Today we’d like to introduce you to Kiara Wilder.
Kiara, before we jump into specific questions about the company, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
When I was attending college at Baylor University I found myself with no vegan, plant-based options for sweets that would fulfill my sweet tooth. I tried every vegan cookie recipe that Google and Pinterest could offer. The cookies were either too crunchy or were too bland for my liking. One night after the cookie craving hit once again, I decided to put my biochemistry degree knowledge and passion for baking to the test. Suddenly what I created was, what I thought, the perfect vegan cookie. It was crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside, and oozed with all of the chocolate it could have been mistaken for the Willy Wonka chocolate river. At the time I had shared my cookies with my roommate and as soon as she took one bite after coming home from studying all she could say to me was “you need to sell these.” I thought she was crazy. The next day the cookies were put the test and free samples were being handed out across campus and they were a hit! The rest is history and Wilder Sweets was born.
Has it been a smooth road?
Wilder Sweets was developed on my college campus and surrounding areas. Once I graduated and came back to my hometown of Plano, Texas, it was like starting all over again. I took a grassroots approach to reestablish Wilder Sweets in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area by doing events at a local winery, several outdoor markets, and taking online orders for local delivery. Deep Ellum Outdoor Market became our mainstay that attracted such a diverse blend of cookie lovers from around the world. Things were consistently growing and we opened 2020 really strong with consistent, repeat customers on market days and through online business. We had a calendar preset for 2020 filled with future markets that had to be canceled, as we all have experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This has affected our business because we are no longer able to be in front of our cookie lovers both from in and out of state and travelers from around the world. We still offer online orders with local delivery and look forward to getting back to outdoor markets when the right time permits.
Please tell us about the company.
Wilder Sweets is a vegan, plant-based baked goods company. We are known for our cookies. We are proud of our creativity when we are creating flavors. No cookie, flavor is out of bounds for Wider Sweets. We are also proud of our unique menu of flavors such as: Momoa Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Snickerdoodle Dandy Pecan Pie Strawberry Cheesecake Parent Trap Key Lime Triple Threat S’mores and most notably Cream N Cookies just to name a few. We have also recently expanded our line to include vegan artisan chocolates. What sets us apart from others is that we are vegan and every ingredient is organic. We are so thrilled that everyone who has ever had one always says “this is the best cookie I’ve ever had!” Whether they are vegan, have allergies, or just like a good cookie.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Cookies have always been a favorite. It is one of the few things that at any age one can enjoy. We only see it growing. We want to be able to expand our reach and look to get Wilder Sweets in more peoples’ tummies and share more cookie smiles across America. It is a consistent staple. Cookies make the world a better place.
Pricing:
- $18 for a half dozen with up to 2 flavors
- $36 for a full dozen with up to 4 flavors
- $8 for vegan chocolate packs and bars
Contact Info:
- Email: wildersweetsbusiness@gmail.com
- Instagram: @wildersweets
- Facebook: wildersweets
Suggest a story: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
