Our Story & Values
About Us
Chef Marianna Vardanyan is a Los Angeles based food alchemist who has turned her childhood dreams of desserts into a reality.
Growing up in Armenia in the 90’s, her favorite treats were Russian Tea Cakes. Though she did not always have access to treats, she dreamed of owning a bakery. Years later, Vardanyan was surprised when she couldn’t find a version of these sweets in the United States. Missing the flavors from her childhood, she decided to create them. When the Pandemic began, she had the time to begin experimenting in the kitchen and baking for her friends and family as a means of spreading joy during hard times. Valentine Sweets is the result of Vardanyan’s love for baking and for those around her. What started as an online business has blossomed into a storefront in Old Town Pasadena with a dreamy menu. Vardanyan’s tea cakes come in a variety of flavors: Matcha, Lemon Poppyseed, Birthday Cake, Earl Grey & Rose, Lavender Dream, Baklava, and more. Though she has mastered the art of tea cakes, Valentine Sweets offers so much more. You can order beautifully decorated cakes in a variety of flavors, keto cookies, decadent cupcakes, vegan challah bread, and more in Vardanyan’s shop. The drinks on the menu are perfect to pair with the baked goods. Matcha Rose Lattes and Armenian Coffee are just a few of the specialty drinks to try. Paired with a heart shaped straw, the drinks will be sure to make you smile.
While Vardanyan’s business continues to grow, she remains committed to taking care of her community through all that she does. Valentine Sweets is committed to donating baked goods to Support and Feed, collecting donations for Emili Aregak, a therapy center for special needs children in Gyumri, Armenia and has fundraised for Armenia and Artsakh relief. Vardanyan’s calling is to help others and through her bakery, she has created a space to spread love and make people smile.
Valentine Sweets Ingredient Integrity
We stick to Straus for all or our dairy needs and provide our dairy-free patrons with Oatly milk which is certified glyphosate residue-free by The Detox Project.
Based in Portland, Stumptown is known for creating high quality coffee with ethical sourcing practices which helps to produce coffee that’s not only delicious but also environmentally- friendly. The variety we serve at Valentine Sweets goes the extra mile for your health in delivering coffee made from the most natural farming methods possible.
company is owned by the Grammy-Award winning lead singer of System of a Down, Serj Tankian. Kavat’s extra fine Armenian blend is a true treat and a nice change from the typical cup of joe. Kavat sets aside a portion of their net proceeds to donate to worthy causes.
flour is crucial to us because we want to provide the healthiest grains for our sweet and savory menu items, free from glyphosate found in conventional flours.
Almond Flour
Avocado Oil
We exclusively use avocado oil in our baked goods and will never bake with processed hydrogenated oils like canola oil, which unfortunately is the standard oil in restaurant kitchens.
Santa Barbara Pistachio Company
This California-based pistachio company provides us with the freshest pistachios on the market. And that’s really important to us because we take nuts seriously.
We never use hydrogenated canola oil, synthetic food coloring (unless a certain color is requested for a special cake order), preservatives, gums or stabilizers.
Our Russian-inspired tea cakes are one-of-a-kind and originally crafted by the owner of Valentine Sweets, Marianna Vardanyan.
We sell unique snacks as well as chocolates and other specialty treats imported from France and Italy.
In our gift section you will find many locally- and small-business-made products. We also choose to source our cut and printed paper products locally because supporting small businesses is a part of our business ethos.
Valentine Sweets, named after our founder’s daughter, Emily Valentine, is dedicated to being of service to our community, giving back to charity and providing our patrons with a special space to enjoy delicious and beautifully-crafted foods and treats they can feel good about.
