Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. We will never use anything artificial. All of our products are handmade with high-quality, all-natural ingredients and great care. You won't find any preservatives or trans fat in our products.

All of our products are meant to be eaten fresh. As always, we never use preservatives or anything artificial. Tea Sweets are best if eaten within 4-5 weeks. Botanical Brownies are best within 5-7 days.

Our Chai Almond Tea Sweets are made with chopped almonds. While this is the only product that actually contains nuts, everything else is made on equipment that may contain traces of nuts. Sorry, but all of our cookies and brownies contain flour and are not suitable for people with gluten allergies.

We love creating something new! Let us know what you need and we'll be happy to create the perfect sweet for you. Additional charges may apply.

Yes! We want the person who receives our sweets to feel special and know you personally selected it just for them. We'll do whatever it takes to make your gift fit the occasion. Gift notes are complimentary (simply include a gift-note in the online order form and we'll add it to your package.) For special requests, e-mail us at ineedsweets@amainyc.com.

Most orders are shipped with 2 business days. Exceptions may occur for particularly large or custom orders. Orders are shipped from New York City and generally take between 1 business day (North East) and 5 business days (West Coast) to arrive via Federal Express Ground. Everything is baked to order, so please be patient.

The only way to guarantee that an order will arrive on a particular date is to ship it via Federal Express Overnight. Shipping through 2-day and 3-day Federal Express service will generally arrive on the specified date, but it is not guaranteed and may arrive sooner. Let us know as far in advance as possible when you would like your order delivered, and we can work with you to find the best shipping solution. Always remember, it is NEVER TOO EARLY to place an order. We are happy to hold the order and prepare it at a later date. It helps us plan, and ensures you'll get your package when you need it.

We're sorry, but we only ship within the continental US at this time. If you live outside of the US and really want to try Amai products, send an e-mail to ineedsweets@amainyc.com and we'll try to arrange something.

Let us know right away by calling (212) 863-9630 or e-mailing ineedsweets@amainyc.com. We guarantee our products and promise to make things right as quickly as possible.

Kelli Bernard is the Owner and Chief Baker of Amai. She eats chocolate every day, and grew up in house where cookies were fair game for breakfast. Andrew Lin is the Creative Director of Amai, and oversees the design of all Amai products. He is known for his love of pecan pie and ability to finish a box of cookies in one shot.

"Amai" means "sweet" in Japanese. It was suggested by friend of ours named Molly, who always thought it would be a good name for a bakery. Kelli agreed since the flavors, portion-size and packaging options of Japanese sweets are a big source of inspiration for Amai's products. In addition to Japan, Amai draws on flavors and techniques from France, England, India, China, and everywhere else sweets are enjoyed around the world. The name "Amai" is (literally) a short and sweet way to pay tribute to this international influence.

Lovescool is a blog created by Andrew Lin and Kelli Bernard that is dedicated to the love of dessert. Kelli began writing entries on Lovescool as a way of documenting her personal journey to discover, and share, a love of sweets. After writing the blog for almost a year, her research and ideas started to turn into the basis for Amai. Kelli still shares new bakery findings, recipes and information about starting a business through the site today.

We work with individual designers who have a passion for creating something truly creative and new. If you are a graphic designer interested in working with Amai, please send a note to ineedsweets@amainyc.com.

We've been honored to work with three great photographers: John Uher, Keiko Oikawa and Andrew Lin. John Uher specializes in food photography and took our very first product shots. Keiko Oikawa is a talented food blogger and photographer living in the UK, and took the majority of pictures showcased on this website. Andrew Lin, Creative Director of Amai, also lends his photography skills.