Cajou Creamery

What Cajou Creamery does

Cajou Creamery is a Baltimore-based, Black-owned plant-based ice cream company founded in 2017 (per press timelines) by Nicole Foster and Dwight Campbell after their son was born lactose intolerant. The company's core product is hand-crafted ice cream made from a cashew milk base — chosen over cheaper coconut, almond, or oat alternatives for its creamy, velvety texture — using whole-food ingredients without artificial additives, gums, or fillers. All products are dairy-free, gluten-free, and soy-free, and the flavor portfolio is drawn from global diaspora culinary traditions (Baklava, Kulfi, Café con Leche, Horchata, Soursop, Mango Lassi, Sweet Potato Pie, Jamaican Rum Raisin, etc.), positioning the brand as the first Black-owned cashew milk ice cream shop in the United States.

The business operates through a multi-channel direct-to-consumer model: an e-commerce storefront (cajoucreamery.com) shipping pints nationwide on a weekly frozen-shipping cadence with a 5-pint minimum order; a single physical retail location at 411 North Howard Street in Baltimore, MD, secured via the 2020 Howard Row storefront competition; the Lush by Cajou sub-brand, a craft ice cream cocktail catering service operating across the Mid-Atlantic with tiered packages from $25 to custom pricing; and ancillary offerings including made-to-order ice cream cakes ($25-$120), 5L bulk tubs ($75), gift cards ($13-$52 denominations), and brownies. Pricing is uniformly unit-based with no subscription model, and no institutional funding, parent company, or wholesale/grocery distribution has been disclosed.

The company is family-operated with 1-10 employees, and revenue is not publicly disclosed. Its stated target market is the 125 million Americans — disproportionately from communities of color — who cannot digest dairy, and it has accumulated earned-media coverage in outlets including Bloomberg Businessweek, Essence, The Washington Post, Ebony, Eater, AARP, and The Baltimore Sun. Recent direction includes a brand refresh extending into diasporic small bites and cocktails, signaling a move from scoop shop to broader dessert-and-beverage concept.

Name

Cajou Creamery

Legal name

Cajou Creamery

Website

https://cajoucreamery.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cajou Creamery is a Baltimore-based, Black-owned plant-based ice cream maker founded in 2017, producing hand-crafted cashew milk ice cream with globally-inspired diaspora flavors sold via a single retail storefront, nationwide e-commerce shipping, Mid-Atlantic event catering (Lush by Cajou), and custom ice cream cakes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Plant-Based Frozen Desserts

NAICS

Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing (311520)

SIC

Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts (2024)

akta.pro primary industry

Ice Cream & Gelato Shops (THAFAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ice Cream, Frozen Desserts & Novelties Manufacturing (AFAKAKAE), Ice Cream & Refrigerated Desserts (CRADACAE)

Keywords

• Plant-based ice cream
• Cashew milk desserts
• Dairy-free frozen desserts
• Ice cream cakes
• Event ice cream catering

Headquarters

HQ city

Baltimore

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales: E-commerce sales of pints, 5L tubs, ice cream cakes, and brownies shipped directly to consumers nationwide. Online ordering with frozen shipping for minimum 5-pint orders.
2. Event Catering - Lush by Cajou: Craft ice cream cocktail catering services for weddings, corporate events, and private parties. Three tiers: Classic (from $25/guest), Signature (from $32/guest), and Atelier (custom). Serves Mid-Atlantic region with bar cart or behind-bar service options.
3. Gift Cards: Digital gift cards sold in denominations of $13, $26, $39, and $52 for gifting occasions.
4. Ice Cream Cakes: Made-to-order ice cream cakes in various sizes (4", 7", 9", 10") with custom flavor options. Pickup only, ordered at least one week in advance.
5. Retail Pickup: In-store pickup available at Baltimore location, with 4-6 day lead time for 5L ice cream tub orders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Cajou Creamery produces and sells hand-crafted, plant-based ice cream made from real cashew milk in globally-inspired flavors, including dairy-free pints, 5-liter bulk tubs, made-to-order ice cream cakes, and gift cards. The company operates a Baltimore retail storefront, ships frozen pints nationwide via direct online ordering, and runs Lush by Cajou, a craft ice cream cocktail catering service for weddings, corporate events, and private parties. All products are dairy-free, gluten-free, and soy-free.

Product overview

Cajou Creamery is a Black-owned, globally-inspired plant-based ice cream company based in Baltimore, MD. The company produces hand-crafted cashew milk ice cream that is dairy-free, gluten-free, and soy-free. The core product lineup consists of ice cream pints (retail and bulk 5L tubs), ice cream cakes (made to order in four sizes), and gift cards. The company has expanded into event catering through 'Lush by Cajou,' a craft ice cream cocktail service with mobile bar cart options. The product portfolio also includes add-on items like brownies. All products are inspired by international flavors from cultures including Indian, Turkish, Cuban, Mexican, Caribbean, and American Southern traditions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lush by Cajou: Craft ice cream cocktail catering service featuring globally-inspired, dairy-free ice cream bases mixed into cocktails for events. Offers bar cart service and pour-behind-your-bar options with packages starting at $25/guest.

