Indulgent treats and “healthy food” rarely go hand in hand. But when Honey Mama’s founder Christy Goldsby tackled that conundrum in 2013, she concocted a line of truffle bars created with nutrition and health in mind. It all started when Goldsby’s best friend was diagnosed with the autoimmune disease myasthenia gravis (a chronic autoimmune disorder in which antibodies destroy the communication between nerves and muscles). Goldsby grew up in Portland in a food-focused family. Her grandfather owned a donut bakery when she was young. “In general, my family are all big bakers and cooks,” she says. “I grew up in a family where the kitchen was 100% central to our world.”
For a number of years, she owned Blue Gardenia bakery with her mother, sister, and husband. She stepped away from that business when her friend began her health journey. After joining her friend in a month-long gut health–focused cleanse, Goldsby found that her friend improved, and so did she. Goldsby’s “ah-ha” moment was about how food can influence health and general well-being. “I kept asking myself, how can I create a line of products that gets onto grocery store shelves where it can be part of the conversation about what people are bringing home to feed their families every week?” Goldsby recalls.
FROM CONCEPT TO CREATION
After a few non-starters, it clicked with Goldsby to go back to her roots: baking and delicious comfort food. “I started taking the concept of what we were making at the bakery, which was cakes, brownies, cookies, and pies, and turning it into something functional,” she says. That meant using sprouted almonds, unrefined coconut oil, pure cocoa powder and honey instead of refined sugar. After half a year of trial and error, the truffle bars emerged as a delicious, easy-to-eat treat that helps people appreciate food as medicine.
What sets Honey Mama’s apart is its placement in the refrigerated section of stores and its carefully chosen ingredients. Each component is selected for both its nutritional value and flavor profile. The use of honey as the only sweetener and as the base of the bar, for example, was a deliberate choice based on Goldsby’s personal experience with how different sweeteners affected her body. Honey made Goldsby feel the best and was the inspiration for the company name — not to mention that it gives the bars a luscious, velvety mouthfeel when combined with coconut oil.
Each bar features a blend of ingredients known for their health benefits: honey is antifungal and antibacterial. Coconut oil is rich in medium-chain fatty acids. Cocoa powder is high in magnesium, iron, and potassium. Sprouted nuts contribute to easier digestion and nutrient absorption. Himalayan pink salt provides full-spectrum mineral content. While the bars taste chocolatey, they contain no chocolate liquor or cocoa butter. They are refrigerated because there are no additives or stabilizers, and coconut oil softens at room temperature.
In addition to year-round flavors such as coconut fudge, tahini tangerine, and Oregon mint, Honey Mamas releases limited edition flavors occasionally, such as pumpkin spice and red raspberry. A new product, Truffle Treats, is a two-pack of snack-size bars in flavors like chocolate cake and cinnamon roll. The bars are paleo- and keto-friendly, and free of gluten, dairy, and soy.
Goldsby emphasizes that while the health benefits are essential, taste is paramount. “I went out of my way to put ingredients together that were functional and the nutrient benefits stack up, but that also taste good,” she says. “The great thing about all of those ingredients is that they taste like fudge or a brownie, and that’s my real happy place. My dream was combine these really intentional ingredients to create something that tasted as good as our chocolate cake at the bakery.”
GROWTH AND IMPACT
Honey Mama’s products are now available in about 6,000 grocery stores nationwide, with a strong presence in natural and specialty food stores such as Whole Foods. In the Northwest, find Honey Mama’s in the refrigerated cases of conventional retailers like Fred Meyer and Market of Choice. Availability through Costco.com has expanded its reach, and those who buy through Honey Mama’s website can take advantage of sales. Today, Honey Mama’s employs around 40 people. Being a Portlander herself, Goldsby takes pride in the company’s roots, the fact that the company was founded in Portland, remains in Portland and is a strong member of the community.
A GATEWAY TO HEALTH
Goldsby sees Honey Mama’s products as more than just treats; they’re a “gateway” to conversations about nutrition and mindful eating. While the nutrient-dense, easily digestible ingredients can benefit those managing health conditions, the bars are equally enjoyable for anyone looking for a healthier indulgence. “If you have half a package of Honey Mama’s, you’ll walk away from that with healthier insulin levels,” she says. “It’s not toxic to your body.”
