Baked by Melissa cupcake kits are now available exclusively at Target, placing the bite-size dessert brand in the at-home baking aisle as the retailer works to spur holiday spending.
As of Sunday, Target is carrying the brand’s cupcake kits, paper liners and a cupcake pan, all sized to match the company’s signature mini format. The initial lineup features three flavors: Christmas Tie-Dye, Marshmallow Hot Cocoa and Red Velvet.
The move into at-home baking reflects a broader shift as restaurants and culinary brands turn to consumer packaged goods to supplement sales in a tough operating environment. Longtime licensing players include California Pizza Kitchen and TGI Fridays in frozen foods, while chains such as Chick-fil-A and Dutch Bros have more recently expanded into grocery offerings.
For smaller names like Momofuku and Carbone, retail distribution extends brand reach and offers consumers a lower-cost way to sample their food. Those online successes have led to collaborations with Ferrero and Wonder.
Founded in 2008 by Melissa Ben-Ishay, Baked by Melissa operates nine permanent stores in the New York area and ships its minicupcakes nationwide. The brand’s profile has grown well beyond the region through Ben-Ishay’s social media presence.
The company’s TikTok account has more than 2.8 million followers, driven by popular recipe videos such as her green goddess salad. Ben-Ishay said the company had discussed at-home baking products for years, but she decided to move ahead after a trip to Target with her two children about a year ago.
Walking the baking aisle convinced her the brand “should be here,” she said. “I love baking cake mix. I truly do. And, quite frankly, sometimes I just think it tastes better,” she added. Shifting into retail required a different pace for the fast-moving dessert company.
Baked by Melissa has been able to launch limited-edition products in days, such as New York Knicks-branded minicupcakes after the team won the NBA championship in June. Developing items for store shelves, by contrast, involved extended timelines, approvals and new partners, according to Ben-Ishay.
Twelve months after that Target visit, the cupcake mixes have rolled out in time for the crucial holiday period. For Target, the next two months are pivotal as it looks to bring back core customers following a lackluster holiday season last year.
Ben-Ishay said starting with Target made sense for her personally. “We started with Target because I’m a 42-year-old mom of two, and I find myself there a lot,” she said.
Baked by Melissa cupcake kits arrive for peak holiday baking
The exclusive Target launch positions the brand to tap seasonal demand for home baking while giving the retailer a fresh, giftable option in a high-traffic category.