LEANNE VIOLA HAS a sweet tooth for the record books—and like many sugar addicts, she developed her penchant for sweets as a child, “No joke,” she says, “I was that kid who ate a tub of ice cream for breakfast.” In 2019, Viola put away childish things and adopted a vegan diet to prioritize her health. She began noshing on a variety of plant-based savory snacks. Still, she wondered: Why weren't there better-for-you options when it came to her favorite treats?
In 2020, she took matters into her own hands and set out to create a recipe to satisfy her cravings without loading up on sugar. With help from a pastry chef, Viola and her husband developed a vegan peanut butter cup with only one gram of sugar. Viola then quit her job in human resources and the couple moved from Vancouver to Los Angeles, where they co-founded the plant-based snack company Whims Delights. Viola,
