There’s a new chip on the block – chocolate chip cookie dough, that is – and it’s headquartered and manufactured right here in Durango. Already saturating local markets and spreading regionally, Alpendough is headed for natural grocery stores nationwide.

The vegan, GMO-free, organic cookie dough was created and developed by married couple Sarah Spence and Andrew McKean.

Spence, a native of Littleton, said she has always loved to bake. Over the years, she has experimented with all types of non-wheat and gluten-free flours in an effort to increase nutrition and diversify the plant-based foods she was consuming.

Ten years ago, Spence embraced a vegan diet for ethical, environmental and health reasons, and her cookie dough recipes were created to fit that lifestyle, she said.

The results were so delicious that, when a close friend suggested that Spence consider selling the dough, she and McKean rose to the challenge.

McKean, a Durango native, did the homework and was the brains behind developing the idea, Spence said. “He could make all the spreadsheets and do all the research to see if it would be profitable,” she said.

With a consulting background in corporate management and leadership, McKean was used to looking at the big picture. He saw the potential for this product to fill an underserved market.

Spence had researched the available vegan cookie doughs and mixes and discovered that many products contained unnatural ingredients, such as artificial flavoring or preservatives. He also found that the choices that were free of additives were ridiculously expensive. “There’s definitely a place in the market for something that’s clean without spending $15,” Spence said.

Knowing they had a unique, affordable product, they brought their idea to fruition. “Alpendough is completely scalable,” McKean said. “With other professional services, you’re limited to Durango. If you make it scalable and have something you can take to a larger market – that’s when I saw the real opportunity.”

So, in December 2014, the couple began perfecting their recipes, researching ingredients sources, procuring packaging and creating labeling. They also had to rent a commercial kitchen and invest in manufacturing equipment.

After months of research and development, Alpendough hit the shelves of local retail stores in May 2015. Their first wholesale customer was Nature’s Oasis.

Alyssa Murray, store manager at Natural Grocers, liked the product so much that she encouraged corporate headquarters to approve it for sale in other stores. As a result, Natural Grocers is their biggest wholesale customer, and Alpendough is now available in most locations throughout Colorado.

True to Spence’s lifestyle, her intention was to keep the ingredient list simple and wholesome, with no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives, she said.

The natural foods industry is tricky, McKean said, because when small natural food companies are bought out by larger corporations, the quality of ingredients often suffers. He said almost all cookie dough sold in groceries, even products labeled “natural,” contains controversial ingredients, such as a common coloring agent derived from corn. So, they went against the industry standard and left their cookie coloring as is.

Spence said she wanted to source the highest- quality ingredients she could find. She said they save money by buying pallets of ingredients directly from suppliers. For example, they purchase their organic maple syrup directly from a farm in Vermont. Spence said they are also switching from using a brand-name oat flour to what is likely the same product but sold by a different supplier without the expensive brand name.

Alpendough was not originally formulated to be gluten-free, but once Spence realized that her gluten-free version actually tasted better, she decided to go with it. They use certified gluten-free oat flour, with a touch of tapioca flour and xanthan gum to act as binding agents in place of eggs. The oat flour lends wholesome flavor without tasting too strongly of whole grains, Spence said.

Spence and McKean produce and sell about 1,500 pounds of cookie dough per month from their modest 425-square-foot kitchen, located in town near the Animas River. They share the responsibility for dough production while juggling the care of their 3-year-old son, Zeb. A Fort Lewis College student intern and a family friend also help with different facets of the business.

Their vision for the company includes tripling their sales for 2016. By next month, they expect to be aligned with a Denver-area distributor to make it easier to transport their refrigerated product and reach a larger market.

Spence said once they are on board with the distributor, they plan to hire a broker, who then will market their product into stores covering a wider regional area. McKean said their goal is to saturate the Colorado market then branch out into other regions such as Texas and the Midwest, and eventually to California and the Northwest. They already sell directly to a handful of stores in Ohio, Michigan, Texas, New York and Oregon, and they have a store locator on their website, www.alpendough.com.

As it grows, the company faces some unique challenges. They currently mix dough in 50-pound batches, using a common foodservice vertical or floor mixer. To take production to the next level, they would need to buy equipment that mixes 1,000 pounds of dough at a time and requires custom-built, three-phase electrical wiring.

Durango’s isolated location also can make cost-effective distribution a challenge. But the couple said they are taking the company’s growth one step at a time and working on building relationships within the industry. For now, McKean said, they are operating on a “just in time” model, having their pallets ready for shipping “just in time.”

In Durango, Alpendough can be found in the refrigerated sections at Natural Grocers, Nature’s Oasis and Durango Natural Foods. A 16-ounce container retails for $5.49. The dough, which can be frozen for future use, is egg-free, which means it can be eaten raw, right out of the carton.

They currently sell three varieties – chocolate chip, snickerdoodle and double chocolate (chocolate chocolate chip). Spence said she is working on a few new flavors and is experimenting to see which ones would best appeal to a diverse customer base. Also in the works and borne out of Spence’s passion for natural living, is an affordable line of chemical-free body care products, made with all-organic oils. The new label, Zeb’s Organics, includes a broad-spectrum sunscreen expected to launch sometime this spring.

My family decided to give Alpendough a try, and we chose the quintessential cookie variety, chocolate chip. As a lifelong baker who has had a fair share of professional training, I approve. The product bakes without a hitch, has a smooth texture and is extremely satisfying.

The only drawback, in my opinion, is that eating dough itself right out of the package is slightly addictive!

Stephanie Harris, DC, is a Durango chiropractor, former registered dietitian and mom of two with a passion for helping people live healthier lifestyles. Reach her at inspiredurango@gmail.com.