The next dessert craze: gourmet rice crispy treats?

October 7th, 2008, 6:30 am · 20 Comments · posted by Nancy Luna, Staff Writer

Can gourmet rice crispy treats knock out cupcakes as the reigning King of Chic Mini Desserts?

Krispy Dips come individually wrapped or in custom sizes such as the cake, above. (click to enlarge all photos)

Two Orange County sisters can only hope. Joanna Warbiany and Tara Hoke launched last week an online website for Krispy Dips — a gourmet version of the gooey, marshmallow-infused treats we all loved as kids.

Each square is dipped in premium Guittard chocolate and sprinkled with decadent toppings such as caramel, real espresso bean and sweet coconut. In other words, the Krispy Dip is a “grown-up version of the crispy marshmallow treat,” according to the company’s website, which launched last week.

Now for the price. Each elegant treat costs $3.95.

That’s actually higher than most gourmet cupcakes. Warbiany of Laguna Niguel explains the pricing strategy and a few other business details below — including how the company got started.

Q: What gave you the idea to take rice crispy treats up a notch?

Krispy Dips founders: Sisters Joanna Warbiany, left, and Tara Hoke. Both live in O.C.

A: Growing up, my mom would often dip traditional rice crispy treats in chocolate, decorate them with sprinkles and package them with ribbon for holidays and family gatherings. My sister and I were brainstorming possible business ideas one day and it was like a light bulb went off… We could take that concept a step further by adding gourmet ingredients and toppings to create a grown-up version of the rice crispy treat!

Q: Since you (Joanna) have pastry chef experience, are you the chief Krispy Dip maker?
A: I did perfect the recipe, but me and my sister work together on everything.

Q: Are you trying to do for rice crispy treats what Sprinkles did for cupcakes?
A: We would love to have the success and notoriety that Sprinkles has had. But we have created something that is completely new and different. Sprinkles created a new market for a familiar treat. The Krispy Dip takes a familiar childhood treat to a whole new level.

Q: How did you decide on your price?

Even the boxes are fancy

A: We had to take into consideration not only cost of quality ingredients and packaging, but most importantly the time it takes from start to finish. Everything is hand-crafted, right down to the crispy squares themselves. We could easily buy pre-packaged rice crispy treats, which would save us a lot in time and cost, but the taste just isn’t the same as when we take the time to use real butter and imported vanilla. We hand-dip, hand-package and hand-tie each bow, resulting in a high-end confection. And our prices reflect that.

Finally, we made sure that our prices were competitive with other gourmet desserts produced in the same fashion.

Q: You just launched the site last week. How have orders been so far?
A. Orders have definitely surpassed our expectation. Since launching, we have sold close to 1,100 Krispy Dips, including custom orders for local professional sports teams. We expect that number to grow as we expand our visibility.

Q: Any plans to open a retail outlet or to have treats in stores?
A: Yes. A retail location is definitely a possibility. In fact, that was our first thought when we came up with the concept. But Joanna having a 14-month old baby and Tara looking to start a family very soon, for the moment, this seemed like the best way to balance work and family.

We just received our nutritional labels and are currently negotiating with several high-end grocery stores in the Orange County and Los Angeles area, so stay tuned.

We will stay tuned.

10/9 Update: After this post, CBS/2 interviewed the Krispy Dips founders. See the video clip here.

Note: Find the recipe for the original Rice Krispies Treats here.

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Forever Moore says:

October 7, 2008 at 8:25 am

Maybe I’m weird, but I like plain ol Rice Krispy treats! All that stuff just sullies up the true goodness. But good luck to the sisters anyway!

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pizzaguy says:

October 7, 2008 at 8:56 am

Great!
More carbs and sugar to pack on the pounds.
Just what fat America needs the most.

dru says:

October 7, 2008 at 9:39 am

cool, i coming up with gourmet boiled eggs… dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with decadent toppings. look for it.

Brian says:

October 7, 2008 at 9:40 am

Rice Krispy treats? You can make a whole batch at home for less than $5, or buy them pre-made at the store. I don’t know why in the world anyone would buy this stuff unless they’re rich and too lazy to make them.

This is just like the cupcake craze. You can buy a box of cake mix for a $1 and the frosting for $1.50 and this will make a dozen. I can’t believe how incredibly lazy people are. At a time where unemployment is shooting up, the stock market is a mess, the housing crisis and foreclosure debacle…Do people really have this much money to blow on frivolous stuff like this?

Honestly, I hope people have common sense to save their money for when things get worse instead of blowing it on some ridiculous overpriced rice krispy treats.

