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

Amanda, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I always tell people that my business was an accident. I was in college for fashion design when ‘my business’ began. I did not have the intention to begin a business and nonetheless in baking.

I began my dairy-free journey in college, and it was difficult. I had the biggest sweet tooth, and my favorite desserts contain milk. I had to solve my own problem. I began to research ‘vegan’ recipes, and baking techniques, because that guaranteed this information will be dairy-free. I also went to many vegan events to try vegan food. I began to understand that vegan food, at the time, was bland, had grainy or squishy textures, no smell, and worst of all did not look as appealing.

I baked vegan cookies for Christmas 2019 and posted them on my social media. Someone messaged me asking if I was willing to sell the cookies. I was uninterested in the idea because 1. I was not a baker 2. I never thought about selling something and wondered if I would get into legal trouble and 3. I was in college. BUT, after some thought I sold this specific person my vegan cookies. After receiving her feedback, I decided to post my vegan cookies to see if I would get any other traction. I began to fulfill orders, and that is when my creativity sparked.

I began to think of new flavors all of the time. My goal was to understand vegan baking so I can ultimately bake New York style cookies as I like my desserts to be big, thick, gooey, filled with mix-ins, and good looking. Quarantine gave me a lot of time to achieve this and develop a social media platform.

I began selling my original recipe in April of 2020. I built a lot of momentum that allowed me to have a successful turnout at my first Waukegan pop-up in September of that year. I not only enjoyed sharing my cookies, but I also enjoyed the interaction with people and getting to know who my customers were.

My approach was unique and had me excited. With the inspiration from my supporters and my Mexican-American background, I developed flavors filled with childhood nostalgia: Gansito, cinnamon toast crunch, mangonada, German chocolate cake, and the list goes on. Now, I offer [anything] cookies: brookies, cookie cakes, cookie cupcakes, and cookie dough. I also make other vegan desserts from time to time when I have the craving (haha) or am willing to learn a new realm of baking. I recently made vegan red velvet cinnamon rolls with a Mexican chocolate compound butter! I seriously love developing new things every month.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Amanda Ruano and my world is shared between Chicago and Waukegan. I reside in Waukegan and hold most of my business here. I graduated from Dominican University in 2020 with a BA in fashion design and a minor in graphic design. I am proud of my Mexican background because it has been the fuel of so many creative ideas.

I got into vegan baking through my dairy sensitivity and  having the opportunity to share my original vegan baking that is inspired by my Mexican-American background. My goal is to allow everyone at the dinner table to be able to share the same dessert–no exclusions or sacrifice in diet to enjoy sweets with your loved ones. My small business fulfills special orders weekly and is a part of many pop-ups in Chicago and the North suburbs. Right now I have been seeking wholesale opportunities. My goal is to receive exposure in the Chicagoland area.

I am most proud of my constant ongoing fuel of creativity. I can think of a bazillion of cookie flavors and cookie innovations to fulfill. And, I am proud to inspire my peers and community. I love to give advice, and provide criticism when needed.

I also went through a rebrand phase which was my first heartbreak. I used to be THICC ‘n VEGAN. I knew the name was unique and was in the works of trade marking it. I was told it was in use in the realm of baking. I quickly had to change it before legal action arose. This was a new and different opportunity of creativity. Manda DOUGH Vegan Co. was chosen to give my baking a more intimate connection to myself and to allow myself to bake more than just cookies. I just bake cookies and innovative cookie things; however I am interested in other things, too.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

ironically Majority of my market is not vegan. That just justifies that I fulfilled my purpose of providing a satisfying dessert in taste, smell, looks, and to be nostalgic. I take pride in bringing my creativity to life and serving the community with their sweet tooth.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

To add to the above question, my desserts have given me loyal customers/supporters. A lot of my growth is through word-of-mouth and people sharing my social media posts. I also pay to boost any posts on social platforms and share my baking on my personal pages. You are your own free advertiser!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://manda-dough-vegan-co.myshopify.com/
• Instagram: instagram.com/mandadoughveganco
• Facebook: twitter.com/thiccnvegan
• Twitter: twitter.com/mandadough

Image Credits
Photo creds to myself and Luis Maldonado instagram: instagram.com/luelite_