Dan the Baking Man: A Plant Based and Paleo Cookie Startup with Roots at UChicago

Author: Blair Penn

Images from Dan the Baking Man Website

Dan The Baking Man is a plant-based foods startup that was founded in 2017 by a UChicago Student, Robert Csete, and his brother, Daniel Csete. As avid CrossFitters, they started Dan The Baking Man while searching for healthier desserts. Most ‘healthy’ desserts are made with stevia and guar gum, which are artificial ingredients that can wreak havoc on your gut. Daniel was determined to make a healthy and delicious dessert that did not have these ingredients. After a few tries, he created his own cookie with five ingredients that contain no animal products or gluten and are paleo, low cal, low carb, and low saturated fat. The cookies were a hit with his family, and Dan began selling them locally in Miami at cafes and exercise studios. In 2019, as the company began to grow, Robert took on a more active role in the growth and e-commerce sectors of the business. Then, last year, Robert and the rest of the team were selected to the College New Venture Challenge at the University. Today, Dan The Baking Man’s cookies can be ordered online or found in 50 cafes across the U.S. and even at Plein Air at UChicago!

Taste Test

I tried all three flavors of Dan The Baking Man’s cookies– Chocolate Chip, Matcha White Chocolate, and Sprinkles– and I will definitely be back for more. The packaging was super bright, colorful, and cute, and the cookies tasted great. As a health-conscious track and field athlete, the cookies are an easy choice for a dessert, as they have just four simple ingredients in the batter: almond flour, safflower oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. I also dislike how sugary most desserts are, yet DTBM cookies are just the right level of sweetness so you know it is a dessert, but not so sweet that you get the dreaded sugar crash. 

The cookies were tender and soft, unlike the dry cookies from the dining hall. The chocolate chip flavor had the right ratio of chocolate chip to cookie – not too overpowering on the chocolate, but you definitely knew it was there. The matcha white chocolate seemed like an odd combination of flavors, and normally I detest white chocolate, but once I tried it, I was pleasantly surprised by how well they complemented each other. However, the sprinkles flavor was definitely my favorite, as the vegan sprinkles added to the sweetness but also allowed you to taste the flavor of the cookie, which had a nice nutty undertone because of the almond flour. 

Matcha White Chocolate

Chocolate Chip Chunk

Disclaimer: I liked the cookies so much that Dan asked me to join their team and blog on their behalf, so please factor that in when assessing my opinion. 

Overall, I think DTMB cookies are a great choice for a dessert – especially for those that are looking for a low sugar option.