909 Cabbies says:

October 7, 2008 at 10:14 am

i think its a great idea for bday, weddings, other special events!

good luck ladies….

audiogirl says:

October 7, 2008 at 10:43 am

Brian, then you don’t have to buy them.

I have to give these ladies kudos for trying something new, and for having the guts to start a new business. Not many people have the nuggetts to do that, especially now.

Good luck!

Melanie says:

October 7, 2008 at 12:04 pm

I predict local niche success with the higher income bracket that still exists here in Orange and L.A. counties, but I can’t imagine it expanding much at this point beyond that. They have a nice little business that will probably keep them both busy. Good for them!

COOKIE says:

October 7, 2008 at 12:39 pm

If I could afford it I would buy it, but I can make them myself and have for years. It would be something I would splurge on for a special occaision……
Keep dreaming ladies.. It is what will bring America back to its feet - the dreams of Americans

mtrain says:

October 7, 2008 at 1:42 pm

these sound so good! i’m excited for a new alternative to frozen yogurt and cupcakes. good luck, ladies. i hope this takes off.

valerie says:

October 7, 2008 at 6:41 pm

@Brian. Ew to store bought frosting, and to a lesser extent cake mix.
I am more of the kind who would copy their idea and add my own twists, but all the best to their business- I’m sure they’ll have more than enough clientele!

Laura says:

October 8, 2008 at 12:01 am

Ya know what. I applaud these women for taking initiative for creating their own business. Their industrialism should be appaluded, not smacked down. It doesn’t sound like they are trying to expand into anything they couldn’t do financially sound. These two sisters, just having fun and trying to create a cool business. While I myself wouldn’t be a customer of theirs, I think they’ve got a fun new idea. Good luck.

limacharliewhiskey says:

October 8, 2008 at 10:03 am

Seeing how cupcakes, frozen yogurt, smoothies, and boba have caught on, I wouldn’t be surprised to see these rice krispy treats catch on, as they are priced at about the same level. There seem to be enough customers to sustain those businesses, so there’s a good chance that these ladies can succeed if people become aware of their products.

I remember cooking rice krispy treats during my teenage years for a few bake sales and remember what a pain it was to do it to stir the marshmellows into the rice krispies. I salute them for trying a new idea and wish them the best of luck to succeed.

Tim Liao says:

October 9, 2008 at 3:34 pm

Ain’t going to work. Rice Krispy Treats work because Rice Krispy Treats are amazing they way they are. Also I think if your going to make a successful business with food, in this economy you should choose something more complex (rice krispy, butter, marshmallow). Especially in this economy people will not splurge for something they can make easily at home. People like myself are even making coffee at home again rather then going to Starbucks.

October 9, 2008 at 3:35 pm

I’m sorry I didn’t mean to be a Debbie Downer with the above statement I really do wish you luck and hope you succeed.

October 9, 2008 at 3:42 pm

Oh by the way has anyone seen those gourmet baby shops around in Newport Beach and Lake Forest? Now I would think that would be a fad. The ideal is not that original though because in the 1987 movie Baby Boom, Diane Keaton rebounds on Wall Street by coming up with gourmet baby food. Maybe the lesson is, no one really has an original ideal but we can all improve on a good thing Good Luck to all of you during this economic downturn. Oh one last thing to Brian. Whether you like the system or not it is people spending a few dollars here and there that keeps the economy moving. It’s those who buy things they can’t afford that destroys the economy so if you can afford gourmet rice krispy treats I highly recommend going out and buying one.

I meant to type gourmet “baby food shops”

Drake says:

October 21, 2008 at 7:37 pm

This idea isn’t new by any means. There is a company in Seattle that has been making similar products for several years. They took the concept to a much higher level and made theirs strictly natural and organic. Check out Krispettes by Caroline’s desserts; they made gourmet rice krispies before they were cool. Interestingly, Krispy Dips look a lot like them, even the flavors and photography.

Mary A. says:

November 3, 2008 at 8:15 am

Am looking forward to a trip to O. C. to try and purchase some of these as I’m going out of town for Thanksgiving and would love to give these away as Christmas gifts. I have terrible luck when it comes to making desserts or treats. Mary A.

Nancy Luna, Staff Writer says:

November 3, 2008 at 8:18 am

Mary: You don’t have to come to O.C. to buy these treats. They are available online. The Link to Krispy Dips is in the top part of this blog post.

Mike says:

November 13, 2008 at 2:24 pm

Cheers ladies,

Rice Krispie Treats are a lot of fun to make but sending them as gifts can be really special. I send them from The Crispery all the time and my clients LOVE them.

You guys will do great, keep plugging away and don’t eat too many. I know they are habit forming.

Good Luck
Mike