Life-changing cinnamon (you read that right).
+ date bites that shouldn't be this good.
Hello hello!
We talk to a lot of CPG operators, and the pattern is consistent: the intent to AI-ify their workflows is there, the tools exist, but the transition... gets a little sticky.
On June 10, Drivepoint is hosting a live panel conversation with finance leaders from across the industry comparing notes on how they’re rolling out AI and bringing their teams along with them.
They’re sharing the practical stuff: how to pick the right first workflow, what guardrails need to be in place before you scale (critical for a growing team!!), how to build a 30-60-90 day rollout plan, and how to actually measure whether the transition is working.
Whether you’re a CFO planning a top-down initiative or a solopreneur trying to get one workflow off the ground, this one’s worth the hour!
June 10 at 1pm ET → Register here (FREE)
Now, onto the goods 👇
Nate’s Pickups:
Naked Bites
Dates are everywhere and you’ve probably noticed it. I mean it’s hard not to! Date sweetened treats have infiltrated almost every aisle. We have stuff dates, coated dates, date syrups, date sweetened candies…dates are freaking everywhere. The New York Times rightfully just called it the latest ‘it Girl’ of the snack aisle. It makes sense too, consumer are actively looking for healthier and more natural alternative sweeteners and whole food sweet treats. Plus they’re rich in fiber, and fiber is the next protein after all.
I absolutely adore dates so I’m always down to trying the latest and greatest that leverages this beautiful fruit. I’m always amazing how many different ways people have figured out to make a great date-based product. Naked Bites do not disappoint.
Quick Facts: Soft, chewy, date-sweetened snacks made with just 4 to 5 real ingredients and absolutely no added sugar or junk. They were created by lifelong friends Alissa and Diane, who reinvented their favorite sweets to focus on clean, feel-good nutrition after both of their husbands were diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Reasons to love:
Soft, chewy, and moist. They absolutely nailed the texture. I have no idea how they pull it off, but these little treats taste like someone made them seconds before I popped one in my mouth. They’re incredibly fresh, and they hold that moisture even after the bag’s been open a while. Among whole-food-style date products I think there’s a huge range, and a lot of them come out dry, or so dense you’re chewing forever to get your little mid-day pick-me-up.
Packed with flavor. These little spheres pack so much flavor. I genuinely enjoyed all the flavors, even the coconut one despite not being a huge coconut fan. But my favorite of the bunch has to be the PB&J one. It tastes like I’m eating a PB&J, they nailed the flavor ratio of peanut butter to jelly.
Wildly simple ingredients. This is something I come back to a lot is that I’m always impressed by how much brands can do with so little. A short ingredient list is no guarantee of a good flavor or texture profile, though. Plenty of minimal-ingredient products skimp on texture and come out dry or bland. Naked Bites is still a processed food, most packaged products are, it’s just minimally processed with a much shorter ingredient list. And they pull it off without sacrificing a thing in my humble opinion.
Where to buy: Online
Jenna’s Pickup:
Burlap & Barrel Royal Cinnamon
I am a cinnamon fiend. If my coffee doesn’t have cinnamon in it, I don’t want it. If my overnight oats weren’t sprinkled with a heavy-handed dash of the stuff, I’m setting myself up for a bad day. I adore cinnamon, and have had it nearly every day of my life for the past half-decade. Which is all to say, if cinnamon is going to impress me, it’s gotta be extra special. This one is.
If you don’t know Burlap & Barrel, 1) you clearly haven’t read our gift guide “For the overly ambitious home chef,” and 2) I am so excited to introduce you to the flavor wonderland that is this brand.
Quick Facts: An heirloom variety of Royal Cinnamon (also known as Saigon cinnamon) harvested in the mountains of Vietnam’s ancient capital city, Huế—the first of its kind to be exported to the US.
Reasons to love:
You can really taste the difference. I know what you’re thinking: can one cinnamon really taste all that different from other cinnamon? I, an equal skeptic, am here to report that the answer is an astounding yes. With tasting notes of “brown butter, orange peel, and buckwheat honey,” (oddly specific, but here for it), this is a naturally sweet cinnamon with no added sugar—or added anything, on that note. But don’t let its sweetness deceive you: this cinnamon is equally spicy. It can stand on its own in a hefty pastry, bold coffee, or even a savory dish (I love it on roasted butternut squash or in a curry). Even when I use it as a topper on my oats, it almost tastes like it was baked-in—a toasty nuttiness that beautifully blends into any vehicle.
A company you can feel great about supporting. Burlap & Barrel sources all of its single-origin spices directly from small farms and cooperatives all across the world. They’re a Public Benefit Corporation that sources directly, which means they can keep the supply chain short and transparent, with purchase commitments that offer farmers financial stability.
Attention to detail. Burlap & Barrel take spices seriously. They search high and low for the best farms producing the highest-quality spices. In this case, they trekked to the mountains in central Vietnam—despite hearing that the heirloom cinnamon variety wasn’t being harvested there anymore. Turns out, the cinnamon was still being harvested, and harvested with a really special technique; instead of chopping down the tree to harvest the bark, they make a deep cut around the base of the tree and let the bark dry on the tree for a couple of weeks before harvesting it. This prevents essential oils from evaporating and concentrates them, keeping the intensity of the bark’s flavor. Apparently, you can smell it from half a mile away (brb, shipping myself off to Quang Nam).
Where to buy: Online!
Check out our most recent episode of The Curious Consumer. We were joined by Priyanka Ganjoo, founder of Kulfi Beauty—the first South Asian female-owned makeup line to be carried at Sephora. Priyanka shares her journey building an inclusive beauty brand, and the power of a strong emotional and cultural moat.
Plus, we’re chatting about the boom of Erewhon lookalikes (and how they’ll survive when mass-market becomes a discovery channel), the water brands capitalizing on fear of microplastics, one brand’s attempt to legitimize peptides, and more. →
Thanks for reading! Anything you think we should try for an upcoming edition of Express Checkout? Email us at hello@expresscheckout.co
It really is the best cinnamon!!
Thanks for sharing two approachable products for everyday eating.