Jessica Motes, a self-proclaimed “cookie fanatic,” faced a dilemma. After embracing a vegan lifestyle in 2017, she quickly discovered that most vegan cookies taste like tree bark. The lack of baked bliss threatened to derail her lifestyle change.
“My mom said, ‘You’re never going to survive as a vegan if you can’t find a decent vegan cookie,’ and that motivated me to roll up my sleeves and make one,” she recalls. “After spending an entire year perfecting the recipe, the cookies were so good that even my non-vegan friends were hooked.”
The Naughty Cookie flavor range
Naming her creation the Naughty Cookie, Motes aimed for a fun, playful vibe—a treat so decadent that it made vegans feel like they were cheating. She then turned to Instagram, recognizing its potential for dessert discovery during the early #foodie wave. Motes began filming highly shareable clips, showcasing her soft-baked cookies pulled apart to reveal gooey, chocolatey, and marshmallowy centers. Just as the posts started to go viral, she received the DM that would change everything.
Tucked away in the clutter of IG messages, Williams Sonoma had invited Motes to host a cookie pop-up at its flagship store in Beverly Hills. “I said sure,” she remembers, “and then the marketing director asked, ‘Can you come this Saturday?'”
Living by the motto “freak out, then figure it out,” Motes had just four days to transform her personal baking project into a full-fledged brand. As if taking a crash course in startups, she secured the necessary permits, designed the packaging, and baked 200 cookies for what would be her impromptu product launch. She arrived with premium, organic, ingredient-filled cookies featuring drool-worthy flavors like peanut butter chocolate chip, double-chocolate chip, and the flavor that Motes says put the Naughty Cookie on the map, ooey-gooey s’mores. Though unsure what to expect, she certainly wasn’t prepared for the overwhelming demand. Every single cookie sold out in the first hour, averaging one every 15 seconds. That same velocity is now repeating itself at curated pop-ups and private events across Southern California.
Based in Los Angeles yet born and raised in Miami, Motes comes from a family rooted in entrepreneurship. “A huge source of my drive and fearless mentality comes from my mom, who taught me the value of taking risks and getting things done no matter the odds,” Motes says. “Her unwavering belief in standing your ground and trusting in your own strength continues to inspire how I move through life and work.”
Motes and her father
She also learned the value of hard work from her father. After emigrating from Cuba at age 14, he started his career behind the grill at a local Burger King in 1972. Fifty-three years later, he’s a regional partner managing 40 Burger King franchises across Florida. Motes, who also drew inspiration from her grandmother’s secret recipes, credits her family with instilling in her the value of hard work, the joy of baking, and the satisfaction of making people happy. Her quest for a better vegan cookie had already garnered Instagram likes and shares, but the Williams Sonoma pop-up offered the first concrete product validation—and the brand naturally wanted more.
Returning the following month, Motes baked a larger batch and promoted the pop-up on Instagram. The result was even longer lines, another complete sell-out, and store data that indicated an overall spike in sales. Her pop-ups were soon a regular occurrence at Williams Sonoma locations across California, and Naughty Cookie became one of the first vegan food brands featured on the retailer’s website. Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, and Horchow quickly followed suit, and Martha Stewart named Naughty Cookie one of her exclusive picks.
“I always pushed this brand to be inviting, and it just brings me so much joy to feed people these cookies,” Motes says. “I’m Cuban, and growing up, there was always a seat open at the dinner table for anyone. That’s my culture. Food is culture for me.”
Launching her brand nearly a decade ago, Motes embraced digital-first marketing trends that are now commonplace. This forward-thinking approach has fueled the brand’s growth across retail, wholesale, events, and online sales. Naughty Cookie has achieved 82% year-over-year sales growth, fueled by direct-to-consumer sales, retail partnerships, and surging white-label demand from boutique stores and small chains. Committed to thoughtful and sustainable growth, Motes recently secured a strategic investment and partnership from a CPG firm that specializes in emerging brands. With a new “dessert boom” in full swing, the timing for this collaboration couldn’t be more perfect.
Motes at the Williams-Sonoma pop up
For the uninitiated, Nation’s Restaurant News describes dessert as “a massive emerging category” propelled by younger generations. Faced with rising living costs, Gen Z and millennials have increasingly embraced premium treats as an affordable indulgence. This viral trend, dubbed “little treat culture” on TikTok, highlights how dessert has become “a big part of their social lives, their social media, and their relationships.” Naughty Cookie exemplifies little treat culture, while also tapping into the “newstalgia” trend that blends childhood memories with modern tastes. Positioned at the convergence of several major food trends, the brand further benefits from the growing demand for health-conscious products made without preservatives or artificial additives.
“Cookies are a love language,” Motes says. “You can taste the effort that goes into making each one. Even with a vegan cookie, it’s not just about what’s left out—it’s also about what’s thoughtfully put in. Every ingredient matters, from the quality of chocolate and vegan butter to the organic cane sugar and flour. I did extensive research to ensure great taste and texture. But for me, cookies truly need to be baked with love.”
What’s next for Naughty Cookie? Motes’ vision extends beyond current successes as she wants to bring her cookies to places where they can make a real difference. She’s already working with companies to help stock their cafeterias with more nourishing treats and with ice cream chains to supply them with Naughty Cookie pieces to be used in their ice-cream flavor mixes and toppings. Naughty Cookie also recently secured national hospitality distribution through In-Room Plus for the full product line, alongside a co-branded integration with a fast-growing Gen Z gelato brand. Beyond that, she’s focused on reaching schools, workplaces, vending machines, and other retail spaces where top-tier baked goods are often scarce.
Motes baking in her test kitchen
When she started, her goal wasn’t just to make a great vegan cookie, but to create great cookies for everyone.
“I don’t present them as a vegan cookie per se,” says Motes. “I treat them as a cookie that anyone can enjoy. Our ingredients—and the love we put in—are a testament to why they taste the way they do and why skeptics enjoy our cookies as soon as they bite into them. I always say, ‘Don’t sell your taste buds short. Let me show you what a vegan cookie should taste like.’”
To get in touch with Naughty Cookie, contact info@thenaughtycookie.com or visit naughtycookie.com
