Jenni Spinner: Folks might know Chrissy Teigen for her modeling work, TV appearances on stuff like the excellent Lip Sync Battle, and being married to a legendary songster, but now she’s attained a new status as a domestic goddess. Could you please tell us a little bit about her work as an entrepreneur with her own line of home goods and bakeware, and as the author of some excellent cookbooks?

Haley Ludwigson: Chrissy has three New York Times bestselling cookbooks, and her genuine love of cooking, along with the joy of sharing meals with friends and family, is what inspired Cravings in the first place. She’s not just the face of the brand; she’s our creative director and is deeply involved in every part of the process. Day to day, Chrissy is weighing in on everything from the color palettes and the functionality of our pots and pans to the flavors of the products we’re launching. She even led our recent rebrand, which brought in bolder packaging and fun, more vibrant colors that better reflect her personality.
 Our product strategy is all about bringing joy into the kitchen. That comes to life through our cookware and bakeware, easy-to-follow recipe content, and our line of decadent baking mixes. The response since launching the brand has been incredible, and many of our products have sold out, our baking mixes won a Food & Beverage Innovation Award last year, and the bakeware even earned a spot on Oprah’s Favorite Things list in 2024.

JS: People who aren’t quite as culinarily gifted but still enjoy homemade treats just might appreciate the Cravings bake mixes. Could you tell us about that portfolio?

HL: The Cravings baking mixes actually came to life after Chrissy’s banana bread recipe went viral. We saw how much people loved that recipe and how many just wanted an easy way to recreate it, so we launched our mixes in 2022 with three SKUs: Chrissy’s Ultimate Banana Bread, Buttermilk Mochi Pancake & Waffle, and a Salted White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookie. At first, they were only available direct to consumer, and we sold out almost immediately. That was a big moment for us because we realized we were onto something special. In 2023, we expanded into retail, and we’re now in over 3,000 stores across the country with seven baking mix SKUs.

JS: Specifically, what about the products and the ingredients that go into these mixes sets them apart from other bake mixes on the market?

HL: We like to say our mixes bring nostalgia with a modern twist. They’re indulgent, but made with quality, clean ingredients you can feel good about. Everything is certified Non-GMO, and we never sacrifice on taste. At the same time, we love getting creative with flavor profiles you can’t always find in the baking aisle.

The mixes are also super convenient. Each one is designed to be easily made, with minimal extra ingredients needed. For example, our Ultimate Banana Bread doesn’t require ripe bananas. The Heavenly Coconut Key Lime Cake comes with both the frosting mix and coconut shreds. And the Old School Vanilla Sheet Cake includes frosting and sprinkles right in the box, so there’s no need for any last-minute grocery runs.

JS: When celebs associate themselves with food and beverage products, the tie often doesn’t go past maybe smiling in an ad, or putting their face on a box. Cravings is much more involved and personal—tell us about that, and why that matters.

HL: Chrissy has a strong, personal connection to Cravings. It was born out of her love for cooking, her New York Times bestselling cookbooks, and the way she likes to cook, which is simple, easy, and full of flavor. At her home, Chrissy spends multiple nights a week in the kitchen, and she shares those moments with her audience so people really feel that authenticity. Cravings grew from her cookbooks and her style of cooking, which is fun, unfussy, and packed with flavor. We also focus on building a community around that same ethos. One of our favorite annual traditions is Friendsgiving at Chrissy’s house, where we bring together friends of the brand, retailers, and collaborators to share a big meal full of Cravings recipes. It is a celebration of good food and good company, which is what the brand is all about.

And we keep that same spirit in our content. Whether it's a recipe or a product launch, we aim to create things that genuinely resonate and connect with people on an emotional level.

JS: Cravings recently forged an LTO partnership with Thrive Market, with a new mix sold with them exclusively before a wider launch. Could you please tell us about that?
 
HL: We recently partnered with Thrive Market on a limited-time-exclusive launch, and it was a really natural fit. Their community cares about ingredient quality, just like we do, and our Non-GMO baking mixes aligned perfectly with their values. For us, it was a strategic move to get in front of health-conscious home cooks who might not have discovered us yet. And Thrive was a great platform to do that, and the feedback was fantastic, which makes us excited to do more collabs like this in the future.

JS: What’s next for Cravings? If you’ve got any new mixes, other food products or cookbooks, or other retail partnerships in the works, I’d love to hear about them.

HL: We’ve got a lot cooking, literally! We’re always listening to our audience and looking for ways to surprise and delight them with new flavors and ideas. Just today, we teased something exciting coming soon! This holiday season, we’re launching a brand-new cookie that’s unlike anything else out there, and in the spring, we’ve got a cake mix we think is going to be a huge hit. We’re also rolling out fresh recipes regularly, so there’s always something new to try. Beyond all that, we’re exploring new food categories that could really use a Cravings-style makeover while bringing indulgence, deliciousness, and fun into the mix.

Related: Thrive Market adds more Chrissy Teigen mixes