Cookie Monster Goes Vegan for New Sesame Street Collab

Is the Cookie Monster going vegan? In short, yes! Partake Foods – the Jay-Z-backed vegan cookie brand – is collaborating with Sesame Street to debut two new cookie mixes. With the help of the Cookie Monster, Abby Cadabby, and Elmo, Partake’s new cookie mixes will be available nationwide, featuring the company’s two most popular flavors: Birthday Cake and Chocolate Chip.

Founded in 2016 by ex-Coca-Cola executive Denise Woodward, Partake launched with the core mission to create an allergen-free, consumer-friendly cookie recipe. Inspired by her daughter, Vivienne, who has been diagnosed with several food allergies, Woodward developed a mouthwatering cookie recipe without dairy, gluten, or GMOs.

The collaboration also aims to communicate the importance of inclusivity – consistently discussed during Sesame Street’s 53-year run and a message from the Black woman-owned vegan brand. Both Partake and Sesame Street aim to bring attention to food insecurity and how plant-based foods can offer a clear solution to a better, more accessible food system.

“Partake Foods is a champion of food inclusivity, a fighter for food insecurity, and a supporter of Black and female entrepreneurship—all of which we admire and celebrate,” Senior Vice President of Global Product Licensing at Sesame Workshop Gabriela Arenas said in a statement. “We’re proud to collaborate with them on this latest Sesame Street offering–bringing families together through the joy of baking and warm treats.”

Since 2016, Woodward’s plant-based cookie brand has attracted mainstream attention from vegan and non-vegan consumers nationwide. Her consumer-friendly cookie products help fuel a rapidly growing vegan confection market. For the first six months, Woodward sold her allergen-friendly cookies from her car. Now, her food company is helping propel the vegan confectionery market forward, an industry predicted to surpass $1.9 billion by 2027.

Partake’s products and facilities claim to be free from the top nine allergens including peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, wheat, milk, soy, fish, sesame, and shellfish. As the demand for allergy-friendly foods rises (with approximately 5.6 million children having a recorded food allergy), Partake’s products continue to become more popular. Currently, 8,000 retailers carry Partake products nationwide.

“When my daughter Vivi was diagnosed with food allergies, I started Partake so she would have delicious, better-for-you snacks to share that she and her friends without food allergies would enjoy,” Woodward said in a statement. “When I think of brands who share this strong commitment to inclusivity, Sesame Street is at the top of that list. I am honored to create these limited-edition Cookie Baking Mixes in partnership with a brand that has taught generations the importance of friendship, kindness, and sharing.”

Before the Sesame Street stars joined Partake, Jay-Z and Rihanna both invested in the noteworthy allergen-free cookies. Last year, Partake closed its Series A funding round with over $4.8 million, featuring investments from Jay-Z's Marcy Venture Partners and Rihanna. Other investors included Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner, Black Star Fund, and Black Capital’s Kevin Johnson.

With the investment, Partake has managed to expand both its product portfolio and its distribution range. The limited-edition Sesame Street baking mixes will join the extensive cookie selection, including crunchy and soft-baked cookies in flavors such as Cookie Butter, Double Chocolate, and Ginger Snap. Partake has also developed pizza dough mix, waffle and pancake mixes, blondie mix, and baking kits for brownies. All products feature allergen-free and vegan ingredients. The Sesame Street line will be available on Partake’s website for $7.99 per two boxes.

Califia Farms Almond Creamer is made with real almonds and coconut cream to give a rich, full-flavored texture and has 2 grams of added sugar. The consistency is so thick it’s more like a heavy cream rather than a creamer substitute. Regardless, it froths up well and is very creamy. The almond taste is noticeable but the creamer isn’t bitter or grainy. You don’t need to use a lot of it; a little goes a long way!

Silk Original Dairy-Free Original Soy Creamer has only 1 gram of added sugar, but sadly it does not froth up well when I heated it due to a thinner, more watery consistency. It didn't combine well with coffee, no matter how much was added. Because of the underwhelming flavor, this was my least favorite.

This Natural Bliss Coconut Milk Creamer/Sweet Cream is the best one I’ve found for both frothing and taste, especially if you miss the consistency and flavor of half-and-half. It’s creamy and has a hint of coconut, but no overwhelming coconut flavor. Note: it is made with pea protein, unlike the other ones, which is probably why it’s thicker. Always check ingredients if you have food allergies because unexpected ingredients such as peas can be hiding in the product, and you would never know by the taste.

So Delicious has been marketing dairy-free frozen desserts, yogurt alternatives, and smooth plant-based beverages for over 30 years. Besides the coconut milk, they also have “Original,” “Snickerdoodle.” “Caramel” and “Creamy Vanilla” flavors. I only sampled the coconut milk flavor. This is the only one in this taste test with 0 grams of added sugar. It has a very rich coconut taste and froths up nicely in coffee like milk. It’s not as thick as some of the others but is a good alternative to ultra-sweet creamers if you want to be careful about your sugar intake. The coconut flavor is powerful but not overwhelming.

Natural Bliss Oat Milk Creamer, Vanilla Natural Flavor, with 4 grams added sugar is similar to Coffee Mate’s Coconut creamer but without the coconut flavor. It’s super-rich and creamy with a hint of oat flavor but not bitter at all. My new favorite! This is the best one I’ve found for frothing and taste especially if you miss the consistency and flavor of half and half. It’s like the real thing as it’s creamy, fluffy and not grainy. Remember to shake it up before putting in your frother. Use a little and be happy with your non-dairy latte!

The Original Oat-Ly Oat Milk Barista Edition contains 4 grams of sugar but its full-flavored taste makes it a rich choice. It doesn’t market itself as a creamer but it does advertise as the choice for the barista community. It’s slightly less frothy than real milk when mixed but the flavor is pleasant, not bitter, and I would choose it again.

Silk Oat Yeah Oat Milk Creamer, the Vanilla One has 4 grams of added sugar and is also at the top of my list. While it’s sweet, it’s also incredibly rich which means you can use less of it in your coffee. It was thick and creamy when frothed and it adds a fluffy cap to your coffee as lattes make with real cream. Note that pea protein is an added ingredient in this creamer as well. This can rival the real thing but choose this one only if you like a strong vanilla aftertaste!

The Silk Almond Creamer Vanilla boasts that it’s “America’s #1 Almond Creamer. But with 4 grams added sugar you may want to use it sparingly. It did taste sweet and was nice and thick, so someone who likes rich creamers will love it. The vanilla aftertaste was pretty strong. And it's a little too syrupy sweet for my taste.

Nutpods is the closest you'll get to the real thing! Tasters immediately gave this dairy-free creamer a 5 out 5. The texture is smooth and mixes with coffee instantly. Unlike soy creamers, this almond and coconut-based creamer doesn't separate once your done stirring. Nut Pods is the most comparable to half and half in the whole list of creamers!

Forager is cashew milk and coconut cream based that mixes for a unique and flavorful taste. The consistency was on the thinner side, and if you're a heavy cream or half-and-half devotee this is probably not the creamer for you, although those who like a lighter flavor will enjoy it.

This creamer is rich, round and doesn't taste too overtly of coconut. You only need a splash to achieve a nice, creamy effect in your coffee, and there's no watered-down consistency, so if you swear by heavy cream or half & half, give this Trader Joe's option a try! At only $1.69 per carton, this product is a steal.

The thickest consistency of the bunch, resembling a heavy cream rather than half and half. Malk has only 5 ingredients, making it super clean and healthy! The almond flavor might be overpowering to those who like less flavor in their creamer. Add the Maple Pecan flavor to your coffee for an even sweeter taste.