Vegan M&M Cookies
Deliciously chewy vegan cookies packed with colorful M&Ms for a sweet treat!
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- Total time
- 30 minutes
- Makes
- 12 cookies
- Oven
- 350°F
- Ingredients
- 8
About these cookies
These vegan M&M cookies have crisp, lightly golden edges, soft chewy centers and bright candy-coated chocolate in every bite. Melted coconut oil and maple syrup take the place of butter and eggs, and brown sugar gives them a deep caramel flavor. You only need two bowls and no mixer, and they go from bowl to cooling rack in about 30 minutes. That makes them an easy pick for bake sales, birthdays or a quick weeknight treat.
Steps
- Tap a step to check it off.
Tips for success
- Let the melted coconut oil cool until it's just warm before mixing it with the maple syrup and vanilla. If it's hot, the candy shells can melt and streak when you fold them in.
- Spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off instead of scooping straight from the bag. Too much flour makes these cookies dry and cakey instead of chewy.
- If the dough feels oily or too soft to scoop, chill it for 15–20 minutes. This firms up the coconut oil, so the cookies spread less and bake up thicker.
- Hold back a small handful of the vegan M&Ms and press them into the tops of the dough balls before baking. This keeps the colorful candy on show in the finished cookies.
- Take the cookies out at 10–12 minutes, as soon as the edges turn slightly golden, even if the centers still look soft. They'll set on the baking sheet during the 5-minute rest.
Swaps
- Vegan butter: swap the coconut oil for the same amount of melted vegan butter. You'll get a richer, buttery flavor, and the cookies will spread a little more because vegan butter contains some water.
- Agave syrup: use it in place of the maple syrup in the same amount. The flavor is more neutral and the cookies brown slightly faster, so start checking them at 10 minutes.
- Dairy-free dark chocolate chips: use 1 cup instead of the vegan M&Ms. You'll lose the candy crunch and color, but the cookies will taste more like classic chocolate chip cookies.
- Coconut sugar: use it in place of the brown sugar in the same amount. The cookies come out a little less chewy and darker, with a toffee-like flavor. If you stick with brown sugar, choose one labeled vegan, because some cane sugar is processed with bone char.
Storing
Keep the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months, or freeze scooped dough balls and bake them straight from frozen at 350°F (175°C), adding 1–2 minutes to the baking time. To bring back that fresh-baked softness, warm the cookies in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 2–3 minutes.
