Nutty Bunny Non-Dairy Gluten-Free Frozen Dessert, Made in CT

Renee Weisz

When Pamela Aflalo decided to create a non-dairy, gluten-free, frozen dessert product, her idea was innovative, health-aware, and maybe a little nutty like her brand name Nutty Bunny. After her daughter, Sophie, developed a severe dairy reaction, Pamela’s culinary experience at the National Gourmet Institute and love for kitchen experimentation, especially for “vegan-izing” recipes, combined to establish her current full-time business.

The all-natural, nutrient dense approach at the National Gourmet Institute influenced Pamela’s commitment to use only the purest ingredients in her products. “Everything has a purpose,” according to founder Pamela. Each of the four flavors available, orange blossom, vanilla, double-chocolate crunch and chocolate include organic, non-GMO foods made with a nut base ranging from cashews to toasted hazelnuts, and other simple ingredients such as coconut milk, maple syrup, and vanilla beans. The chocolate flavor, for example, consists of cashews, coconut milk, maple syrup, almonds, coconut oil, filtered water, cacao powder, pure vanilla extract, sea salt, and vanilla beans, for a rich flavor and dense composure.

“One of my favorite lines is ‘I don’t understand how that’s not ice cream,’” Pamela said.

Nutty Bunny can currently be found all over Connecticut at the Organic Market, The Stand, and The Westport Farmer’s Market in Westport, the Sweet Beet in Granby, Walter Stewart’s in New Canaan, G-Zen Vegan Restaurant in Branford, the Pantry in Fairfield, and at the Haymaker’s Corner Store in Brooklyn, New York. The company is already on a strong path with a first place award from the Food Special Association for the orange blossom flavor and recognition in Serendipity magazine among other honors.

Within the walls of her 1,500 square foot all-vegan kitchen in Stamford, pumping out 100 pint batches for 4-5 hours a day, Pamela is working hard to perfect her next flavors. The future of Nutty Bunny foresees a coffee flavor, a Moroccan rose made from rosewater and ground beets, and potentially pistachio.

As far as business goals and expansion, Pamela hopes to gain more of a national presence and ultimately become an international brand. Advertising is currently focused on in-store and farmer’s market demos, and Pamela hopes to increase her social media exposure on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

As Nutty Bunny continues to grow, Pamela hopes to inspire a more clean-conscious approach to cooking and eating overall.

More information can be found at: www.nutty-bunny.com