Products and services

• Cashew Milk Ice Cream Pints Hand-crafted, globally-inspired plant-based ice cream made from real cashew milk in 16+ pint flavors including Baklava, Horchata, Kulfi, Café con Leche, Mexican Hot Chocolate, Blueberry Cheesecake, Soursop, Mango Lassi, Jamaican Rum Raisin, and Sweet Potato Pie. All pints are dairy-free, gluten-free, and soy-free and are sold to individual consumers via online ordering with nationwide frozen shipping and in-store pickup at the Baltimore flagship.
• Ice Cream Cakes Made-to-order dairy-free, plant-based ice cream cakes made from cashew milk, available in four sizes: 4-inch ($25, serves 2–4), 7-inch ($70–$75, serves 8–10), 9-inch ($90, serves 12–14), and 10-inch ($110–$120, serves 16–20). Customizable with various flavors, toppings, crusts, and designs. Pickup only at the Baltimore location, requires one week advance ordering.
• 5L Ice Cream Tub Five-liter bulk ice cream tub priced at $75, available in 18+ flavors including Horchata, Baklava, Sweet Potato Pie, Cortadito, Kulfi, Blueberry Cheesecake, Mexican Cacao, Cuban Pastelito, Bourbon Pecan Pie, Raspberry Cheesecake, Pure Vanilla, Cookies & Cream, Jamaican Rum & Raisin, Mango Lassi, Soursop, Chocolate Ganache, Funky Monkey, and Banana Foster. Pickup available 4–6 days after ordering at the Baltimore location.
• Gift Cards Digital gift cards available in four denominations ($13, $26, $39, and $52), marketed for birthdays, celebrations, employee appreciation, and gifting occasions. Can be sent to recipients via email with a personalized message.
• Brownie Triple chocolate ganache brownie sold as an add-on companion product alongside the dairy-free ice cream lineup.
• Lush by Cajou Event Catering Sub-brand providing craft ice cream cocktail catering for weddings, corporate events, and private parties using Cajou's dairy-free ice cream bases. Service is delivered via two models — a mobile bar cart with a dedicated bartender, or pouring behind the client's existing bar — across the Mid-Atlantic (Maryland, D.C., Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey). Three service tiers: Classic (from $25/guest), Signature (from $32/guest), and Atelier (custom pricing with full menu development and custom Cajou flavor). Includes spirit-free versions to accommodate non-drinkers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5-star average rating from 59 reviews on the website

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• NadaMoo!: Dairy-free frozen dessert brand focused on coconut milk-based pints distributed nationally through retail and online. Closely comparable on plant-based positioning, pint SKU, and DTC shipping model.
• Cosmic Bliss: Organic plant-based ice cream brand using coconut cream and cashew bases in pints. Directly comparable to Cajou on cashew-based, premium, organic-leaning plant-based ice cream.
• Salt & Straw: Artisanal ice cream brand with multiple scoop shops, DTC pint shipping, and chef-driven unusual flavors. Comparable on small-batch premium positioning, retail shop, and nationwide pint shipping.
• Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams: Artisanal ice cream brand operating scoop shops and shipping pints nationwide with globally-inspired flavors. Comparable on premium scoop-shop + DTC shipping model and distinctive flavor development.
• Coconut Bliss: Plant-based frozen dessert brand using coconut milk base, sold in pints via natural and grocery channels. Comparable on dairy-free frozen dessert category and premium positioning.
• Van Leeuwen Ice Cream: Premium plant-based and dairy ice cream brand sold in pints via DTC and retail. Most comparable to Cajou on cashew/oat-based vegan pints positioned at the premium end of the category.

Broad incumbents

• So Delicious Dairy Free: National plant-based frozen dessert brand (owned by Danone) with broad retail distribution across pints, novelties and cones. Comparable on dairy-free frozen dessert category at much larger scale.
• Talenti Gelato: Premium gelato/sorbetto pint brand with broad retail distribution. Comparable on premium pint category, seasonal and globally-inspired flavors, and gifting occasions.
• Häagen-Dazs Shops: Long-established premium ice cream brand with scoop shops and pint distribution. Comparable on premium ice cream shop and packaged pint business model.

Emerging players

• Frill Culture Ice Cream: Black-owned plant-based ice cream brand focused on oat milk bases with national DTC shipping. Comparable on culturally-rooted, Black-owned, plant-based ice cream positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/cajoucreamery
• Facebookfacebook.com/CajouCreamery
• Instagraminstagram.com/cajoucreamery
• TikToktiktok.com/@cajoucreamery
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cajou-creamery

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cajou Creamery