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Hello! I’m Anjali. I’m a board certified health coach, author, wife, mom and food lover from the SF Bay area (now living in Seattle, WA!); with a passion for delicious food and a desire to make healthy eating easy, tasty and fun! Learn more about me here and stay for a while!

Anjali Shah

Vegan Cookie Dough (Gluten-Free!)

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This vegan cookie dough recipe is totally irresistible! Grab a spoon, and dig in! Made with almond flour, coconut oil, maple syrup, and vegan chocolate chips, this edible, healthy cookie dough recipe is made with all-natural ingredients and has no raw flour or egg. Perfect for kids, afternoon treats, and late-night snacking. It’s the ultimate no-bake treat!

A side shot of a small cup of edible vegan cookie dough on the counter with chocolate chips, a spoon, and other cups of cookie dough.

Calling all cookie dough lovers! Are you guilty of licking the spatula when making chocolate chip cookie dough? I know I am! It’s so irresistible! The cookie dough is sometimes even better than the finished baked cookies!

However, eating raw cookie dough is not such a good idea. Raw eggs and raw flour (commonly found in cookie dough recipes) contain potential bacteria that can do quite a number on your tummy!

That’s why I created this edible vegan cookie dough recipe that uses all-natural, safe, and simple ingredients! It’s a gluten-free and eggless cookie dough that tastes just as good as traditional cookie dough. And the best part: you can enjoy this no-bake dessert guilt-free and not have to worry about a potential upset stomach!

It’s the perfect sweet treat to cuddle up with under a warm fuzzy blanket, sit back, and watch your favorite movie! Simple and quick to prepare using common healthy ingredients, you can whip up this healthy edible cookie dough recipe and satisfy your sweet tooth in just 15 minutes!

An overhead shot of a small cup of vegan cookie dough.
  • Short Ingredient List: All you will need is 7 common pantry ingredients. No leavening agents or vegan butter is needed!
  • Allergy-Friendly: Not only is vegan edible cookie dough free of any animal products, but it is also gluten-free and made without all-purpose flour or wheat flour! 
  • Safe: There are no potential harmful bacteria in these scoops! Just pure, un-adulterated sweet treat bliss! 
  • One-Bowl Recipe: No multiple bowls, expensive tools, hand mixers, or complicated techniques here! All you need is a large bowl, spatula, measuring cups, and measuring spoons to whip up this delicious treat!
  • So Tasty! Everyone won’t be able to get enough of this recipe! It really is the best vegan cookie dough ever!

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🥘 Ingredients

This vegan edible cookie dough recipe is made with just 7 ingredients that are commonly found at most grocery stores! Read on to see what you will need. For detailed instructions and quantities, see the recipe card below.

All of the ingredients for vegan edible cookie dough on the counter.
  • Almond Flour: Unlike wheat-based flour, almond flour is perfectly okay to eat raw. It is made from blanched almonds ground into a fine flour-like consistency. It’s very light, has a nutty flavor, and is the main ingredient for this recipe. Do not substitute almond meal as it is too heavy and dense. You can, however, substitute coconut flour. And if you have a nut allergy, you can use oat flour. Oat flour is also safe to eat raw, and the consistency of it works well in this recipe.
  • Chocolate Chips: To keep this recipe vegan use either dark chocolate chips or vegan chocolate chips. If you are not concerned about making this recipe plant-based you can also use semi-sweet chocolate chips. 
  • Coconut Oil: Make sure that the coconut oil is softened to room temperature but not liquid. This will help to bind all of the ingredients together. If possible, I recommend using organic coconut oil.
  • Almond Milk: Choose your favorite variety of unsweetened and unflavored plant-based milk. I love to use almond milk, though you can also use oat milk or soy milk. 
  • Maple Syrup: Adds sweetness and light brown sugar-like notes to the almond flour cookie dough. If you do not have pure maple syrup, you can also use coconut sugar, organic cane sugar, agave syrup,  light brown sugar, or even honey. If using honey, however, the recipe will no longer be vegan. 
  • Vanilla Extract and Sea Salt: The sweet and warm notes of pure vanilla extract bring out the natural flavor of the other ingredients while the sea salt balances the sweetness. Opt for fine sea salt for the best flavor.

