Inspiring friendships, disrupting social isolation, and creating cultures of belonging – these are the fundamental ingredients that make up the Beyond Differences mission.

We believe that our differences make us stronger, and that everyone deserves to be seen and feel accepted. We believe that everyone has a space in this world where they can be part of a community.

Which is why we need you to be a part of our Hello Friendship initiative.

By your donation to Beyond Differences, you are helping students learn how to make friends, even during the most challenging years of middle school.

Our organization has been at the forefront of the movement to end social isolation for the past 12 years and we’re pretty good at it, too!

Our work is strong but not yet finished: we’ve already reached over 4.2 million students with our national programs like No One Eats Alone® Day and the number keeps growing but we must keep up with the demand from our schools, parents and communities across the country.

The perfect cookie isn’t meant to be eaten alone – it’s meant to be shared! We hope you will use this recipe as a way to make a new friend!

Classic M & M Cookie

Ingredients

1 ½ cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

½ cup unsalted butter, softened but still cool

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup brown sugar, lightly packed, make sure it’s fresh and soft

1 large egg

2 tbsp pure vanilla extract

1 ½ cups chocolate chips

½ cup of M&Ms

Vegan, Gluten-free option

2 cups gluten-free rolled oats

3 large bananas, mashed

½ cup nut or seed butter of your choice

1 ½ cups chocolate chips

½ cup of M&Ms

Baking Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
3. Using a hand mixer, beat butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla extract, mixing until combined.
4. Add dry ingredients to the wet mixture and beat until combined. Gently fold in chocolate chips.
• (For the vegan gluten-free version, combine oats, bananas, and nut butter, instead of steps 2-4.)
5. Scoop balls of cookie dough in 2 tablespoon portions. Drop dough onto prepared baking sheets leaving an inch or two for spreading. Press the M&Ms to decorate your creation!
6. Bake for 8-11 minutes.
7. Cool completely before sharing and enjoying!

Nutrition: Calories: 190cal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 72mg | Potassium: 38mg | Sugar: 18mg | Vitamin C: .1mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: .7mg