Save the planet and indulge your sweet tooth with Skull & Cakebones’ vegan baked goods.
By Chelsea Pribble, Photos courtesy of Skull & Cakbones
If you have a sweet tooth, you know who you are. Whether you’re a closeted cookie monster or unabashed cupcake consumer, it can be challenging to stick with any diet. So, the next time a sugar craving hits, reach for Skull & Cakebones’ vegan baked goods, made with local and mindful ingredients and flavors even non-vegans will crave.
Eat this: Skull & Cakebones’ vegan baked goods
Not that: traditional non-vegan baked goods
Says who: Sascha Biesi and Yauss Berenji, co-founders of Skull & Cakebones. Biesi began whipping up vegan recipes for her 5-year-old daughter when she was diagnosed with food allergies. Transformed by a vegan diet and motivated by rave reviews from non-vegan family and friends, including her partner, Berenji, she soon mastered recipes with all-natural, non-GMO and locally sourced ingredients.
Why: The Skull & Cakebones packaging label comically reads, “Shh, they’re vegan.” Hoping to lead with taste and change minds about vegan products, Berenji recalls customers’ delighted reactions. “They usually do what I call the four-step turnaround. They take a bite then take about four steps back,” she says of customers’ reactions upon realizing the products are vegan. In addition to their goodies being low in sugar and fat, the pair use food coloring made from scratch. When comparing plant-based treats with other baked goods, Biesi asks, “Why would you eat the one that has red dye No. 40 in it, too much fat and too much sugar? Just because it’s sweet doesn’t mean it has to do bad things to your body.”
Keep it local: From tea biscuits infused with Revolution Spirits’ Austin Reserve Gin to Just Beet It cupcakes made with roasted Johnson’s Backyard Garden beets, local ingredients and partnerships set Skull & Cakebones apart. “It’s not just about us; it’s about all of us,” Berenji says.
Go green: Along with being able to reap health benefits and promote animal welfare, consuming vegan products can reduce your carbon footprint, according to several studies. “If you can eat a treat that is better for you, saves animals, is better for the planet and doesn’t compromise on texture and flavor,” Biesi asks, “why wouldn’t you?”