Though we’re all in business together, I think it’s safe to say that many of our businesses would not exist if it were not for our passion as parents, friends, and food advocates. Such is the case for Kakookies, whose Founder Sue Kakuk first started the bakery brand as a way of helping her daughter and her friends have a healthier snack option in the bakery category.
“I didn’t feel good about my daughter and her collegiate cycling teammates stopping at fast food for doughnuts and breakfast, so I started baking and sending Kakookies—baked goods that would satisfy hunger, sustain their energy, and serve as a good pre/post race snack or hand-held breakfast cookie,” Sue explains to me when I ask her how Kakookies came to be. “Now, I’d like to think we are leading the way and inventing the ‘healthy’ cookie category. There is a reason our tagline is ‘A Cookie Re-imagined.’ It’s a better-for-you cookie made with a short ingredient list of functional ingredients that just so happens to be gluten-free and vegan! Consumers are tired of ‘bad’ tasting ‘healthy’ food, but Kakookies delivers on taste and an enjoyable experience.”
Since first launching, Kakookies has expanded its mission to become a leader in the healthy snacking category. One simple way the women-owned company is accomplishing this mission is by offering delicious and nutritious cookies made from ingredients like whole grain rolled oats, nuts, seeds, and even antioxidant-rich dried fruits.
“My original recipe was based off of an oatmeal cookie, but I reduced the sugar and added nuts and chia seeds for extra nutritional punch. At the time, some of the cyclists on my daughter’s team were following specific diets such as gluten-free and vegan, so I developed one recipe that could be enjoyed by anyone, regardless of any special diet,” Sue shares. “I wanted to pack the deliciousness and comfort of a cookie with the nutrition of an energy bar into a grab-and-go snack to fuel busy and active lifestyles.”
Kakookies’ product portfolio consists of individually packaged cookies with a clean, simple, short ingredient list that is vegan, egg-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and certified Gluten Free with no artificial flavorings or preservatives. Sue notes that these attributes make Kakookies a go-to product for food and beverage managers looking to eliminate contamination risks and reduce food waste.
“Kakookies are also a perfect better-for-you foodservice item for coffee shops, conference centers and meeting room catering, food trucks, fast casual restaurants, and more,” Sue tells me. “In the traditional retail format, though, we recommend merchandising our products in their Refrigerated Grab n Go sets next to yogurt cups, prepared salads and sandwiches, at the checkout lane, or near diet-specific displays.”
Kakookies unique line of products is available in 50 Whole Foods Markets across the Midwest as well as National and State Parks, airports, college campuses, corporations, healthcare epicenters, and a variety of other specialty shops and cafes.
For more news from those deli, dairy, bakery, and specialty foods providers changing the scope of healthy snacking, stay right here with Deli Market News.
