An Interview with Priyasha Saluja, Founder of Cinnamon Kitchen

An interview with Priyasha Saluja, founder of Cinnamon Kitchen, India’s first PCOS friendly bakery

In this enlightening interview, Priyasha Saluja, founder of Cinnamon Kitchen, shares her journey of creating India’s first PCOS-friendly bakery.

She discusses the importance of nutrition in managing PCOS and her mission to provide delicious, healthy treats that empower women to embrace their health without sacrificing flavor.

What inspired you to start The Cinnamon Kitchen, and how did your personal journey with PCOS influence your culinary creations?

Priyasha Saluja: It started very personally. I was diagnosed with PCOS as a teenager and faced the usual storm — irregular cycles, insulin resistance, and a growing disconnect with food.

Most “healthy” options were full of preservatives or refined sugar in disguise, and it left me feeling like I had to choose between health and joy.

So, I started baking at home. Slowly, my kitchen in Mumbai became my lab—where I began experimenting with ingredients that didn’t trigger symptoms and still tasted good.

I was documenting these recipes online, and what I realised is that I wasn’t alone—there were so many others looking for the same thing.

The Cinnamon Kitchen wasn’t born out of a business plan. It came from the need to rebuild a better relationship with food—one where you didn’t have to second guess what’s on your plate.

We started small, but the mission was always big: to create desserts and snacks that feel good, taste better, and are made for people navigating real health needs in their everyday lives.

How do you develop your gluten-free, plant-based desserts and hormone-conscious snacks?

Priyasha Saluja: We’re an ingredient-first brand. Everything begins with what goes in—and how it supports the body, especially in relation to blood sugar and hormone health. For us, taste is never separate from function.

Insulin resistance is at the core of many lifestyle-related issues like PCOS and diabetes, so we focus on minimizing spikes by layering sugars with good fats and proteins. We use ingredients that are naturally non-inflammatory—no gluten, no dairy, and absolutely no refined sugar.

We’re also very particular about the quality. Our recipes are simple, but the ingredients are the heroes—much like traditional Italian cooking.

When the base ingredients are that good, you don’t need to complicate the process. Whether it’s the way we use sea salt with chocolate or roast nuts for spreads, each element is there for both flavour and function.

How do you source your ingredients, and what role do they play in the health benefits of your products?

Priyasha Saluja: Ingredients are at the heart of everything we do—and sourcing them is one of the most intentional parts of our process.

We work with growers and partners who share our values around quality. Our millets are locally grown, certified gluten-free, and organic. Our dates and sugars are minimally processed and of premium grade.

And our chocolate? We never use compounds. We’re known for using real 70% Indian-origin dark chocolate that’s completely free from refined sugar.

While many commercial brands cut corners by using compound chocolate, refined sweeteners, or bulk almond flours with anti-caking agents, we choose to go the longer route.

For example, most store-bought almond flours contain anti-caking starches that prevent clumping—but these are rarely mentioned on the label.

We avoid that by sourcing raw almonds ourselves, roasting them in-house, and grinding them fresh into flour. We also make our own nut butters and oat flour for the same reason.

Because we don’t rely on emulsifiers or artificial stabilisers, the only way to make our products taste good is to start with the best ingredients—and we don’t shy away from that. It’s more effort, but it shows in every bite.

How are you scaling The Cinnamon Kitchen while staying true to your ingredient-led approach?

Priyasha Saluja: We’ve grown carefully and consciously. Our focus has never been on growing fast—it’s always been about growing right.

In India, the supply chain for clean, minimally processed ingredients still has gaps, so we’ve invested time in building strong local relationships to procure sustainably and ethically.

Everything is still made in-house—from roasting nuts to grinding our own flours. Most commercial almond flours are treated to stay shelf-stable with starches or anti-caking agents.

We skip that completely by sourcing raw almonds, roasting them, and making fresh almond flour in small batches. The same care goes into our oat flour and nut butters.

Is it laborious? Absolutely. But the end result is unmatched. The backend may be intense, but the flavour and integrity of the product make it worthwhile every single time. This kind of attention to detail is difficult to scale—but for us, it’s the only way forward.

What dessert trends are you seeing in the plant-based and gluten-free space?

Priyasha Saluja: There’s a clear shift happening. People aren’t just looking for “vegan” or “sugar-free” as checkboxes anymore. They’re asking deeper questions: Will this make me feel good? Can I give this to my kids? Will this support my hormones?

