Today we’d like to introduce you to Danielle Korte.
Hi Danielle, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I grew up always helping my mom in the kitchen- she is a talented baker and cake decorator and taught me a lot! After my daughter was born in 2018, I transitioned to a vegan lifestyle. I was drawn to veganism because it resonated with my compassion towards animals and my interest in health and fitness (I am also a personal trainer!). Having always used baking as a creative outlet and form of stress relief, I found myself researching a lot on how to successfully make vegan baked goods without them tasting “vegan”. So I spent countless hours in the kitchen working on and perfecting different recipes and practicing my cake decorating skills. And once I got to a point where I developed really good recipes, I found myself wanting to share them. So I created A Harmless Bite as a way to connect with the Orlando vegan community and share my delicious baked goods!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I would say it has not been the smoothest road! Right as I was about to really launch my business and had some events lined up to sell at, the pandemic shut everything down. So I had to re-evaluate how I wanted to sell things. Another struggle I’m currently facing is my own personal schedule. In addition to growing my business, I do work as a personal trainer, have a young child, and am enrolled at Valencia College, taking classes in their baking and pastry management program. It’s a lot to balance!
We’ve been impressed with A Harmless Bite, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
A Harmless Bite is an Orlando-based vegan bakery specializing in custom cakes, cupcakes, cookies and other baked goods.
My focus in my baking is to use only high-quality ingredients that make truly delicious desserts that could not be identified as “vegan”. Unfortunately, vegan food or desserts can get a bad rep, and it’s my goal to change that! I want all of my desserts to be as good, if not better than their non-vegan counterparts. So with that, I do not focus on healthy baking- I want the things I make to be an indulgence. And that indulgence starts with how the dessert looks- so I put a lot of effort into making beautiful designs for all things that I bake.
How do you think about happiness?
I do a lot of custom orders for clients who have specific allergy needs. I love when I hear back from them that they got to finally enjoy something that was delicious and fit a theme they were going for! Likewise, when a non-vegan tries something and they can’t tell or don’t know what they are eating is vegan and they love it!
Contact Info:
- Email: aharmlessbite@gmail.com
- Website: Aharmlessbite.com
- Instagram: @aharmlessbite
- Facebook: /aharmlessbite
Image Credits
LM Photography
