery-style texture.
• Brown Sugar Frosting: The frosting for these cookie dough cookies is a rich, creamy brown sugar buttercream. It’s essentially a classic vanilla frosting, but with the clever addition of brown sugar. This subtle swap deepens the flavor profile, giving the frosting a distinct, irresistible “cookie dough” essence that perfectly complements the overall theme.
• Edible Cookie Dough: This is where the “double cookie dough” magic truly comes in! You can opt for a good quality store-bought edible cookie dough for convenience, or you can easily whip up a batch of homemade edible cookie dough (instructions provided below). I typically use edible chocolate chip cookie dough, but feel free to get creative with other flavors if you wish.
• Mini Chocolate Chips: These tiny chocolate morsels serve a dual purpose. They are stirred directly into the edible cookie dough for classic chocolate chip flavor and texture, and they also make a fantastic additional garnish, sprinkled over the frosted cookies for extra visual appeal and chocolatey goodness.

How to Heat Treat Flour Safely

If you’re making your edible cookie dough from scratch, one crucial step is to heat-treat the flour. This process is essential for food safety, as raw flour can sometimes contain harmful bacteria, such as E. coli. Heating the flour to 160ºF (71ºC) effectively kills off any potential bacteria, making it safe for use in no-bake recipes like our edible cookie dough. Fortunately, there are two incredibly easy and quick methods to achieve this:

• In the Microwave (My Preferred Method): This is by far the quickest and most convenient way. Simply place your raw all-purpose flour into a microwave-safe bowl. Heat it in short, 20-second intervals, stirring thoroughly after each interval, until a food thermometer inserted into the flour reaches 160ºF (71ºC). This usually takes about 60 to 90 seconds in total. Be sure to stir well to ensure even heating.
• In the Oven: Alternatively, you can heat-treat flour in the oven. Spread the desired amount of flour evenly in a thin layer on a baking sheet. Bake it in a preheated oven at 350ºF (175ºC) for approximately 5 minutes. After baking, allow the heat-treated flour to cool completely to room temperature before incorporating it into your edible cookie dough recipe. This step is crucial to prevent it from melting your butter or cooking other ingredients.

Crafting Perfect Homemade Edible Cookie Dough

Our homemade edible cookie dough recipe is designed to deliver all the beloved flavor and texture of classic chocolate chip cookie dough, but with the added peace of mind that it’s completely safe to eat. It uses many of the same foundational ingredients as our baked sugar cookies, ensuring a cohesive flavor profile across the entire dessert. The key differences are the use of heat-treated flour (as discussed above) and the exclusion of eggs and leavening agents, making it perfectly safe for raw consumption. We also fold in plenty of mini chocolate chips for that classic taste.

Once you’ve successfully heat-treated your flour and allowed it to cool, follow these simple steps to mix your delicious edible cookie dough:

• Combine the Wet Ingredients: In a mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter with both the brown sugar and granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. This step incorporates air, making the dough tender. Next, beat in the vanilla extract and milk until they are mostly smooth and well combined.
• Add the Dry Ingredients: Gradually stir in the cooled, heat-treated flour and a pinch of salt. Mix on low speed until the ingredients are just combined and the mixture starts to come together to form a cohesive dough. Be careful not to overmix. Finally, gently fold in the mini chocolate chips until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
• Chill and Shape: To prepare for decorating, roll the edible cookie dough into small, bite-sized mini balls. The size should be appropriate for topping your cookies. Once shaped, place these dough balls on a plate or baking sheet lined with parchment paper and chill them in the refrigerator. Chilling helps the dough balls firm up, making them easier to handle and ensuring they hold their shape beautifully when placed on the frosted cookies. They’ll be ready to adorn your cookies when you are!

Step-by-Step Guide to Making Cookie Dough Cookies

While your delightful edible cookie dough is chilling in the fridge, you can proceed with preparing, baking, and then expertly decorating these wonderfully chewy, soft-baked cookie dough cookies. Each step is designed to be straightforward, leading you to a truly impressive final product. For detailed, printable recipe instructions including precise measurements, please refer to the comprehensive recipe card located further down the page.

