Is Cookie dough / raw cake batter safe during pregnancy?

Eggs

Avoid raw dough and batter made with raw egg

The US FDA advises avoiding raw batter or cookie dough made with raw eggs; the US CDC lists raw dough or batter (with raw eggs or raw flour) as a riskier choice, and FSANZ lists raw doughs and batters containing egg as higher-risk. The FDA says store-bought cookie-dough ice cream is safe.[1,2,3]

What official sources say

US FDA: Dairy and Eggs (Food Safety for Moms-to-Be)

  • Avoid eating or tasting foods that may contain raw or lightly-cooked eggs, such as: Raw batter, filling, or cookie dough made with raw eggs[1]
  • "Is store-bought cookie dough ice cream safe to eat?": Yes, it's made from specially-produced cookie dough that's pasteurized, so eat on![1]

US CDC: Safer Food Choices for Pregnant Women

  • Raw or undercooked (runny) eggs, and foods that contain raw or undercooked eggs, such as: Raw cookie dough or raw batter[2]
  • Riskier Choice: Raw dough or raw batter made with raw (uncooked) flour[2]
  • Safer Choice: Dough and batter made with heat-treated flour and pasteurized eggs[2]

FSANZ: Food safety for vulnerable people

  • Higher-risk foods: Doughs and batters containing egg - raw (advice for vulnerable people, including pregnant women)[3]

Sources

  1. US FDA: Dairy and Eggs (Food Safety for Moms-to-Be) · fda.gov. US government work, public domain; quoted. No endorsement implied.
  2. US CDC: Safer Food Choices for Pregnant Women · cdc.gov. US government work, public domain; quoted. No endorsement implied.
  3. FSANZ: Food safety for vulnerable people · foodstandards.gov.au. © Food Standards Australia New Zealand, licensed under CC BY 4.0; quoted. No endorsement implied.

Sources checked 26 September 2026.

Quotes are checked word for word against each source page, and paraphrases against the original text. Official bodies are named as sources only: none of them reviewed or endorses this page.

Educational information, not medical advice. Your own doctor or midwife may advise differently for you — follow their advice.