Sometimes, all you need in this world is a dollop of sweetness. In Jenna Barnard’s kingdom, sweetness reigns supreme, and motivation soars. 

On December 8, 2023, I was granted the immense opportunity to interview Jenna Barnard, an influential culinary blogger named @ButternutBakery, across all social media platforms, including Instagram and TikTok. I to reached out to Jenna to ask her to tell me her story.

Jenna has accumulated over 940 thousand followers and 19.3 million likes by being a comforting voice in her virtual community. Even with that many followers, I consider Jenna to be a friend, even if that is through my virtual screen. Butternut Bakery has been spotlighted in Buzzfeed, Southern Living, Kitchen, Taste of Home, Food 52, and Good Housekeeping. Not only is Jenna a force of entertainment, but her ever-growing success is blooming on the internet. Her wide variety of creative and inclusive recipes (ranging from classic treats to gluten-free, dairy-free, and even vegan sweets) will leave you always wanting more. Therefore, when I asked Jenna why she decided to create a public food blog, she readily replied:

“I have always been driven by creativity, and baking desserts is just one of the ways I like to express myself. It has always been a passion of mine, so I decided to start taking pictures of my creations to share on my personal Instagram. As those gained traction, I created the Butternut Bakery Instagram account; the rest is history! I don’t think I ever directly sought to create a food blog; it just fell into my lap, and I was happy to lean into it to make my passion into a career.”

The origins of a success story are always the most rewarding. Following her explanation, I asked Jenna where the origins of the name Butternut Bakery came from, and she replied nostalgically:

“My love for baking started in the home I grew up in. Every summer between grades, I would spend my free time brainstorming and baking new recipes, and through that, I assumed I would open a physical bakery. That’s not where life took me! But I still thought of a name if it ever did happen - I would call it Butternut Bakery because Butternut Street is the street my childhood home is on. Instead of using that name for a shop, it fits perfectly for the blog.”

Hearing this, I was eager to know Jenna’s answer to her favorite sweet treat to bake. Jenna replied excitedly:

“I always have a hard time answering this question because I feel like it changes all the time! I’m very into cheesecakes because there’s so much room for creativity, and everyone gets so excited about cheesecake—I can’t blame them. But I have always loved cookies because they’re a universal dessert you can’t refuse. My recipe for the BEST chocolate chip cookies is one of my favorites.”

I can certainly attest that Jenna cultivated the best chocolate chip cookie recipe. With a little bit of butter, sugar, chocolate chips, and passion, you have the recipe to create a universal utopia of delight. 

In the real world, a powerful skill is communication. Watching Jenna work with incredibly successful brands over the years, I asked her what working with businesses such as Bob’s Red Mill, Fleischmann’s RapidRise Yeast, and Siblings Candle Company is like. With genuine pride, Jenna replied:

“It’s surreal, and I feel honored when a big brand reaches out—especially when it’s one I have adored for years. With the food space growing larger daily, I can’t quite wrap my head around why they would pick me when there are SO many options. That’s mainly my self-doubt talking, but I hope that my authenticity and creativity are what draws in those brands to create a solid partnership”.

Following this, I asked Jenna how she manages such a high following and the demands that come with itJenna’s response was as humble as ever: 

“​​This is another thing I struggle to understand, but this creates an advantage. I’m nearing almost 1 million followers on Instagram alone, and I still treat it as if there are only 100 people following me. I try to stay connected to my followers by engaging as much as possible!”

I concluded our interview by asking Jenna if she had any advice for her high school self and high school students around the globe. With all of her graceful and inspirationally constructed success, Jenna mentioned that she will never forget her high school roots. So she answered:

“I would tell myself (and other students) to quit stressing and enjoy every moment of my high school years. There’s an incredible amount of pressure to have your entire life figured out by the time you graduate, but that’s a crazy thing to ask of a teenager. You have so much more life to experience; you never know where it will take you! I put so much energy into trying to control where I would end up, and never in a million years did I think this would be the place. So be open to every opportunity, and don’t be discouraged by any roadblocks. Every ‘yes’ or ‘no’ you face will lead you to where you need to be.” 

A beautifully constructed answer that holds nothing but the truth. Along with Jenna, I yearn for students to exhale their stressors and take advantage of the sweet moments in life. I want to personally thank Jenna for utilizing her voice to share the power of starting from scratch, baking up a success, and sharing her voice about living the sweet life. Thank you for proving to us that in an unpredictable world, a good life can be lived with a little bit of sweetness!

Thank you again, Jenna! I hope that others will be inspired to follow your lead and follow their dreams! So, join me as I indulge in one of Jenna’s delectable recipes, and remember that it is okay to eat dessert first!

You can find Jenna’s blog at https://butternutbakeryblog.com/