Edible Cookie Dough Bars

Edible cookie dough bars are cookie dough bars that you can eat raw as they are kids safe with no raw eggs so you can eat as much of it as you want! With these bars you get raw cookie dough with chocolate chips and m&ms pressed into a pan. They then have a layer of chocolate ganache mixed with peanunt butter and they get chilled until firm and cut into small squares! So no baking is involved!

Making cookie dough safe to eat raw starts with heat-treated flour. It is important to note that raw flour can sometimes contain bacteria, but you can easily eliminate those pathogens by putting the flour in the microwave or the oven for a couple of minutes. Also, the dough does not include any eggs, so after treating the flour, the dough is safe to eat in any amount!

These bars are also very decadent. An 8×8 pan makes 30-40 bites size bars. Most people have 2-3. Perfect for a dessert tray, party, or even frozen. They keep great and are always gone!

Ingredient Breakdown

**Butter that has not been mixed with salt** (1 cup, softened) Two sticks that have been softened to room temperature. This is important because if it is too cold, the butter will not be able to be mixed and it will create a lumpy dough. If it is softened, it should give a little when pushed, but it should not be melted or greasy. If you forgot to set it out, cut the sticks into tablespoon sized pieces and give it 20 minutes on the counter.

Brown sugar (1 cup, packed) Light brown sugar. The reason cookie dough tastes like cookie dough is because of the molasses in brown sugar. Don’t use white sugar; you’d be replacing the flavor. Packed means to push it down firmly into the measuring cup.

Vanilla extract, (2 tsp. Pkg.) Real vanilla, not imitation. Vanilla is the most dominant flavor in the dough. It’s cheap to skimp on vanilla. A full 2 teaspoons is warranted — don’t cut back.

All-purpose flour (2.5 cups, heat-treated)
Heat-treating is not optional. Raw flour can carry E.

coli. Microwave it for 1 minute and 15 seconds, stirring every 15 seconds, or spread on a sheet pan and bake at 350°F for 5 minutes.

The flour needs to reach 160°F. Let it cool completely before adding to the dough — warm flour melts the butter and ruins the texture.

Sweetened condensed milk (one 14-ounce can). One standard can – NOT evaporated milk. They may look the same on the shelf, but they are completely different products. Eagle Brand is the standard. Use the product as is, straight from the can. This replaces the eggs, and adds the moisture that holds the dough together.

Mini choco chips (1 cup) and mini M&Ms (1 cup) Mini sizes spread better in an 8×8 pan and give more mix-ins per bite. Full size is fine if that’s what you have — the recipe is the same, just less pieces per slice.

Smooth peanut butter (½ cup) and chocolate chips (½ cup) Use regular Jif or Skippy for the peanut butter — natural peanut butter doesn’t combine as smoothly with the chocolate. The topping is what transforms this from just cookie dough to real bars. Don’t miss it!

How to Make Edible Cookie Dough Bars

Step 1: Heat-treat the flour. Place 2.5 cups of flour in a microwaveable bowl. Microwave for 1 min and 15 sec, stirring at each 15 sec interval. When done, the flour should feel slightly warm to the touch and should smell faintly toasted. Allow to cool completely before using — warm flour will melt the fat in the butter mixture and the dough will become greasy.

Step 2: Get the pan ready. For an 8×8 inch baking pan, use parchment paper to line the 2 sides of the pan so that the paper extends above the rim of the pan. You’ll use the excess paper on the edges to lift the entire slab out after baking and cool the pan before cutting.

Step 3: Cream butter and sugar. Using an electric or hand mixer, combine softened butter and brown sugar for 2 to 3 minutes. The mixture should be fluffy, pale, and creamy. Next, add the vanilla and mix to combine. If this mixture looks like a separated, greasy mess, that means the butter was too warm.

Step 4: Combine ingredients. Add the cooled flour and the sweetened condensed milk alternately, mixing while on low speed. The cooled flour will be added in 3 parts, and the sweetened condensed milk will be added in 2 parts. The dough needs to be cohesive, and it should feel soft and not sticky when you pinch it between your fingers.

Step 5: Make sure the M&Ms and chocolate are well combined. Use a spatula to fold in the mini chocolate chips and mini M&Ms until evenly distributed.

Step 6: Pack the dough into the pan. Move the dough over to the pan and press down until it’s flattened to an even thickness. You can use a flat-bottomed glass or a measuring cup. Make sure it reaches the corners and edges. The dough also needs to be compact or it won’t slice cleanly later.

Step 7: Rest the dough layer. For a minimum of 3 hours cover and refrigerate the dough until it is firm. This step is not one you should rush. The dough needs to be completely chilled and set. If not, when you add the hot topping, the topping will sink and mix with the dough.

Step 8: Prepare and apply the topping. In a microwave-safe bowl, mix the peanut butter and chocolate chips. Microwave in 30-second intervals. Stir after each interval and continue until smooth. Pour on top of the chilled cookie dough and spread it evenly. The topping will be warm, so work quickly and don’t be too hands-on with it, or you’ll lift the dough underneath.

Step 9: Final chill and slice. Refrigerate for at least 1 more hour until the topping is fully set. When ready to slice, lift the slab out using the parchment paper to pull over, place the slab onto a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to slice the slab. Remember to wipe the knife after each cut to ensure the edges are clean. You can serve the dish cold or at room temperature.

Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

You can keep these in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 week at the most. You can also freeze these for 3 months. Be sure to put a piece of parchment paper between each layer in a freezer-safe container. You can eat these right out of the freezer, or to make it easier, let it sit in the fridge for an hour to thaw. You can make these 4 days in advance for parties.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do I need to heat treat the flour? Because flour can carry harmful bacteria, such as E. coli. This isn’t just a theoretical concern — the CDC has given out warnings and even recalls involving products with raw flour. Plus, the microwave method takes only 90 seconds. It’s worth doing every time.

Is it possible to skip the heat-treatment step? Technically, yes, but it’s not the best idea. The chances of contracting a flour-borne illness are extremely low but possible. Microwaving the mixture for 90 seconds gets rid of that risk. Don’t skip this step if you’re making this for children or if you’re going to a party where you don’t know the health situations of everyone involved.

Can I add eggs? Please don’t. Raw eggs pose an even greater risk than the traditional risk of eating cookie dough. In this recipe, sweetened condensed milk serves as an excellent binding agent, so there’s actually no need for eggs.

Can I use regular chocolate chips and M&Ms? Yes – but they don’t spread as evenly. For example, in the small bite-size squares you might have one bite that’s mostly dough and another that’s mostly chocolate. If you’re using a 9×13 pan and doubling the recipe, full-size (chocolate chips) works great.

What if my dough is too crumbly? If your dough is too crumbly, add an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk and mix it until the dough comes together. Different brands of flour absorb moisture levels differently. When you grab a piece of dough in your hand, it should hold its shape.

Is it possible to leave off the peanut butter chocolate topping? Sure, but it makes the bars feel more like a dessert. Without it, you basically just have a pressed-cookie-dough slab, which is really good, but feels more incomplete. The topping is also what gives the bars the clean look. If you want something a little less than the full ganache, feel free to drizzle a little melted chocolate on top.

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