You’ll never believe how easy it is to make this delicious plant-based and gluten-free cookie dough! Here’s how to do it: 

Mix The Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine almond flour, coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and sea salt. Mix with a rubber spatula until ingredients form a crumbly consistency.

A mixing bowl of almond flour, coconut oil, and maple syrup.

Add Milk: Add the almond milk and stir well to combine.

An overhead shot of a mixing bowl of the almond flour cookie dough with a wooden spoon.

Fold In Chocolate Chips: Fold in the chocolate chips until they are completely combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

A glass mixing bowl with the almond flour cookie dough and chocolate chips.

Chill: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill it for 30 minutes in the fridge.

An overhead mixing glass mixing bowl of the vegan edible cookie dough with chocolate chips.

Serve: Scoop the edible gluten-free cookie dough into eight small bowls and enjoy!

A side shot of a small glass cup of edible vegan cookie dough.

💭 Expert Tips

  • Mini Chocolate Chips: Use mini-chocolate chips (vs. regular) for an even distribution of chocolate.
  • Stir In Nut Butter (Optional): Add in 1-2 tablespoons of creamy peanut butter, almond butter, or even cashew butter for a more nutty flavor.
  • Don’t Skip The Chill Time: This is important for helping the ingredients hold together, and giving this cookie dough the right consistency. That way it will feel like the same texture as real cookie dough when you’re eating this!
  • Hand Mix: Don’t blend the ingredients with an electric mixer! Use a spatula or spoon. The dough is delicate and doesn’t need any beating.

📖 Variations

  • Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough: For peanut butter cookie dough, use equal parts peanut butter powder and almond flour and follow the recipe directions as listed.
  • Cookie Dough Balls: Make little cookie dough bites for snacking, adding to ice cream, and more! Use a small cookie scoop or spoon to scoop and roll out little balls of cookie dough. Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and freeze for 6-8 hours or overnight. Move the cookie dough balls to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Enjoy individually frozen, sprinkle onto vegan ice cream, or fold into homemade cream to make cookie dough ice cream!
  • Cookie Dough Truffles: Make vegan truffles fit for a holiday cookie tray by scooping, rolling, and freezing the cookie dough as directed above. Once frozen, melt ½ cup of vegan chocolate chips with 1 teaspoon of coconut oil over low heat in the microwave, or until melted and smooth. Dip the balls of cookie dough into the melted chocolate, turning it to cover, or until completed enrobed in chocolate. Transfer the balls to a wire cooling rack and let rest until the chocolate is completely set. 
  • Healthy Chickpea Cookie Dough: Use 1 cup of garbanzo beans and 1/3 cup of almond flour as the base for this recipe, adding the rest of the ingredients together as directed. Blend them together in a food processor instead of stirring them together in a bowl. 
  • Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough: Just add 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder to the almond flour mixture for a doubly delicious chocolate treat! 
  • Vegan Protein Cookie Dough: To amp up the protein in this recipe, add 1-2 tablespoons of nut butter and 1 scoop of your favorite vegan protein powder! I like using chocolate or vanilla-flavored protein powders since they go well with the flavors in this recipe.

🍽 Serving Suggestions

Scoop the dough into small classes and serve with spoons for enjoying. Serve the treat cups with glasses of milk, coffee, or even oat milk hot chocolate. Not only does this recipe satisfy an afternoon sweet craving, but it is also great for kids’ play dates, family movie nights, and more! 

🫙 Storage Directions

  • Refrigerator: Store leftover cookie dough in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. 
  • Freezer: The dough can also be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
  • Defrost: When ready to enjoy, defrost frozen cookie dough in the refrigerator overnight or until thawed through.

Recipe FAQs

Is there a safe cookie dough to eat?

It depends! Cookie dough recipes with raw eggs or non-heat-treated flour can contain bacteria, which makes them unsafe to eat raw. However, this edible cookie dough is vegan (egg-free) and made with almond flour, meaning that it is safe to eat raw. 

When wondering if other cookie dough, whether homemade or store-bought, is safe to eat, always check the ingredient list to make sure there are no eggs or raw flour included.

If you’re making homemade edible dough from a regular cookie dough recipe, replace the egg with milk and substitute almond flour for the wheat flour or heat-treat flour in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until the internal temperature reads 160 degrees F. 

