Seasonal Sweets for Any Occasion
Everyone is talking about eating healthy, but let’s be honest, we all love the occasional sweet treat. We spoke to 5 companies that offer a subscription-based supply of cakes and goodies that you can indulge in or send to your loved ones on their special occasions.
If you’re tired of commercial products that are loaded with sugar and saturated fat, and you’re looking for classier, better quality, and more visually appealing desserts, here are some great options to try.
Ready To Eat Cupcakes By Notpie
At Notpie, we love baking with the seasons, using well-loved, carefully-sourced ingredients, from organic flour to fair-trade Peruvian cocoa powder, to vegan-friendly, naturally-colored sprinkles, and fruit and veggies that are grown within 10 miles from our bakery. We are committed to using organic, natural ingredients exclusively, without artificial colors or flavors.
The majority of our orders are gifts from people sending cakes to the people they want to celebrate — birthdays, anniversaries, the first day of work, finals week, and of course the major holidays like Christmas, Hanukkah, and Mother’s Day.
About half of our sales are for vegan gifts, including our well-loved vegan double chocolate cupcake, vegan cake box subscription, and s’mores.
Now that we are a few years old, it has become apparent that more than half our clients are new, and the rest are returning customers. We have a group of super fans that place orders a few times a month, celebrating many birthdays and anniversaries. I love seeing each of their orders, and am always inspired by them!
Read our full interview with Amanda Frazier, Co-Founder and CEO of NotPie
Japanese Sweets By ICHIGO
TokyoTreat is a monthly box of exclusive, seasonal Japanese sweets and snacks. Our flagship subscription focuses on what we call Japanese “pop snacks”, making them accessible to western audiences.
Sakuraco, another subscription box, focuses on Wagashi, which are traditional, artisanal Japanese snacks that have deeper roots in Japanese history and culture.
The notion of seasonality is very important in Japan and it’s very much part of Japanese culture to appreciate the moment. Even snacks like Kit Kats are seasonal. In the fall, you may have sweet potato snacks whereas in summer, the snack flavors will be pineapple or mango.
We really focus on this aspect of flavors which are only available for a limited time, and we try to share them with the rest of the world as much as we can.
The flavors are very different from western snacks. For example, we have green tea Kit Kat, fried chicken Pringles, Miso Ramen Pringles, and squid-flavored crackers.
Every month, our curation team goes out and finds new snacks that will fit a different theme that we feel our audience will resonate with. Our subscribers can choose to sign up for however long they desire, and we organize the boxes and ship the products directly to their door.
Read our full interview with Tanner Schroeder, Marketing Associate for TokyoTreat
Cookie Decoration with Gramma In A Box
Gramma in a Box delivers a cookie decorating kit packed with 12 plain sugar cookies and eight candy treats to your door.
You get step-by-step instructions, and pictures of what ingredients you need out of your box, as well as what it should look like once finished. I also provide YouTube videos for our younger fans who can’t yet read, and two sheets of parchment paper that the kids can use as a placemat to work on.
Gramma in a Box equips you with everything you need for fun and delicious decorating – barring the bowl, spoon, and microwave.
Read our full interview with Terry Chamberlin, Founder of Gramma in a Box
Indian Sweets By The Laddu House
Laddus are sphere-shaped sweets originating from the Indian subcontinent. They are traditionally made from chickpea flour or semolina, fat, and sugar, but other ingredients can be added too, such as nuts and dried fruits.
I’ve enhanced the traditional Indian sweet recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation with modern flavor twists. I also use high-quality ayurvedic ingredients that are nutritionally beneficial and have all been made from scratch. If stored in a cool dry place, they remain in perfect condition for six months because of the quality and freshness of the ingredients.
I process all my ingredients as minimally as possible. Everything is roasted at low temperatures, which allows the enzymes, amino acids, and nutrients to remain in their original state.
Most importantly, the laddus are simply delicious, which is sometimes the best medicine of all!
Read our full interview with Ujwala Chintala, Founder of The Laddu House
Nut Butter Cups By Jessie’s Nutty Cups
We all know Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. People always say to me, “You’re like Reese’s!” and I always reply, “Yes! But way better!”
We make everything fresh and by hand. We roast our peanuts and grind them down. We only use Belgian chocolate and we also use a lot less sugar, so you can better taste the ingredients.
Our shelf-life is much shorter than a commercially made chocolate. When you buy your Nutty Cups, they’ll only be one or two weeks old so the peanut butter will still be soft and gooey.
We wholesale our nutty cups in 2-packs to retailers all over the US.
Read our full interview with Jessica Taige, Founder and CEO of Jessie’s-Nutty-Cups
Summary
Be it a birthday, a wedding, or a seasonal celebration, pastries and baked goods are an inherent aspect of our celebrations. Instead of restraining yourself, savor ingredients that are not only beneficial for your physical health, but also nourishing for your soul.
