Kate Bakes

Kate Bakes gets the award for cutest name around. Kate Bakes is run by Katelyn Sornik, a local DC baker who created the company because she wanted to offer fresh, healthy protein bars without all the added preservatives you typically see in bars in the grocery store. Her journey began several years ago when she became ill due to food poisoning. She subsequently developed ulcers and ultimately discovered there were many foods her body wasn't tolerating including dairy, eggs, red meat, and gluten. So, she began experimenting in the kitchen and, over time, perfected a recipe for protein bars that is vegan, gluten-free, and made of mostly organic ingredients. The bars were such a hit with friends and family, that she finally decided to give the business a go. And so Kate Bakes was born.  I had the pleasure of trying all three great flavors of her satisfyingly delicious protein bars.

Surprisingly, I think my favorite was the chocolate coffee flavor. Not surprising that chocolate would be my favorite, but maybe a bit surprising that I'd like the coffee as I am not a coffee drinker. Regardless, this bar was good!  All of the bars are made mainly of brown rice cereal, oats, coconut, agave, and soy protein powder. The chocolate coffee bar was chewy with a bit of crispiness from the rice crispies; and a nice balance of chocolate and coffee brought a strong, delicious flavor to the mix.

The banana cinnamon oatmeal bar was just dreamy. It was softer and less crunchy probably due to it being filled with bananas. It also has almond butter, chia seeds, cinnamon and vanilla. Mmmm.

Last, but not least, is the sunflower butter raisin. I'm a big fan of sunflower seed butter! If you haven't tried it yet, I recommend you do as it is a great change from your typical peanut butter. This bar was the closest to a rice crispie bar with creamy sunflower butter and a strong coconut taste.

All of the bars are high in protein and fiber and with mostly organic ingredients, you won't find many healthier fresh bars on the market than this one. I think Kate Bakes is off to a great start and I hope her business continues to flourish. For now, I'm just so excited to keep meeting great people in DC who are living their dreams. To try them yourself, go to Kate Bakes to view the bars, then contact Kate at katebakesbars [at] gmail.com.