Hi, I'm Heather!
I am a baker with a passion for elevated desserts and the creator of youthsweets. I have loved dessert ever since I was a child and enjoy baking sweet things that make me feel like a kid again.
In the beginning
I grew up on a ranch in a small town in south Texas where the nearest grocery store was 40 minutes away. Our house was an "ingredient household," if you know what I mean. My mom is the queen of making something from nothing, and she taught me that if I wanted a fun snack or sweet treat it was on me to whip it up. (My go-to back then was a frosting made from melted margarine and powdered sugar, served with animal crackers.)
My granny would make me elaborate birthday cakes and regularly treat my sister and I to blizzards at Dairy Queen. I have a distinct memory of Granny coming to my rescue at a Brazilian steakhouse one time. I was taking way too much time curating a plate and the rest of my family were complaining that I was playing with my food. But, my granny defended me saying I was styling the plate (which I was!). She taught me that we eat with our eyes first, and presentation matters. She also gifted all of her piping tips and cake tools to me when she could no longer use them. (Which I still cherish and use today!)
In the middle
From the time I could grasp the concept that we all eventually have to have a job, I was jealous of my peers who knew exactly what they wanted to do. I never felt drawn to typical careers. In school, I knew I was good at English. In my freetime, I gravitated towards creative stuff like photography and videography. All the while I was obsessed with sweets and baking, but somehow I never thought of it as a viable career path.
I graduated high school and went on to attend Texas A&M University for agricultural communications and journalism with a minor in poultry science (remember how I said I grew up on a ranch?). After graduating in 2017, I got a full-time job at Texas A&M University as a communications specialist for a college’s marketing and communications office. Looking back, those years were so critical in learning how to do every technical non-baking thing I do for youthsweets now: photography, videography, social media marketing, writing, graphic design and a little website management.
In the now
With the support of my husband Cody, I left my comfortable salaried job in November 2021 with no back up plan. I was burnt out and struggling with my mental health. All the while, family and friends had been telling me I needed to do something with baking (it seems like everyone else recognized my passion before I did). When I quit my job the only thing I wanted to spend my time doing was baking, and then it clicked: This is it. If I want to be happy and do something I love, I have to make baking my life’s work.
I started developing recipes and filming them right away. I had early success on TikTok with my mango macarons video which garnered a substantial following there. When the “recipe?” questions started rolling in, I knew it was time to start this blog.
What you’ll find on youthsweets
- Both challenging AND easy recipes. I am passionate about sharing my recipes in an easy-to-follow format.
- I won’t say I will never develop a savory recipe, but it hasn’t happened yet, so for now, youthsweets is a place for SWEETS.
- Links to my Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest, which you can use as a visual aid to help make my recipes!
Frequently asked questions
I had to create a burner account on Instagram when I was at my old job to test social media content. I had been baking for fun on the weekends at that point and figured I should choose something I may eventually use. I worked around branding at the time, so making sure it was something unique and tidy enough to be available on every platform was important to me. And sure, I do like sweet treats that make me feel like a ~youth~ again.
This is the toughest question because I love all my children (recipes) equally. When I am in the mood for something more challenging, I love to make a tart because you get to be really creative with the fillings and garnishes. When I am in the mood for something easy, I love to develop a new scone flavor. They are so customizable and come together quickly.
Kinda, but not really. I believe everyone deserves a treat. And treats to me are full fat, full sugar. However, I said EVERYONE deserves a treat; if you have an allergy or dietary restriction, you deserve a treat too. My sister is mostly gluten-free so I developed these recipes with her in mind. I have also made a vegan strawberry cake before for a brand collaboration and offer vegan alternatives in my recipes when possible.
I love to collaborate with brands and/or make freelance user-generated content for brands. Please feel free to reach out via my contact form or send an email to youthsweets @ gmail.com. Some of my past favorites include:
Lavender White Chocolate Ice Cream for DairyPure (Paid Partnership)
Gingerbread Snack Cake for Wholesome (Dark Ad)
Churro Donuts for Philadelphia Cream Cheese (Paid Partnership)
Dutch Butter Cake for Land O’ Lakes (Paid Partnership)
Check out my Amazon Storefront + Idea Lists to shop the products I use every day.