If you’re a fan of no bake desserts, you’ll want to read this quick and easy tutorial! Learn how to heat treat flour in just minutes, in your oven or microwave.
Learn why your flour should be heat treated if you’re not going to bake it, and learn how to quickly and safely walk through the process.
Who doesn’t love to sneak a bite of raw cookie dough before it heads into the oven? I’m guilty, I’ll fully admit it!
That doesn’t mean it’s a good practice, of course. Did you know that the raw egg in your dough isn’t the only thing you should be concerned about when you sneak that spoonful?
Flour can be hiding bacteria, too. That’s why heat treating will help you create safe no-bake desserts! Ensure you’re creating safe desserts with this simple technique.
I’m a big fan of no bake desserts. In fact, I recently shared a complete recipe guide featuring all the best No Bake Dessert Recipes – don’t skip it!
My edible cookie dough recipe is a reader favorite around here. Have you tried it? It’s worth every delicious calorie, I promise!
Of course, it’s up to every individual whether or not they take the steps to heat treat flour in no bake recipes. However, I think it’s important to share this information so you can make an educated decision for your own family!
Can You Eat Raw Flour?
Well, yes. But should you?
If you’ve ever made a no bake recipe that requests flour (or even a box of cake mix) you might want to heat treat the flour!
According to the FDA, raw flour can potentially contain harmful bacteria. This includes salmonella, E. coli and more.
While it’s rare, it’s something to keep in mind if you’re creating a no bake dessert that includes flour. We are all risk-averse in our own ways, so this quick step is simply an option to ensure you’re serving the safest treats possible!
Here’s What You Need:
- Oven or Microwave
- Sheet Pan or Microwave Safe Bowl
- Parchment Paper (for the sheet pan – not necessary for microwave)
- Food Thermometer
- Flour (or Cake Mix)
How to Heat Treat Flour in Oven
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Bake in two minute intervals, stirring in between to ensure the flour doesn’t burn.
- With a thermometer, ensure the flour has reached a temperature of 165 degrees.
How to Heat Treat Flour in Microwave
- Place the flour in a microwave safe bowl.
- Heat in microwave (on high heat) in 30 second intervals, stirring in between.
- After 1-2 minutes in microwave, use a thermometer to ensure flour has reach 165F.
Tips
- Heat treating is used for unbleached or bleached flour.
- Use a sheet pan with sides, not a cookie sheet. Lining the sheet pan with parchment paper also makes for easier clean up.
- Stir the flour frequently, whether you’re heat treating in the microwave or the oven. This prevents burning!
- Before using in any of your no bake recipes, ensure the heat treated flour is completely cooled through – this usually takes around 20 minutes, depending on the temperature of your home.
- In a rush? Put your heat treated flour in the fridge for a few minutes to cool it down before using.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re baking the flour in cakes, cookies and the like, then no, you don’t need to heat treat it! However, if you’re using flour in a no-bake dessert, you might want to heat treat your flour first.
Every individual needs to consider the pros and cons of eating raw (uncooked) flour. Heat treating your flour will safely eliminate any bacteria that remains from processing the grains.
Do you have a no bake recipe that requests cake mix – for example, this funfetti cheeseball? If so, yes! You’ll heat treat it just like you would the flour in these step by step directions.
Yes, you can! There are a few companies that sell flour that has been heat-treated and is safe to serve in your no-bake recipes.
How to Store
You can store heat treated flour in an air tight container in your pantry for up to one year! It’s easy to make it ahead and grab it for your no-bake recipes.
Where to Use Heat Treated Flour
Here’s a few fun suggestions of our favorite recipes that request flour or cake mix!
- Bunny Funfetti Dessert Cheeseball
- Flag Funfetti Dessert Cheeseball
- Funfetti Dessert Snowman Cheese Ball
- Edible Cookie Dough
- Cookie Dough Pie
- Rudolph Nose No Bake Christmas Treats
More Cooking and Baking Guides
How to Heat Treat Flour
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour or cake mix
Instructions
How to Heat Treat Flour in the Oven
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Bake in 1-2 minute intervals, stirring well in between to ensure the flour doesn’t burn, for up to 4-5 minutes total.
- With a thermometer, ensure the flour has reached a temperature of 165 degrees.
How to Heat Treat Flour in the Microwave
- Place the flour in a microwave safe bowl.
- Heat in microwave (on high heat) in 30 second intervals, stirring in between.
- After 1-2 minutes in microwave, use a thermometer to ensure flour has reach 165F.
Julie’s Tips
- Heat treating is used for unbleached or bleached flour.
- Use a sheet pan with sides, not a cookie sheet. Lining the sheet pan with parchment paper also makes for easier clean up.
- Stir the flour frequently, whether you’re heat treating in the microwave or the oven. This prevents burning!
- Before using in any of your no bake recipes, ensure the heat treated flour is completely cooled through – this usually takes around 20 minutes, depending on the temperature of your home.
- In a rush? Put your heat treated flour in the fridge for a few minutes to cool it down before using.
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
