Celebrating Ujamaa: Delicious Desserts from “Keeping You Sweet”

Kwanzaa is a time to honour our African heritage, culture, and values. It is also a time to support our Black community and businesses, and practice the principle of Ujamaa, which means cooperative economics. Ujamaa teaches us to build and maintain our own stores, shops, and businesses, and to profit from them together. By supporting Black-owned businesses, we are strengthening our collective wealth, power, and identity.

One of the ways we can celebrate Kwanzaa and Ujamaa is by indulging in some delicious desserts from Keeping You Sweet, a Black-owned wellness dessert brand that specializes in gluten-free and vegan treats. Keeping You Sweet was founded by April Harris, a former member of the pop-dance girl group Seduction, who turned her passion for baking into a successful business.

April’s story is inspiring and heart-warming. She started baking as a way to cope with the loss of her mother, who had a catering business. She used her mother’s recipes and added her own twist, using natural and low-fat ingredients, and eliminating refined sugar and gluten. She also used her mother’s handwriting in her recipe books as a source of peace and comfort.

April began selling her desserts at farmers’ markets and donating them to fundraising events. She quickly gained fans and recognition, and one of them was Carey Hamilton from Newark’s jazz station, WBGO, who commissioned a sweet-potato cheesecake for a holiday party. That cheesecake was a hit, and it led to a partnership with Whole Foods, who invited April to be a supplier for their Newark store.

Keeping You Sweet offers a variety of mouth-watering desserts, such as vegan cheesecakes, brownies, cakes, and pies. Some of their flavours include apple cinnamon, piña colada, key lime, butter pecan, chocolate, blueberry, and of course, sweet potato. All of their desserts are handmade with love and care, using all-natural ingredients and your choice of sweetener. You can choose from monk fruit, organic maple syrup, or organic cane sugar.

Keeping You Sweet is more than just a bakery. It is a testament to the resilience, creativity, and faith of April and her mother. It is also a way to share their love and joy with others, and to make the world a sweeter place. By buying their desserts, you are not only treating yourself to a delicious and healthy treat, but you are also supporting a Black woman entrepreneur and her family.

So, this Kwanzaa, why not celebrate with some desserts from Keeping You Sweet? You can order online from their website, keepingyousweet.com, and have them delivered to your door. You can also find them at Whole Foods in Newark, or at various farmers’ markets and events. You can also follow them on social media, @keepingyousweet, to stay updated on their latest news and offers.

Celebrate Kwanzaa and Ujamaa with Keeping You Sweet, and support a Black business that keeps you sweet. Shop now and enjoy!