Would you like to make the best no cook playdough? One that will last for months and doesn’t require stovetop preparation?
After making what I consider the best play dough recipe for a few years now without too many changes, I wanted to see if we could get the same results without using the stove.
I love drinking tea, and invested in an amazing BPA-free electric kettle, which seemed to be just the tool to take this play dough recipe off the stove top.
So I did some experimenting, and low and behold — if you want to go rogue, the original recipe can be even easier and still deliver the amazing dough that we all love. Here you go…
Supplies
- 1 1/4 cup salt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cream of tartar
- 2.5 cups flour
- 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1.5+ cups boiling water
- Food coloring or liquid watercolors. I’m a fan Sax Concentrated Liquid Watercolors and Wilton Icing Colors, which make gorgeous shades of play dough to match any occasion, mood, or toddler request.
Directions
- Mix the first three ingredients together
- Boil water
- Mix the water and oil together in a small bowl
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until the dough comes together.
If the dough is too dry, add a little bit of water.
Too sticky? First try kneading it longer to bring it all together. We live in a dry climate and didn’t have this problem, but I’ve heard from some folks in humid places that this dough is on the wet side for them. If that’s the case, try adding more flour. Lastly, try placing the dough in a pot and cooking it down on the stove. I know that makes it a “cook” recipe, but it should also do the trick.
Sound fantastic, my kids would crazy for it
[…] No-Cook Play dough recipe […]
Made this yesterday with my 4 year old granddaughter. It came out amazing! She thinks I’m the best Nana ever! I kneaded the dough on waxed paper to avoid staining the cutting board. It worked great! Thanks so much; I’m now a new fan of your site!
[…] Same ingredients as above, but with a different method, is used by Tinker Lab. She also has a no cook playdough recipe you can check out, although I personally prefer the […]
Can this recipe be used as air dry clay? Have my students make a simple sculpture and let it air dry?
This came out really soft and sticky. What do you recommend for that? It won’t even cut out shapes.
Hi Tiffany, It’s possible that humidity/air temperature could effect the final outcome. You might also need to knead it longer to bring it all together. If you have a stand-up mixer with kneading paddle, this could help. Last idea: you may have to put it on the stove (I know, that’s not why you’re using this recipe!) until it pulls together.
Does one need to wait for the dough to set up before kneading? After mixing then ingredients until the dough comes together it’s still like cake mix. What comes after? I feel like this page is missing the end of the recipe.
Hi Aubrey, Sorry to hear it’s not working for you. The key is for the water to be boiling and it should come together without a stickiness. It’s possible that humidity could effect the final outcome. Finally, try kneading it longer if it’s not quite there yet.
Wooohooo love this recipe, easy to make 🙂
I need to make about 2.5 kilos playdough. How many grams does this receipe make with the specified ingredients?
Hi Sar, you can search “pound to gram” or click to this link for some fast math on the conversion: https://www.rapidtables.com/convert/weight/pound-to-gram.html
After reading comments I used 1 1/2 cups of water and 3 TB oil looks perfect easy to work with for the kiddos also. Thank you for posting the how to I appreciate it.
[…] of tartar, which you can find in the spices section of your local supermarket. This recipe from Tinkerlab has the BEST texture, requires no cooking, keeps for up to six months if stored in an air tight […]
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I also used 1.5 cups of water and the dough came out very well. It was 70 degrees with 63% humidity where I was that day (just as a reference to others who may be considering lessening the amount of water in the recipe).
Thanks for sharing your experience with us, Devi.