SugarBean aims to give confectionery industry a jolt
Its candy is made from coffee beans coated in caramelized sugar.
SugarBean is an Oregon-based artisan confectionery that created Coffee Bean Brûlée, an award-winning candy made from premium Arabica coffee beans coated in crisp, caramelized sugar to mimic the crunch of crème brûlée.
The collection is available in multiple coffee strengths, from Single Shot to Triple Shot, along with flavors like Sea Salt, Cardamom, Orange, Cacao Nib, Lavender, Coconut, plus rotating limited-edition varieties.
To learn more about the brand, we reached out to Nicky Trainor, founder of SugarBean.
Liz Parker Kuhn: Can you please tell our audience a bit about SugarBean?
Nick Trainor: SugarBean is an artisan confectionery company based in Portland, OR, specializing in Coffee Bean Brûlée—our signature confection made by combining freshly ground coffee with caramelized sugar. The result is a crunchy candy inspired by the top of a crème brûlée, but with the bold flavor of real coffee.
Coffee Bean Brûlée is available in different coffee strengths and natural flavors, including Cardamom and Sea Salt. While many people enjoy it straight from the bag, it's also surprisingly versatile. It can be used as a topping or garnish for ice cream, yogurt, granola, desserts, coffee drinks, cocktails, and even paired with cheese.
Coffee Bean Brûlée has received international recognition, with two varieties named finalists at the 2025 World Food Innovation Awards in the Best Artisan Product and Best Confectionery Product categories. Later that year, Coffee Bean Brûlée won the World Coffee Innovation Award for Best Coffee-Flavoured Food Product.
Courtesy of SugarBean
LPK: How did it get started? What made you want to create coffee candy?
NT: SugarBean Candy was completely unplanned. I had been a labor and delivery nurse for over two decades and never imagined doing anything else. One night, my husband and I were talking about what the next chapter of life might look like, and the idea of becoming self-employed came up. I thought—the most successful ideas are often the simplest. What do Americans love? Coffee. Candy.
In that instant, the concept for SugarBean Candy came to life. That same night, the name, logo, initial packaging, and first recipe all came together. Just eleven days later, Coffee Bean Brûlée was available for sale online. Even the website domain and social media handles were available.
LPK: How did you come up with the idea for your Coffee Bean Brulee?
NT: It literally landed in my head that night. I thought how could I combine coffee and candy? I immediately thought of caramelized candy-coated coffee beans. I tried it right away, but it did not work. Then I switched to ground coffee. That second attempt is the exact recipe we still use today for our Original Single Shot Coffee Bean Brûlée.
LPK: Did you do any consumer testing before launch?
NT: I did not do any formal consumer testing, and I didn't have a formal launch. I had my coworkers taste what I had made, and their response confirmed what I already thought.
Courtesy of SugarBeanLPK: Your candies are available in multiple coffee strengths along with flavors like Sea Salt, Cardamom, Orange, Cacao Nib, Lavender, Coconut, plus LTOs. Which coffee strength is generally the most popular, and which flavors?
NT: Our Original Single Shot and Original Double Shot are equally our best-selling products. Sea Salt Double Shot is our most popular flavored variety.
LPK: How do you decide what LTOs to release? Any upcoming?
NT: We release flavors that fit the season or simply because we want to try something new. This fall, we'll be bringing back our Pumpkin Spice and introducing a new spiced flavor we're currently experimenting with.
LPK: Which have been your most popular LTOs?
NT: Our most popular limited-time offerings have been Cacao Nib, Mocha, Moroccan Spice, and Coconut.
Courtesy of SugarBean LPK: What’s new for SugarBean for the rest of 2026?
NT: One thing we're especially excited about is an upcoming collaboration with Clout Coffee. They age coffee beans in bourbon, rye, rum, and whiskey barrels, and those flavors really come through in our Coffee Bean Brûlée. It's a type of collaboration we haven't done before. We'll also continue exploring new seasonal flavors and collaborations. One thing I've learned is that some of the best opportunities show up unexpectedly, so I'm excited to see what else 2026 brings.
LPK: What’s your favorite SugarBean flavor to enjoy?
NT: I have a few favorites for different reasons. I really like the Triple Shot. I think it's underrated. It's less sweet than the others and has a texture that's almost like an Oreo cookie. I also love the Cardamom because it's more interesting, and Coconut simply because it's delicious.
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