We Asked Experts Whether Eating Cookie Dough Was Safe Or Not

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We've probably persisted anyway because we don't personally know anyone who's died from it, and well, that probably means it's safe, right?

I turned to three experts to get to the bottom of the matter: Peter Cassell, an FDA rep, Kelly Reynolds, a germ expert and health professor at the University of Arizona, and Cara Conaboy, Head of Pastry at NYC's The Spaniard.

People are pretty aware that raw eggs are dangerous for you because they may contain salmonella. However, according to a recent FDA update, consumers should also be aware that raw cookie dough carries additional risks, such as harmful strains of E. coli in the uncooked flour.

To get a sense of that risk, here's a stat for you: In 2016, dozens of raw cookie dough-eaters across the country were sickened by a strain of E. coli.

If you didn't know, flour is a field ingredient that is highly processed and can harbor bacteria. Meaning, even when a recipe doesn't even use eggs or uses pasteurized eggs, the flour in the dough itself carries a risk of illness.

And what are the risks? According to Dr. Reynolds, symptoms of infection include "stomach illness, diarrhea, vomiting and flu like symptoms. Some strains of E. coli also produce a powerful toxin that can result in bloody diarrhea, kidney damage and organ failure." Yikes.

If you're still dead set on eating raw cookie dough but don't want to flirt with death, Conaboy suggests toasting raw flour at 350°F for 5 minutes to make it safe, and using it in an eggless recipe. Clearly this isn't the funnest workaround, but sometimes you wanna have your cake (ahem, raw cookie dough) and eat it too.

If you're into the soft and creamy texture of raw dough, you could also try baking softer cookies. Just make sure the dough gets baked at 300-400°F for at least 10 minutes.

Of course, the time to reach the appropriate internal temperature depends on the consistency of the product, moisture level, oven temperature and microwave wattage. As Conaboy suggested, toasting raw flour at 350°F for 5 minutes will usually get your flour or raw dough to the internal temperature of 160°F.

Let's make it clear: Eating raw cookie dough carries real, proven health risks. And indulging in the practice is kind of like driving without a seat belt on — if you're still alive, it's not because taking caution is unnecessary, it's because you've been lucky and haven't gotten in a car accident yet.