Q&A with Edoughble’s Rana Lustyan

There’s something so yummy, yet forbidden about eating cookie dough — I mean, you really shouldn’t eat it (RAW EGGS ALERT), but it just calls to you. Luckily, Edoughble makes edible cookie dough with none of the danger, but all of the deliciousness of the cookie dough you know and love. Founder Rana Lustyan sent some samples over to me and I immediately indulged on all of them, diet be damned. Unexpectedly, my favorite flavor was Cookies N’ Dream, which is dark chocolate cookie filled with sugary vanilla frosting. Can you say heavenly?

Edoughble is currently available for purchase from Edoughble.com or at Gelson’s, Bristol Farms and Southern California Whole Foods. The product has been featured in Food & Wine, the Today Show, USA Today, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and many more. Lustyan, a fellow USC Trojan, was nice enough to take some time to answer a few questions for me. Check out it below, along with some mouth-watering pics! 

What was your background before starting Edoughble?

Prior to launching Edoughble, I spent time as a pastry chef. I went to culinary school. I graduated with an MBA from USC. I managed restaurants with the Hillstone Restaurant Group. I worked with Bill Chait to open Petty Cash Taqueria in LA. I was a consultant and finally had the guts to take the risk about 16 months ago, quit my job and work on Edoughble full time!

What inspired the creation of Edoughble?

I grew up eating cookie dough. Cookie dough from the store made my Big Food brands, and homemade cookie dough and cookie dough in ice cream and as a fro-yo topping. I never would have thought of cookie dough as its own dessert, by the bowl-ful if it were not for the massive recall in 2009 where nearly 100 people were hospitalized from consuming raw dough. That is when it dawned on me and I came up with Edoughble.

There is a world of people out there, just like me, that like to eat cookie dough, because what is not to like?! I started thinking about how boring chocolate chip cookie dough was with plain vanilla ice cream and how many fun, unique flavors I could create that could be paired with any flavor of ice cream. Now I can eat cookie dough with reckless abandon. No more tiny sneaky bites, rather spoonfuls of doughy deliciousness.

What was the process like going from idea to where you are now? What were some of the challenges you faced?

The process is incredible fun, creative and challenging. Anyone can have an idea, and many now have this idea! It’s all about execution and taking action. I decided to launch with a website, as I was still working full time, to see how quickly I could reach cookie dough lovers across the US and see if there was a market for this. That proved to be incredibly successful and we are now working hard to bring Edoughble to supermarkets across the US, currently focusing locally in LA, and bringing this dessert to cookie dough lovers everywhere.

It is a long and slow process to do things the right way. From renting a kitchen facility with proper licenses and permits, to packaging design, social media growth, HR and building a team, advertising, R&D and new flavor testing, etc. Running a business is a TON of work. But I get to eat, sleep and breath cookie dough. A dream come true!

How did you decide on the current flavors for Edoughble? What is your personal favorite flavor?

We launched with about 1o flavors, a mix of classic and original. From Classic Chocolate Chip Off The Ol’ Block to the original Birthday Bash, Chunky Chocolate Oats, Cookies N’ Dream and Nuts For Chocolate. I love texture so the Chunky Chocolate Oats is a top choice for me. I microwave it slightly for about 7 or 8 seconds and then eat it by the spoonful or with salted caramel ice cream 🙂

What are your goals for Edoughble? Where would you like to see the brand go next?

My visions is for Edoughble to be available at grocery and convenience stores nationwide so every cookie dough lover who wants the highest quality ingredients in the food and sweets they eat, can indulge on a whim! I want to be that treat people save calories for, or the smile after a long day, or a rough day. I want to be known as the premium, safe-to-eat, whimsical treat.

Be sure to follow Edoughble on Facebook and Instagram for all the latest cookie dough scoop!

Photos courtesy of Edoughble