Wholesome bites baked with love

A waft of espresso beans passes through the air as freshman Victoria Hsu hand grinds them into the blender, tediously sifting the powder into the bowl to create her 100% organic fermented cacao powder.

As a baker, Hsu aims to create pastries that are healthier for the diet. She uses 100% organic ingredients, and her finished products contain less sugar or pesticides, which lower blood sugar levels to support metabolic health. 

“Unprocessed organic ingredients are better for your overall health. [People in] America are suffering from a lot of chronic diseases because of these bad foods, so I like to make my products not make your glucose [level] spike as high as if you were to eat an Oreo or something sweeter,” Hsu said.

Many of her products, such as the grass-fed butter from France or the spring salt from Spain, are more expensive to import compared to domestic ingredients. For select ingredients such as the fermented cacao powder as well as ladyfingers for her tiramisu were hand-prepped using organic procedures. As a result, the prices for her pastries are higher than other bakers—around $6 per cookie—with an average of five sales every time she releases a new flavor cookie. 

Hsu’s main inspiration comes from her mother, a functional medicine doctor, one who identifies and creates treatment plans based on a patient’s lifestyle habits. She taught Hsu about the importance of maintaining a healthy diet for the sustenance of digestion organs, skincare and overall health at a young age. Hsu was in fifth grade when she applied this knowledge to baking, starting off with original store-found ingredients until she began using more natural ones in middle school. 

“It was during COVID-19, so we were just staying at home, and I got bored,” Hsu said. “The very first thing I baked was banana bread. My favorite part of baking is the process and making. It’s really fun for me and it makes me happy to see me and my family enjoy it.”

Hsu started her small business, Organic Haven, at the beginning of January 2025. She had always wanted to open up her baked goods to the public but never got the confidence or motivation to do so until now. As she started to gain more clients from word of mouth or social media orders, Hsu easily adapted to the added responsibilities, earning money while doing something she loves. Currently, her bestseller is her Dark Chocolate Chip cookies, however, she is trying to sell a variety of baked goods that are not limited to cookies such as muffins or cakes.

“If you want to start something, then just do it right now. I was really scared and afraid of what other people were going to think, but my mom was just like, ‘just do it now and then you won’t regret it in the future,’” Hsu said.