No Bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bars ~ an easy no egg and no raw wheat flour recipe for cookie dough lovers of all ages. This stuff is safe and irresistible!
*NOTE: The FDA warns that while it is unlikely, eating raw flour can make you ill, therefore they recommend against eating raw cookie dough or other products made with uncooked all-purpose wheat flour. This recipe to use heat treated flour, oat flour, or fine almond flour for safety.
Eating cookie dough has gotten a bad rap lately, and for good reason. We all knew the risks of eating raw eggs, but did you also know that eating raw flour is dangerous? No treat, however delicious, is worth the risk of getting food poisoning, so I had to do some research to figure out a way to make a safe and delicious cookie dough bar.
raw flour facts:
Flour is classified as a minimally processed agricultural ingredient and is not a ready-to-eat product. Through the growing process, wheat can come into contact with harmful bacteria like E. coli or Salmonella via wild animal waste. If pathogens get into the wheat plant, they stay with the seed head in the milling process. When flour is used in baked products, the baking temperatures will generally inactivate any pathogens in the flour. However, harmful bacteria remain active in uncooked flour and when ingested will cause illness or worse. ~ source
how do we make cookie dough bars safe to eat?
- First we don’t use any raw eggs in these bars, so no worries there.
- We replace regular flour with one of three options: heat treated flour is flour that’s been heated to kill any potential pathogens. It’s not widely available, but if you love cookie dough, it’s worth tracking down. You can buy it here.
- You can also use non-wheat flours like oat flour, or finely ground almond flour, both of which are safe to eat raw.
what you’ll need for safe cookie dough bars
- butter ~ unsalted
- brown sugar ~ gives that great cookie dough flavor
- heat treated flour, oat flour, or almond flour
- sweetened condensed milk
- chocolate chips ~ both for the dough and the chocolate glaze
- vanilla extract
- salt
how to make cookie dough bars
- Cream the butter and sugar together with the vanilla.
- Blend in the flour alternately with the condensed milk until the dough is smooth.
- Fold in the chocolate chips;
- Spread evenly into a prepared baking pan.
- Chill until firm.
- Spread with melted chocolate to form glaze.
how to store cookie dough bars
The bars are best kept in the fridge until ready to serve, and best eaten while still chilled. The texture will be like fudge when cold, but will soften as it sits at room temperature.
Obsessed with cookie dough?
- No bake peanut butter chocolate chip cookie dough bars
- Chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream
- No bake cookies and cream cookie dough bars
- I want to marry you cookie dough bars.
No Bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bars
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups heat treated flour, oat flour, or fine almond flour Note: regular flour is not safe to eat raw., Buy heat treated flour here.
- 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk (no need to get out every last drop)
- 12 ounces or about 2 cups mini chocolate chips
frosting
- 12 ounce bag of semi sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Cream the butter and sugar and salt together until fluffy. I use my stand mixer, but you don’t have to. Just beat it really good so it’s light and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Mix in the vanilla extract.
- Beat in the condensed milk and the flour, alternately, mixing after each addition.
- Mix in the chocolate chips.
- Spray a 8×8 square baking pan with cooking spray and line it with parchment paper with long ends so you can lift out the bars for easy cutting later. You can skip the paper if you want to cut and serve them right out of the pan.
- Turn the dough out into the pan and pat down evenly with your hands. You may want to flour your hands as the dough is sticky. Smooth it out evenly, I used an offset spatula to finish the job.
- Cover and refrigerate until firm, (about 4 hours) or even overnight if you like. The texture will be similar to a fudge.
- To make the chocolate topping, put the semi sweet chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl or measuring cup and microwave for one minute. Stir, and then return to the microwave for short bursts of 15 seconds until the chocolate is totally smooth and melted. Don’t over heat.
- Let the chocolate cool for about 5 minutes, and then pour onto the dough. Spread out evenly. Return to the refrigerator until the topping is firm. Cut into 16 squares.
- Keep the bars in the refrigerator until ready to eat.
This looks great! I plan on making them tonight. Would it be okay to leave in the fridge overnight for 2 days? I need to make them in advance as I do not have the time with my busy schedule!
Thanks!
Sure Jessica, that would be fine.
These are awesome. After reading some of the reviews I made the following changes with the intention of making a double batch: I doubled everything except the condensed milk, brown sugar, and chips. I used one cup of brown sugar and one can of condensed milk, scraping out the can into the mixer, and 3/4 the bag of chips. I think I will drizzle the melted chocolate chips instead of spreading a layer. Love your website!
Thanks for that info ScienceDork, and I’m so glad you like these!
i made these yesterday and my DH loved them! I found them a little sweet and very rich, so next time I will cut down on the brown sugar and cut the chocolate down to 18 oz and split it between the base and topping. I also froze half of the squares for a later date! Kudos on a great find
Thanks so much Patti — I find them rich, too, I could only eat a little bit at a time 🙂
HI! I Was wondering if these can be frozen? I’m making some squares for my sisters wedding and these look delicious but I wanted to make them ahead of time!
I think this would freeze well, Anna.
Anyone ever try making these with stevia and at least part whole wheat flour? This sounds scrumptious, but diabetics need no white flour or sugar.
I haven’t tried that, but remember that the sweetened condensed milk also contains sugar, so that would also need to be changed.
This is obviously something diabetics shouldn’t eat then.
YUM!! Who doesn’t LOVE cookie dough?
Nobody I know 😉
Cookie dough is the best part of making cookies! These look so amazing!
These were really very, very good. The only thing different that I did was put 1/2 of the bag of mini chocolate chips in the mix and then melted the other half to put on the top. Being so sweet already I didn’t think we needed that much chocolate on top. I made these for my son who loves cookie dough and he said next time, don’t even put the chocolate on top. To each his own I guess. But, thank you – it’s a great recipe and I’ll be making it again.
thanks for the feedback Barbara ~ I liked it so much I’ve done a few variations already!
It would be ideal if your recipe didn’t call for using a microwave (I don’t have one), but I’ll just do it the old-fashioned way and melt my chocolate in a double-boiler.
Oh of course, Sandra, you can melt your chocolate however you like, and hope you enjoy the bars!
what brand of chocolate chip cookies did u use as topping? it has a very nice sheen as if it has been tempered
I usually use Nestle semi sweet or their dark chocolate chips and I’m always happy with the results, Priti. I’m pretty sure I used the dark chips here.
I get Hershey;s over here and they’re terrible. it hardens too fast before I can temper it…but I will look for Nestle’s at Spinneys!