The Surprising Ingredient in Raw Cookie Dough (Besides Eggs) That Could Make You Sick

Around age 3, I’d station myself at my Mom’s hip every time she was baking. Since I wasn’t quite ready to handle the mixer myself, she’d ask me to help with simple tasks like adding ingredients she had measured into the mixing bowl. Whether we were whipping up Mom’s signature snickerdoodles, her family heirloom oatmeal cookie recipe, or our annual cutout sugar cookie recipe to keep the holiday tradition going, I was reminded, “don’t eat cookie dough” due to the raw eggs.

But some rules were meant to be broken, right? Or at least bent. I admit that sometimes when she wasn’t looking, I’d steal a small bite, and after we finished scooping the last cookie onto the baking sheet, I’d lick the spatula while she put the pan in the oven. 

Now that I’m 37 and cooking, baking, and dining out as an adult, I sometimes still sneak bites of cookie dough. And, much to my Mom’s chagrin, I consume raw eggs in other forms like in Caesar dressing and homemade mayos, as poached eggs, and in cocktails that get their foamy crown courtesy of shaken egg whites.

Are raw eggs really that dangerous? I turned to the experts to find out. Along the way, I got an answer—and actually discovered another, and equally menacing, ingredient in raw cookie dough that offers more evidence about why we shouldn’t be sampling “tester” bites.

Is it Okay to Eat Raw Eggs?

“It’s not a myth that raw eggs might be unsafe to eat,” says Frances Largeman-Roth, RDN, a Dobbs Ferry, New York-based registered dietitian nutritionist and author of Everyday Snack Tray.

We recently shared more about why it’s unsafe to eat cracked eggs. However, even unbroken, clean, and fresh shell eggs may contain Salmonella Enteritidis bacteria, confirms Meredith Carothers, food safety specialist for the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service in Washington D.C.. A salmonella infection can lead to foodborne illness with symptoms including stomach cramps, fever, and diarrhea. 

“This can be quite dangerous for people with a compromised immune system, like the elderly, young children, and those who are pregnant,” Largeman-Roth says.

Eggs are washed and sanitized at the plants where they are processed, and are generally safe. But since they can carry the bacteria on their shells or inside a perfectly uncracked egg, it’s wise to always wash your hands after handling eggs and egg shells—and aim to cook the eggs before consuming.

Research suggests that only 1 in 20,000 eggs are contaminated with salmonella, but the risk is still real, Carothers says: “While the number of eggs affected is quite small, there are occasionally cases of foodborne illness and people should take care to reduce that risk when possible.”

Each year, about 79,000 Americans acquire salmonella infections related to eating raw or undercooked eggs, and 30 of those individuals die as a result, per FDA estimates.

If you’re planning to consume raw whole eggs, egg yolks, or egg whites, it’s wise to seek out pasteurized eggs. The heat introduced during pasteurization kills salmonella, so pasteurized eggs safely be used without cooking. All “egg products,” or egg items sold outside of their shell (like those cartons of egg whites), are pasteurized, according to the USDA. About 3% of in-shell eggs are pasteurized.

Another Surprising Reason Why Raw Cookie Dough is Unsafe to Eat

Raw eggs are the most common reason why consuming raw cookie dough is promoted as a risk. Still, there’s another ingredient in raw cookie dough (as well as other products—more on this below) that poses a serious health risk: Flour.

“Many people don’t realize this, but flour is actually raw,” Largeman-Roth says. 

In fact, one study found that only 13% of Americans know that raw flour poses a health risk, and 35% of those surveyed had eaten raw flour in the last year.

“The grains that are ground to make flour are grown in fields. Like all foods grown outdoors, they may be exposed to a variety of harmful bacteria like salmonella and pathogenic Escherichia coli (E. coli). Processing raw grains into flour does not kill any of this bacteria,” Carothers says. 

Remember, grains are grown outside, where they are exposed to potential pathogens that a bird or other animal might drop or deposit on them. Whether a grain is processed at a large facility or a small one close to your house, the same risk applies, Largeman-Roth adds.

Since 2009, foodborne illness cases involving raw flour or raw flour-containing products have led to 168 known illnesses and 20 hospitalizations, per the FDA.

All-purpose isn't the only potential raw grain of concern, explains Roxana Ehsani, M.S., RD, CSSD, is a Miami-based board-certified sports dietitian: “This would be the case for a lot of flours including all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, bread flour, spelt, gluten-free flours, and pastry flours. The only ones safe to consume raw or uncooked would be almond flour, coconut flour, and oat flour, as those are generally just ground almonds, coconut and oats, respectively. Double check their labels to examine the ingredients.”

Unless the packaging specifically states that the flour has been heat-treated, treat any type of flour as if it is raw just to be safest, Carothers recommends.

“In order to kill off these germs that can be picked up during its production, handling or processing, flour is safest to consume when it is baked or cooked at the recommended temperature,” says Molly Bremer, M.S., RD, a Washington D.C.-based registered dietitian and the founder of the virtual nutrition counseling private practice Mosaic Nutrition.

Other Places Raw Flour Might Be Hiding

Besides cookie dough, the experts we spoke to validate that raw flour might also be hanging out in:

• Cake batter 
• Brownie batters
• Pancake or waffle batters
• Raw bread dough
• No-bake desserts
• Homemade Play-Doh
• Cookie dough bites that are added to ice cream

Which Is More Dangerous: Raw Eggs or Flour?

Both raw eggs and raw flour contain potential bacteria that can cause serious potential illness, “so it’s hard to say which is more dangerous,” Carothers says. “The reality is that either one could make you sick.”

Since most people are familiar with the risk from eggs, but not the risk from raw flour, Largeman-Roth believes that flour might be the raw cookie dough culprit that’s unintentionally making more people sick.

It's wise to avoid eating or drinking both, if you can.

The Safest Way to Enjoy Raw Cookie Dough, According to Health Experts and Our Test Kitchen

“I am a big cookie dough lover, and recommend getting edible cookie dough from a store,” Bremer says. “These products are made with heat-treated flour and no eggs (or with pasteurized eggs). I can attest that they are still delicious!”

Some DIY edible cookie dough recipes are designed to be egg-free, and feature alternative flours such as coconut or almond. If you’re planning to consume raw cookie dough from one of your go-to recipes, seek out pasteurized eggs and heat-treat your flour. 

Our Choose-Your-Flavor Edible Cookie Dough comes with instructions for how to make “pasteurized all-purpose flour.” To make raw flour safe for eating, preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the flour evenly in a shallow baking pan, then bake it for 5 minutes. You can also heat-treat small batches (1 to 3 cups) of flour in the microwave. Place it in a heat-proof bowl and heat it at 30-second intervals until it reaches 160° F. Once cool, you’re all set to stir it into the cookie mixture.