Barnaby Wasn't Having It
Dan Dans Cream Shop was founded in 2023 by pastry chef Maya Dan and her Golden Retriever, Barnaby. Maya had spent eight years making donuts for humans at a Portland bakery, and every evening Barnaby sat under the prep table watching with the kind of devotion usually reserved for religious experiences.
The breaking point came on a Tuesday. Maya dropped a chocolate-glazed donut on the floor. Barnaby looked at it, looked at her, then deliberately turned his head away — because she'd already told him "no" twelve times that week. At that moment, Maya realized the problem wasn't that her dog wanted donuts. The problem was that no one was making donuts for him.
Two Years in the Lab
We didn't just swap ingredients and call it done. Every recipe went through real development.
Pastry Expertise
Maya's eight years of professional donut-making meant the texture had to be right. No hard biscuits disguised as treats. These are actual donuts — fluffy, glazed, the real shape.
Veterinary Review
Dr. Karen Liu, a licensed veterinary nutritionist in Portland, reviewed every recipe. No xylitol, no grapes, no chocolate, no onion. Every ingredient cleared for canine consumption.
Dog Taste Testing
Our advisory panel of 14 dogs across six breeds tested every recipe. If the tail wag didn't hit within three seconds, the recipe went back to the board.
Our Values
The principles that guide every batch we bake.
Ingredient Transparency
Every ingredient listed in plain language. No proprietary blends or E-numbers hiding on the label.
Small Batch
We bake 200 donuts per batch, twice a week. Fresh, never mass-produced, always made to order.
Local Sourcing
Oats from Oregon farms, eggs from a Portland coop, peanut butter milled three miles from our kitchen.
Giving Back
For every box sold, we donate a pack of Dan Dans to a local shelter. Over 2,000 donated so far.
The Team
Four humans and one very important consultant.
Maya Dan
Founder and head baker. Former pastry chef at a Portland donut shop. Believes dogs deserve the same joy humans get from a warm, glazed donut on a Saturday morning.
Barnaby
Golden Retriever. Chief Taste Officer and founder's original inspiration. Has approved 47 recipes and rejected 19. His standards are higher than Maya's.
Dr. Karen Liu
Veterinary nutritionist. Reviews every recipe for safety and nutritional balance. Makes sure "delicious for dogs" also means "safe for dogs."