The creation of Dan The Baking Man was by chance. As you can imagine it’s pretty hard to make a cookie vegan let alone gluten free and from a few ingredients. How did it happen? Well when we were competitive CrossFitters, we were on the Paleo, and Whole30 diets limited to natural and least refined and processed ingredients. Our pantry shelves stood lined with such treasures - wholesome foods that could easily serve as the bedrock of a nutritious and savory meal without requiring much time spent simmering over a stove. 

But within the confines of our diets, options were limited. How were we supposed to eat a traditional cookie? We couldn’t.  In our quest for a guilt-free sweet treat, we started experimenting with the ingredients at our disposal. We took almonds, dates, cashews, and maple syrup and worked each night after working out to find something. The result? Round, sweet, bite-sized balls that satisfied our craving for a dessert. We were thrilled with our creation - but one element was still missing.

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Where was the crunch factor! Our sweet balls were a delight, yet they lacked that satisfying crunch we yearned for. A spark of inspiration led us to a simple, but revolutionary idea: what if we flattened these round balls and put them to bake in the warmth of an oven?

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Our kitchen became a makeshift laboratory as we kept experimenting with different recipes. We watched through the oven door and set a timer, watching the cookies become golden-brown! When the timer beeped, the round balls had transformed into crispy, delicious cookies on the outside and soft on the inside!

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To this day, we've stuck with our original, minimalistic ingredient list. Each bite of our cookies serves as a delightful reminder of our journey from CrossFit athletes to unexpected bakers. This venture taught us that, in the world of food, creativity and ingenuity can lead to the most unexpected, yet delightful result.