Before there were cookies, there was cake — my grandmother's, to be exact.
Panela began in a warm kitchen filled with the scent of baking cakes and the joyful chatter of family — a space where my grandmother worked her magic. She baked not just to feed her many children and grandchildren, but to show love in its most universal language: food. Her chocolate cake lives rent-free in my memory to this day.
I founded Panela with that same spirit — of generosity, connection, and care— but also with a very real understanding that baking isn’t easy for everyone. Not everyone has the time, the tools, or the confidence. So I set out to create something that brings the joy of homemade baking to everyone, no matter your skill level.Whether you’re a star baker or someone who’s never even boiled water, you deserve warm, fresh cookies made with the best ingredients.
Panela is that promise. Made with heart. Made to share.
Our Ingredient Philosophy: Simple, Magical, and Real
At Panela, truly good food doesn't need to be complicated — it just needs to be real. No artificial extras, no shortcuts. Just the absolute best ingredients on the planet.
Our star ingredient — and our namesake — is panela, an unrefined cane sugar from Colombian kitchens. Richer, deeper, and more soulful than regular brown sugar. A little nod to my heritage in every bite.
We source only organic ingredients, many from regeneratively farmed land. Because that indulgence should be intentional — and the best ingredients make the best food.
Butter from happy cows
Just because it says "grass fed" doesn't mean the cows spend their life roaming around. Our butter comes from cows who actually do. They spend an average of 235 days a year. When they have to be inside, they're resting on their own beds.
actually fairly traded cacao
Fair trade has become yet another marketing gimmick. Our chocolate is uncoupled from market prices and farmers earn 4-5x more than market price. Thats what is actually fair.
panela from colombia
Panela is unlike any other sweetener. Its not synthetic, its not processed, but it carries actual flavour. Straight from farms in Colombia, you'll experience sweetness like you haven't before.
I’ve poured my heart into Panela. Every recipe, every cookie, every decision — it’s all rooted in a dream to make something excellent. Something that’s not only delicious, but meaningful.
My hope is that when you bite into a Panela cookie, you taste the love, the care, and the story behind it. Because food isn’t just food. It’s memory. It’s comfort. It’s joy.
And there’s always joy in a cookie.
- Julia, Founder
