There’s something so comforting about making a batch of chocolate chip cookies. The warmth of the oven; the sweet, vanilla scented aroma filling the kitchen. If you’re anything like us, you’ll have a particular fondness for the tried and tested, all American cookie shortcut: Nestlé Toll House. Nestlé’s ready-to-bake dough has been helping out busy parents and tired cooks for generations, and it remains popular for good reason. It’s quick, easy, and so delicious you can’t help but want to nibble on it before it hits the oven. Unfortunately, you’re not meant to eat Nestlé Toll House Refrigerated Cookie Dough raw -– and it can actually be unsafe to do so.
There’s been much debate over whether or not you can eat cookie dough before baking it, especially since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned people about the dangers of consuming uncooked flour in 2016 following an E. coli outbreak. While most of us were aware of the risks associated with raw eggs, the recalls of flours that year was a little shocking.
Like raw eggs, untreated flour can contain harmful bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella, which cause food poisoning. If present, these germs won’t be killed unless the flour is baked, which makes most raw doughs unsafe to eat. Some people continue to take the risk, but according to Nestlé, cookie dough should never be consumed raw. The company urges consumers to follow the baking instructions on every Nestlé Toll House Refrigerated Cookie Dough package.
Edible cookie doughs have been treated for safety
There are cookie doughs available that have been made with heat-treated flour and pasteurized eggs, and the Center for Disease Control says these are fine to consume raw. Just make sure to read the label to check what type of dough you’ve bought before trying it.
Edible cookie doughs are usually sold in special tubs or in packets containing bite-sized balls. Nestlé actually sells an edible, egg-free version of its Toll House cookie dough in pints, which are meant to be enjoyed by the spoonful whenever a craving hits. Cookie dough ice cream also usually contains this type of dough. In fact, Ben & Jerry’s paved the way for edible cookie dough with its classic ice cream flavor.
We tried the edible Toll House dough when we ranked eight of the best edible cookie dough brands; we can confirm it has a great texture, but it does taste a little buttery. However, if you want to make sure you don’t get sick, it’s worth ensuring you buy Nestlé’s edible cookie dough or make your own edible cookie dough for a delicious, perfectly safe sweet treat.
