Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Maiah Miller. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Maiah, thanks for joining us today. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.

When most people think of a bakery, they think of rich desserts that are buttery and sugary and pastries that are an indulgence. When people think of cakes, they often think of colorful cakes made with refined sugar and vibrant colors that come from artificial dyes and heavy with overly sweet frosting.

What Liberty Hill Bakery does is take what is usually an indulgence or diet-wrecker into a treat that not only tastes good, but is nourishing as well. Liberty Hill Bakery is a gluten-free and dairy-free bakery that also specializes in egg-free, soy-free, and artificial dye-free. Without these inflammatory ingredients and no refined sugar, the desserts and treats are healthier and yet still taste amazing; as someone with many food allergies, I have spent years refining my recipes to be the absolute best. I’ve even won awards for my recipes and most recently won Best Bakery for 2023 in Liberty Hill which goes to show how much people can love a healthier bakery item.

I’m also very passionate about coloring my cakes and frostings with fruit and vegetable-based dyes. The color may not be as neon as artificial dyes produce, but they are still a vibrant color without the problematic health impact dyes such as Red 40, Yellow 5 and Blue 2, etc. Since I often create smash cakes for babies’ first birthdays, I love knowing that these babies are enjoying organic ingredients with less sugar (oftentimes only sweetened with applesauce or maple syrup), and natural dye from nature.

Once people have tried my bakery items, I love hearing the enthusiastic feedback. Many customers rave that they only eat my desserts now in order to avoid the bloating and sugar crash a traditional bakery’s items often yield. I love showing that different can be better, and if you open your mindset, you can be pleasantly surprised!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I was diagnosed with allergies to gluten, dairy, soy and corn in my early 20s. At the time, it was impossible to find food in restaurants or bakeries that I could eat. Now days thankfully it is much easier to find places that accommodate food allergies, but back then I was desperate for a sweet treat. I began baking by taking the recipes of my mother’s that I loved best and slowly converting them into recipes with the same texture and taste but without the problematic ingredients. I found I had a knack for baking and decorating, and soon fell in love with creating treats for others!

When I first moved to Texas, I lived in Corpus Christi and talked a local coffee shop into buying a pastry case for me. To my delight, they let me have free rein on desserts, and I made both traditional bakery items as well as gluten-free vegan items. Many customers had never even heard those terms before, and I loved hearing their surprise when I listed the ingredients.

Since then I have moved around many times as a military spouse, but recently my husband transitioned out of active duty and we have been able to choose our hometown. Now that my family and I have settled roots in Liberty Hill, I’ve been able to bring my vision of owning a bakery to life. Liberty Hill Bakery was born as a small Cottage Foods bakery to now renting out commercial space with licensing to produce baked goods for local coffee shops as well as still creating the occasional custom order. I love what I do, and love seeing my business grow!

How did you build your audience on social media?

As a new bakery, I am still building my audience, but I have found showcasing my work and being authentic to have the best results. When you love what you do and share your passion with others, it forms a connection and can inspire others to follow their passions in life. My advice would be to not focus on the follower count but to connect with real people and the kind of customers you’d like to attract.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

One of the hardest things for me has been pricing my products, and charging friends. My nature is to want to give everyone something for free or offer a great deal, but I have had to learn that when I do that, I’m not making any money, and losing time which is especially precious to me as a busy mother of three. I have learned to be proud of my work and charge what I think my work deserves and what is a fair price. I try not to compare myself to others especially as my products are so unique, and I’ve learned not to take offense if someone cannot afford my price. Usually I’m able to come up with a solution or different item within the budget, but sometimes they opt for a cheaper bakery. I am fine with that, because I know what my time, and my products are worth. Recently someone passed on my cake quote, had another bakery fulfill the order, then come back to me later with regret admitting the other cake was not nearly as good or pretty as mine–and that was rewarding to hear and validated my instincts.

Contact Info:

• Website: libertyhillbakery.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/libertyhillbakery
• Facebook: facebook.com/libertyhillbakery