There’s also growing interest in familiar Indian ingredients like jaggery, millets, and seeds—reimagined in everyday formats like cookies, cakes, and spreads. The trend is moving toward functional indulgence: food that’s delicious but also deeply supportive of your health.

What are your bestsellers, and what makes them stand out?

• Flourless Almond Butter Cookies – These are made with freshly roasted almond butter, dark vegan chocolate, and sea salt. They’re grain-free, refined sugar-free, and incredibly satisfying in texture.
• Oh Fudge – A small but mighty square packed with dates, hazelnuts, almond butter, and dark chocolate. It’s portioned to avoid overdoing it but still feels like a treat.
• Millet Apple Crumble Cake – This cake is earthy, warm, and nostalgic. Made without maida or dairy, it still gives you the texture and comfort of something homemade.

Each product is designed to deliver on taste first—but everything underneath is built to nourish.

What’s next for The Cinnamon Kitchen?

Priyasha Saluja: From day one, the vision for The Cinnamon Kitchen was bigger than just dessert. It was about changing the way people engage with everyday food—especially those dealing with lifestyle conditions like PCOS, diabetes, or simply wanting to eat better without giving up joy.

We started with nut butters and cookies, then grew into cakes and fudge. Now, we’re focused on expanding into both sweet and savoury formats that support hormone-conscious, anti-inflammatory eating—while still delivering on flavour.

We’re building out a larger pantry of essentials: think grain-free crackers, flavour-packed spreads, and nutrient-dense snacks you can grab on the go.

These are products that still carry the Cinnamon Kitchen promise—no gluten, no dairy, no refined sugar—but made to fit into your everyday routines, not just the moments you “treat” yourself.

We’re expanding with care, making sure scale doesn’t come at the cost of integrity. As consumer behaviour shifts toward convenience and immediacy, our focus is on being present wherever our customers are—especially through quick commerce and retail.

Who is your core customer today—and how has that changed since you first started?

Priyasha Saluja: Our earliest customers were people who found us online while searching for alternatives that weren’t just “healthy” on paper. Many of them had PCOS, diabetes, or gut issues—and were actively looking for brands that didn’t rely on artificial sweeteners, dairy, or refined flour.

Today, that audience has broadened. We now serve young professionals, parents looking for cleaner snacks for their kids, fitness-first consumers, and even the elderly. The common thread? They all want food that feels good and tastes good—without having to read between the lines on a label.

What are some challenges you’ve faced building a food brand in this niche?

Priyasha Saluja: One of the biggest challenges has been creating consistent, scalable systems without compromising ingredient quality. The food we make doesn’t rely on stabilizers or pre-mixes, so replicating small-batch taste at scale is difficult.

There’s also an education gap. A lot of consumers still associate “sugar-free” with stevia aftertaste or “healthy” with blandness. So it’s been our job to shift that perception—through taste, packaging, and storytelling.

How do you balance innovation with your core product philosophy?

We innovate only when it aligns with our principles. That means no artificial shortcuts, no food trends for the sake of trends. When we try something new, like a fudge with local citrus or a savory cracker using amaranth, we always start with: Is this something we’d serve at home?

Our creative process isn’t driven by seasonal demand—it’s driven by ingredient logic and real-life needs.

What role does community play in your brand’s journey?

Priyasha Saluja: A huge one. Our community—from early Instagram followers to long-time repeat buyers—has shaped our growth. They’ve given us feedback, shared recipes using our products, and told their friends about us.

We also believe in giving back to the community by educating around hormone health, hosting pop-ups, and participating in events that align with our values.

 What values define The Cinnamon Kitchen—and how do you ensure those values show up in everything you do?

Priyasha Saluja: Our three core values are: honesty, craftsmanship, and nourishment.

• Honesty in our ingredient labels and processes—what you see is what you get.
• Craftsmanship in the way we make things—from slow-roasting nuts to blending our own flours.
• Nourishment not just for the body, but for the experience—our food should bring joy without second-guessing.

These values guide everything—from sourcing and recipes to the kind of partnerships we say yes to.

Priyasha Saluja’s vision for Cinnamon Kitchen not only addresses the dietary needs of women with PCOS but also promotes a broader conversation about health and wellness.

Her innovative approach to baking demonstrates that deliciousness and nutrition can coexist, inspiring many to make healthier choices in their lives.

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