Cooking with Kids

Make Your Own (Edible) Play Dough: 6 Fun Recipes

Need a perfect rainy day activity? Mix up some fun (and tasty!) edible play dough right in your kitchen, with ingredients you already have at home.

3 min read

Lisa Milbrand

Jul 09, 2024

Since toddlers put just about everything in their mouths, why not create something together in the kitchen that’s both yummy and fun? Our edible play dough recipes are easy to make with pantry staples you probably already have on hand and can be customized to your liking. So grab some safe, kid-friendly tools and get ready for a great-tasting good time.

*NOTE: While all five doughs in these recipes are edible (and downright delicious!), the FDA recommends against consuming raw flour(Opens in a new window). The good news? Our Marshmallow Play Dough, Vanilla Play Dough and Peanut Butter Play Dough recipes are flour-free. And if you want something tasty for your child to munch on while playing with the dough, set out some healthy snacks—like apple slices, whole wheat cheese crackers and homemade fruit roll-ups—in advance.

Edible Play Dough Recipes

Marshmallow Play Dough

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Fluffy, sweet marshmallows make the perfect base ingredient for this delicious, squishy dough. Make this recipe in a few different shades so that you have dough in fun accent colors to use in your creations.

Ingredients

Marshmallow Play Dough:

6 large marshmallows

2 teaspoons coconut oil

4 tablespoons cornstarch

Food coloring

Directions:

Warm the marshmallows and coconut oil in a microwave for 30 seconds.

Stir in a few drops of food coloring, using as many drops as needed to create the color you want.

Stir in the cornstarch.

When the dough is cool enough to handle, knead until pliable and soft.

If the dough still feels too sticky, add a little more cornstarch.

Fruit-Drink Play Dough

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Quench your desire to smash and knead with this juicy recipe for vibrantly-colored play dough.

Ingredients

Fruit-Drink Play Dough:

2 ½ cups flour

½ cup salt

2 small packages fruit-flavored drink-mix powder

2 cups boiling water

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions:

Mix together the dry ingredients.

Carefully add the boiling water and oil.

When the mixture has cooled, knead until combined.

Vanilla Play Dough

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Simple and scrumptious—you can’t go wrong with classic vanilla play dough.

Ingredients

Vanilla Play Dough:

1 cup store-bought icing (you pick the color!)

2 to 2 ¾ cups powdered sugar

A few drops of vanilla extract

Directions:

Put the icing in your mixer.

Slowly add in the powdered sugar until the dough is no longer sticky.

Add vanilla extract.

Blend until thoroughly combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go.

Peanut Butter Play Dough

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For the perfect combination of salty and sweet, this edible play dough recipe cannot be beat. Since this recipe can be a bit sticky, it’s probably a good idea to keep a mixing bowl of clean water and easy-to-access paper towel within reach—just in case!

Ingredients

Peanut Butter Play Dough:

1 cup smooth peanut butter

2 ¼ cups powdered sugar

Directions:

Mix the ingredients together well to form the dough.

Chill the dough in the fridge for 20 minutes to firm it up.

Simple Flour Play Dough

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This recipe makes a great basic play dough that can be customized by adding food coloring. For added oomph, pick up a package of neon colors like hot pink and chartreuse yellow.

Ingredients

Simple Flour Play Dough:

1 cup flour

¼ cup salt

½ cup warm water

Food coloring

Directions:

Stir the dry ingredients together.

Slowly add in warm water until the mixture achieves a dough-like consistency.

Add food coloring until you reach your desired color.

Keep stirring (and add more coloring if needed) until the dough reaches the right consistency and color.

Chocolate Play Dough

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This rich, chocolatey play dough pairs well with bright colors and lighter textures.

Ingredients

Chocolate Play Dough:

2 cups flour

1 cup salt

½ cup cocoa powder

2 tablespoons cream of tartar

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 cups boiling water

Directions:

Mix all the dry ingredients together.

Stir in the vegetable oil.

Add boiling water, and stir carefully.

Knead the dough once it has cooled.

Play Dough Add-Ins and Activities

Edible glitter, gold flakes and demerara sugar are great additions for adding a touch of sparkle to your dough. Or add sprinkles to give it a funfetti vibe.

Then break out a rolling pin, some cookie scoops and design disks , plus silicone baking cups, a muffin tin, a mat, a spatula and a dough scraper to make molding and creating with your dough even more fun.

To save the dough after playtime is over, stash it in the fridge in watertight, leakproof containers to keep it moist and pliable. if you made a bigger batch, put it into a larger airtight container.

Looking for more fun activities you can do with your kids in the kitchen? Then try this simple (but definitely NOT edible!) recipe for homemade slime, or get crafty with less mess by following these easy tips.

Additional reporting by Audrey D. Brashich.