Frozen cookie business grows from side hustle to Whole Foods

What to know:

• La Gringuita cookies will be in the frozen cookies section of Whole Foods starting in May
• Each frozen cookie cooks in about 12 minutes and has a filling

Thursday we got an update from Caroline McGinley, the founder and CEO of La Gringuita cookies. We last ran into her about 18 months ago during our “Shining A Light” segment when we featured “Dessert Wars.”

While she didn’t make up bake-from-frozen cookies, her business is starting to grow in a significant way.

Her brand was chosen by Whole Foods to participate in their Local & Emerging Accelerator Program (LEAP). Thousands applied and 10 were chosen.

Starting in early May, you’ll be able to find four flavors of her cookies in the frozen food section of Whole Foods in South Florida including Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade, Collier, and Lee counties.

Caroline thinks because her frozen cookies are unqie they caught Whole Foods’ attention.

“They are quarter-pound stuffed cookies. So that in itself in itself is something interesting that you don’t typically see in a supermarket. And I think it made my brand stand out,” McGinley said.

Think about this: Caroline started making cookies for her roommates in Uruguay and then selling them from her studio apartment. She used social media to get the word out.

Caroline said American cookies are a rarity in the South American country, so there was high interest.

When the pandemic hit the world, she moved back to South Florida. The Jupiter native started selling her cookies online and at local green markets.

Each package has frozen dough balls that will make four quarter-pound stuffed cookies. There are season flavors and four mainstays: Brown Buttah, Chocolate Souffle, El Churro, and The Jammy. Truly, Caroline has a sweet recipe for success.

What do you want me to Shine A Light on? What are you most proud of where you live? E-mail me, tawalker@wptv.com.

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