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN REGULAR COOKIE DOUGH AND EDIBLE COOKIE DOUGH?

Edible cookie dough, unlike regular cookie dough, uses ingredients that are gentle on the stomach, and perfectly safe to eat in their raw form. For example, edible cookie dough does not include any raw egg, or raw flour that will irritate your stomach and could give you food poisoning.

Can I bake this vegan cookie dough?

No, if you bake this cookie dough it will not turn out well. This dough is not meant to be baked. It’s meant to be eaten raw and chilled. Baking the dough will likely result in a soft cookie that doesn’t hold together.

Sprinkling chocolate chips onto the small glass of vegan edible cookie dough.

🍪 More Delicious Vegan Dessert Recipes!

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healthy cookie dough recipe in a glass jar
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4.96 from 22 votes

Vegan Cookie Dough (Gluten-Free!)

This vegan cookie dough recipe is totally irresistible! Grab a spoon, and dig in! Made with almond flour, coconut oil, maple syrup, and vegan chocolate chips, this edible, healthy cookie dough recipe is made with all-natural ingredients and has no raw flour or egg. Perfect for kids, afternoon treats, and late-night snacking. It’s the ultimate no-bake treat!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 8
Calories: 191kcal
Author: Anjali Shah

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, combine almond flour, coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract and sea salt. Mix until ingredients form a crumbly consistency.
  • Add the milk and stir well again.
  • Fold in the chocolate chips until they stick into the mixture well.
  • Chill the mixture for 30 minutes in the fridge. 
    Divide evenly into four small bowls and enjoy!

Notes

Storage Directions
  • Refrigerator: Store leftover cookie dough in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. 
  • Freezer: The dough can also be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
  • Defrost: When ready to enjoy, defrost frozen cookie dough in the refrigerator overnight or until thawed through
Recipe Success Tips 
  • Mini Chocolate Chips: Use mini-chocolate chips for an even distribution of chocolate.
  • Stir In Nut Butter (Optional): Add in some creamy peanut butter, almond butter, or even cashew butter for a more nutty flavor.
  • Hand Mix: Don’t blend the ingredients with an electric mixer! Use a spatula or spoon. The dough is delicate and doesn’t need any beating.
  • Make Cookie Dough Balls (Optional): Make little cookie dough bites for snacking adding to ice cream, and more! Using a small cookie scoop or spoon, scoop little balls of cookie dough and roll until smooth. Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and freeze for 6-8 hours, or overnight. Move the cookie dough balls to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Enjoy individually frozen, sprinkle onto vegan ice cream, or fold into homemade cream to make cookie dough ice cream!
  •  
 

Nutrition

Calories: 191kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 298mg | Potassium: 18mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g

26 responses to “Vegan Cookie Dough (Gluten-Free!)”

  1. The texture is perfect, and I love that it’s made with all-natural ingredients. Definitely a must-try for all cookie dough lovers!5 stars

  2. man this is good. I chose to blend oats for the flour, so it turned out the chewy texture of a granola bar and now i have a delicious recipe for that. next time i’ll use well-ground flour though. the sweetness is perfect though and its pretty filling5 stars

  3. I thought this was really tasty, but a tad bit salty too. I think it would taste better if 1/2 teaspoon of salt was used instead of a full teaspoon.4 stars

    • Glad you liked this recipe Ava and thanks for the feedback! Personally, I liked it with 1 tsp salt, but I can see how the amount of salt needed might differ based on everyone’s preferences. I have updated the recipe with those notes – letting people know to start at 1/2 tsp and add more if needed! Thanks again!

  4. Do you think I could sub the almond milk for water? (Or organic whole milk?) I don’t have any almond or oat milk on hand 🙁

    • Hi Lindsey! I haven’t tried it with either water or organic whole milk, but of the two options I think organic whole milk would work better. The water will make it too runny and won’t have that creamy mouthfeel! Let me know how it turns out if you try it!

  5. Enjoyed this for an afternoon treat and it did not disappoint! Easy, quick and delicious! Exactly what I needed to cure my sweet tooth!!5 stars

  6. one of the things I miss the most about being gluten-free is not being able to eat cookie dough ice cream. Thank you for making this. Im going to make this over the weekend! Yummy!5 stars

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