Eat Like Royalty

Instagram makes me hungry. No matter how much I try to unsee food in my feed, I can't escape the links to recipes or funky new trends. About a year ago I saw the liquid gold called Granola Butter, scrolling seductively beneath my fingertips. To this day, I continue to see the temptation and it's dressed in new flavors. Just as I say "No more! I have plenty," another new jar pops up in a sexy label. The latest flavor is cookie dough, which was preceded by date, gingerbread, pumpkin and blueberry. The limited nature urges me to stock up the moment they are released. I'm in survival mode the moment I see Kween launch an exotic and fleeting flavor.

Open up my cupboard and you'll find the staples stacked high: chocolate, vanilla and original. I go through a jar in about 3 days because it's so addicting. My only complaint is that the jars are too small and the price is slightly high, but it's completely worth it. If you spend three bucks on a coffee every day, you can spend that for a drizzle of dreaminess. I suggest you grab a spoon or finger and dribble the grainy, yet silky liquid onto your tongue. Kween, the company creating this legal cocaine, suggests fruit, toast, and smoothies as a base, but I rarely make it that far. If you're into oat-ception, top your porridge with a dollop of vanilla granola butter and thank me later. Pre-granola butter, I binged on peanut or almond butters. Part of the product hype is that it is nut-free and uses quality ingredients like organic coconut oil, gluten-free oats, spices and maple syrup. For me, I indulged for the pure flavor and texture.

Not only is this new food item organic and heavenly, but the face responsible for the product draws you in to the club. One of the founders, Ali Bonar, creates a body-positive space for all granola butter fans and constantly updates you with behind-the-scene footage and complete transparency about the production process. Her content is what keeps me hooked long after my initial impulse “Add to Cart” buy occurred. After a while, I felt like I knew her in person and would talk to friends about her as if she lived down the road. It’s easy to target consumers in an advertisement to buy your product once, but to reel them in for the long-haul is difficult to do. Ali – we’re on a first name basis at this point – knows how to connect with her followers and make lasting impressions.

So maybe it’s my fault for clicking the first time and gaining an obsession with such a unique product, but it’s also my fault for clicking ‘subscription’ and receiving automatic renewals of my favorite flavors. I don’t even need to click ‘Add to Cart’ anymore. If that’s not every company’s goal, I don’t know what is. Every time I see a new post from Kween, I want to check my cart and make sure I’m stocked up. Recently, Kween posted a recipe for a chocolate granola butter mug cake. Naturally, I assessed my supply levels and reasoned I would need to buy more jars to have on hand. At this point, I’d rather drink the stuff than waste it on baking. Perhaps when bigger containers are pumped out, I’ll consider using it in my baking and … sharing. That’s right – I’m not sharing this precious stuff unless you buy me the factory.

You could say there's a cult behind the jar - but you'll have to taste that out for yourself.