Behind the Macaroons: Interview with Emmy’s Organics

Am I the only one who absolutely must end my meal with something sweet? Even if I’ve had the most delicious, nutrient dense, filling meal, my sweet tooth will always creep up on me, begging for just a little extra something so I finish on a sweet note. Maybe that’s something I need to work on, but in the meantime, I have one treat that is guilt free, delicious, and makes my sweet tooth very happy.

Macaroons from Emmy’s Organics hit the Spot!

Emmy’s Organics makes the perfect bite size macaroons that are decadent, 100% vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO and made with the highest quality raw ingredients. Originating out of Ithaca NY in 2008, Emmy’s macaroons have spread like wild fire all over the country and can now be found in close to 4,000 retail shops. I have found their tasty treats in the Whole Foods right in Chelsea, as well as the health store around the corner from me on 25^th and 3^rd, which is dangerously close…

As a huge fan of Emmy’s, I was thrilled to find out that they’re based out of New York, so naturally I reached out and set up an Eat Up New York “Behind the Kitchen” interview with co-founder Samantha to hear how Emmy’s Organics got it’s start, how far they’ve come, and what’s up next for these delicious macaroons!

How did Emmy’s Organics begin?

My husband Ian and I originally started Emmy’s Organics as a small side project in 2008, right in Ian’s Mom’s Kitchen, who’s nickname is Emmy. I actually met Ian in Ithaca and we bonded over our love for healthy food and cooking. Ian found healing through eating a mostly raw food, vegan diet and a lot of juicing. I had been exploring the health foodie world since college and enjoyed experimenting with dehydrating and sprouting. After we met, we continued our health foodie ways together. He showed me a recipe he had for macaroons and I fell in love with them instantly. It was so delicious and at that time there was nothing like it on the market. We slowly began introducing the macaroons to our friends and family, and then to the local farmer’s market, and other local markets at first.

How ambitious of you! And as a new couple!

Yeah! At this point, it had really only been 6 months since Ian and I had met. We realize now that we’re just the kind of people who go full force with a good idea. We were so excited and the motivation and small successes kept us going. We were completely devoted to this project.

Wow, Emmy’s Organics has really come so far! Have there been any drastic changes since the beginning?

I wouldn’t say drastic, but some changes have had to be made due to expansion of the company. We still make everything here in Ithaca and Ian and I still own the company 100%. We’ve moved facilities multiple times, and we’ve grown the company from more than just Ian and I, we have a great team now! We’ve also added a cereal to our line of products, which was a challenge, but we’re learning from it and it’s going well!

Has the original recipe changed at all?

The recipe hasn’t changed at all. Of course we’ve had to scale up and adjust here and there due to expansion, but we like staying loyal to our original suppliers as much as we can.

What’s your favorite flavor and what’s the most popular flavor?

Mine is Dark Cacao, and the most popular are Dark Cacao and Coconut Vanilla.

Where do you find inspiration for your flavors?

We get inspired by our favorite things to eat/drink..whether it’s fresh fruit or a tea. We also like to look at what the most popular ice cream flavors are and see if we can replicate them ;-). It’s a very fun process and we always have to love it before putting something out there.

General advice you’d give to entrepreneurs just starting out?

I think my main piece of advice is “start before you’re ready.” There is something to be said about going for what you want and then figuring it out along the way instead of trying to do everything perfectly. We have found this to be really powerful and we’ve learned so much in the process.

What’s up and coming with Emmy’s Organics?

We’ve been growing a lot recently, and we just got approved for Wegman’s, which has been one of our favorites stores forever! We also recently redid our website and have some cool collaborations on social media coming up, so stay tuned! We’ll also be at Expo East if you’d like to visit us there.

Check Emmy’s Orangics on the web and Social Media:

Website – Facebook – Twitter