Maven's Creamery

Maven's Creamery makes macaron ice cream sandwiches, pairing two French-style macaron shells with ice cream in the middle for a colorful, handheld dessert. Sisters Gwen and Christine Nguyen built the brand around bold, often Asian-inspired flavors, using their family baking background to turn a delicate, finicky cookie into a scalable frozen product sold at events, markets, and eventually retail freezers.

The sisters pitched in Season 10 asking for $400,000 for 10 percent. The dessert showed beautifully, and the sharks responded to both the product and the flavor lineup, but the valuation drew scrutiny. Barbara Corcoran ended up the most interested and made an offer, with the sisters agreeing on air to a deal led by Corcoran at a larger equity stake than they had originally proposed.

Maven's Creamery was memorable for taking a hard-to-make pastry and turning it into a distinctive frozen treat with real shelf appeal. The vivid colors and unusual flavors, including the durian variety that became a signature, gave it a clear identity in a crowded dessert category and made it stand out among the season's food pitches.

The deal with Barbara Corcoran was not finalized after the show, but the brand kept growing on its own. Sales climbed into the millions in the years after the episode, helped by a strong wholesale and retail strategy. The durian flavor in particular became a breakout seller and helped open doors with large grocery chains looking for unique frozen novelties.

As of 2026 Maven's Creamery is still active, founder-led, and reported to be profitable, with Gwen Nguyen continuing as CEO after Christine stepped back from day-to-day involvement. Distribution has expanded to major retailers, with the macaron ice cream sandwiches and pints reaching freezer aisles well beyond the brand's original local footprint.