Wonder if M&M-type cookies can be made dairy-free? How about egg-free? We’ve got you covered!
Thanks to a couple allergy-friendly candy companies, chocolate candy cookies are now possible for our food allergy family. And we couldn’t be happier.
See our recipe and quick video below!
My mother-in-law makes the most delicious M&M cookies at Christmas.
I sure enjoy them myself, but sadly, my kiddo with milk allergy could never try them.
Dairy-free, allergy-friendly M&M type candies have been on the wish list of food allergy families for years.
So when these colorful, candy coated chocolates finally came about for food allergy diets…
I could not wait to finally make these cookies for my kiddo!
Since these dairy-free chocolate candies can be quite pricey, though…
I had to find an easy way to really make them stretch when making cookies.
First, I whip up a batch of our regular chocolate chip cookie dough, including dairy-free chocolate chips.
Then instead of mixing the candies into the batter,
I simply place a few candies on the tops of the spoonfuls of chocolate chip cookie batter before baking.
This means no candies are hidden the cookies, that’s where the chocolate chips are.
The colorful candies are just on the tops of the cookies, as the stars of the show.
WHAT CHOCOLATE CANDIES ARE DAIRY-FREE
For years, the only brand of M&M type candies that we could safely have were made by No Whey.
They even make a yummy mint flavor.
So glad we can still get these!
And now we’ve found a new option made by YumEarth.
Allergy-friendly candy coated chocolate in plain, mint, and crunchy quinoa.
Both No Whey and YumEarth chocolate candies are made with natural food coloring.
So you won’t get the same bright colors you are used to with mainstream candy.
But I love that they are natural!
These totally work for our chocolate candy chocolate chip cookies.
And my kids don’t have to miss out anymore.
We think both brands taste comparable.
No Whey candies are just a bit larger.
Shop YumEarth chocolate candies here!
CHOCOLATE CANDY COOKIES DAIRY & EGG FREE
Makes 24 small cookies using a melon scoop or 18 larger cookies using a cookie scoop.
Here’s the dairy-free butter we use.
Here’s the organic vanilla extract we really like.
Here is how to make a flax egg if you can’t have real egg.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dairy-free butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg or 1 flax egg
1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
allergy-friendly candy coated chocolates
HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE CHIP & CANDY COOKIES
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Make 1 flax egg if not using real egg.
In a large mixing bowl,
beat together on low speed until creamy:
1/2 c. dairy-free butter
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Add 1 beaten egg or 1 flax egg to the wet mixture on low speed.
Mix in 1/2 tsp. baking soda and 1/4 tsp. salt.
Gradually add 1 c. flour, 1/4 cup at a time, on low speed.
Fold in 1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips.
Drop the cookie dough by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased, room temperature baking sheets. (affiliate link)
Press 3 dairy-free chocolate candies on top of each cookie before baking.
Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes or until golden brown on the middle oven rack.
Move the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
Store the cookies in an airtight container once cooled.
Hope you love these chocolate candy cookies as much as we do!
Click to see more holiday cookie recipes.
This was originally posted in January 2017.
Jessica Dillon
Sunday 8th of August 2021
I just discovered you’re site and I’m so excited! Thank you for taking your time to list your proven safe favorites. A real review from an allergy mom means so much.
Jamie Kaufmann
Wednesday 11th of August 2021
You are very welcome, Jessica. Hope you're on our email list for new recipes and food finds, too. We love helping. xo You can get on the email list at milkallergymom.com, our home page. We'd love to include you.
Stephanie
Monday 2nd of October 2017
Hi there! My daughter is dairy soy and egg free right now but also no sugar or substitutes, no honey or maple syrup either. Do you have any recipes along those lines and or that i can just omit the sugar? She doesn't know any different yet thankfully but also only can have banana as fruit and I can bake with unsweetened applesauce. Hopefully over the next few yrs some of this will change but that's her restrictions at the moment. Thanks so much! Stephanie
Jamie Kaufmann
Tuesday 3rd of October 2017
Hi Stephanie, sure, try banana or applesauce for the sugar and see if that works. :) Let me know!