• Prepare the Cookie Dough (Wet Ingredients): Begin by creaming together the softened unsalted butter with both the brown sugar and granulated sugar in a large bowl until the mixture is light, fluffy, and well combined. This process incorporates air, which contributes to the cookies’ tender texture. Once smooth, beat in the vanilla extract and eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next.
• Incorporate Dry Ingredients (Cookies): In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add these dry ingredients to your wet mixture, mixing on low speed until just combined. It’s crucial not to overmix the dough at this stage, as overmixing can lead to tough cookies.
• Portion and Shape the Cookies: Using a cookie scoop or your hands, measure out 2-3 tablespoons of cookie dough per cookie. Roll each portion into a smooth ball. Place the cookie dough balls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat, ensuring ample space between each cookie for spreading. Gently press down on each cookie ball to flatten it slightly; this encourages even baking and creates a nice, thick cookie.
• Bake to Perfection: Preheat your oven to 350ºF (175ºC). Bake the cookies for 11-14 minutes, or until the edges are lightly set and appear dry, and the centers still look slightly soft. The key to a soft, chewy cookie is to avoid overbaking. They should not be heavily browned on top. Once baked, remove them from the oven and let them cool completely on the baking sheet before transferring them. They must be completely cool before frosting.
• Whip Up and Frost: While the cookies are cooling, prepare your brown sugar frosting. Combine all the frosting ingredients in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until it’s wonderfully smooth and creamy. If the frosting seems too thick, add a tiny splash more milk, a teaspoon at a time, until it reaches your desired spreadable consistency. Once the cookies are entirely cool, spread an even layer of this luscious frosting over the top of each cookie. I recommend frosting them in small batches so you can decorate them before the frosting has a chance to fully set.
• Decorate with Double Dough Goodness: Immediately after frosting a batch of cookies, it’s time for the final, delightful touches. Generously sprinkle the tops of the frosted cookies with mini chocolate chips. Then, carefully press 2-3 of your chilled mini edible cookie dough balls onto the surface of each cookie. This creates a stunning visual and delivers that incredible double dose of cookie dough flavor that makes these cookies so special.

Expert Tips & Exciting Variations

Achieving bakery-quality cookie dough cookies is easier than you think with these helpful tips and creative variations:

• Always Use Room Temperature Ingredients: This is a golden rule in baking, especially for cookies and frosting. For both the cookie dough and the edible cookie dough, you’ll need softened butter. Butter that’s at room temperature creams much more effectively with sugar, creating a light, airy base that contributes to a tender cookie and a smooth, lump-free frosting. If you happen to forget to take your butter out ahead of time, don’t worry! You can quickly soften it in the microwave by heating it in very short, 10-second bursts, being careful not to melt it completely.
• The Art of Not Overbaking: The secret to truly soft, chewy, bakery-style cookies lies in knowing when to pull them from the oven. You want the cookies to be just set around the edges and appear dry on top, but the very center should still look slightly soft or even a little underbaked. If the tops are visibly browned, you’ve likely overbaked them, resulting in a drier, crispier cookie rather than a soft one. Remember that not all ovens bake identically, so it’s always a good practice to start checking your cookies at the earliest suggested baking time and adjust as needed.
• Experiment with Different Frosting Flavors: While our brown sugar frosting is a perfect match, feel free to customize! For a classic pairing, consider frosting these cookie dough cookies with a rich and creamy chocolate frosting. Another exciting option is to make a “cookie dough frosting” by gently mixing your prepared edible cookie dough (perhaps slightly crumbled for easier spreading) directly into a spreadable vanilla or brown sugar buttercream, creating a textured frosting that’s bursting with cookie dough flavor throughout, rather than just using mini dough balls on top.
• Vary Your Chocolate Chips: Instead of just mini chocolate chips, try using a mix of milk, dark, or white chocolate chips in both the edible cookie dough and as a garnish. Peanut butter chips or even a sprinkle of chopped toffee bits could also add an interesting twist.
• Add a Pop of Color: For special occasions or holidays, incorporate colorful sprinkles onto the frosting along with the edible cookie dough balls. This adds a festive touch and makes them even more appealing.
• Consider Sandwich Cookies: Take these a step further by making them into large cookie dough sandwich cookies! Frost the bottom of one cookie, place edible cookie dough and chips, then top with another cookie. This is a truly extravagant treat! (You can find a specific recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Sandwich Cookies for more ideas).

Storing Your Cookie Dough Cookies for Freshness

To keep your delicious cookie dough cookies fresh and tasting their best, proper storage is key, especially due to the creamy frosting and edible cookie dough toppings:

• Refrigerate for Up to 3 Days: Because of the dairy-based frosting and the edible cookie dough, it is highly recommended to store these cookies in the refrigerator. Place the cooled, frosted cookies in an airtight container. This will help maintain their freshness and prevent the frosting from becoming too soft. When you’re ready to serve, I suggest taking them out of the fridge about 30 minutes to an hour beforehand, allowing them to come to room temperature. This brings out the best in their texture and flavor.
• Freezing Baked, Unfrosted Cookies: If you’re looking to prepare these cookies in advance or simply want to save some for later, you can freeze the baked, unfrosted sugar cookies. Allow the cookies to cool completely after baking. Then, arrange them in a single layer in an airtight freezer-safe container or a heavy-duty freezer bag. They can be frozen for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to enjoy them, simply thaw the cookies at room temperature before proceeding with frosting and decorating them as usual. This is a fantastic way to enjoy fresh cookie dough cookies whenever the craving strikes!
• Freezing Edible Cookie Dough: The homemade edible cookie dough can also be frozen separately. Roll it into small balls as instructed, then freeze them on a parchment-lined baking sheet until solid. Once frozen, transfer them to an airtight freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge for a few hours or at room temperature for a shorter time before using.

Explore More Easy Cookie Recipes

If you’ve enjoyed making these incredible cookie dough cookies, you’re sure to love these other simple and delicious cookie recipes from our collection:

• Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Sandwich Cookies
• Reese’s Peanut Butter Cookies
• S’mores Cookies
• Decadent Brownie Cookies
• Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Sweet Frosted Churro Cookies