SkinnyDipped CEO talks about the lighter side of snacking

For snack makers, finding that balance between healthy eating, clean label, and indulgent taste can be a puzzle. SkinnyDipped is a brand that has seen notable growth since its founding in 2013. Best known for its lightly coated nuts that aim to delight sweet-toothed snackers without tipping the sugar scales, the company has launched a number of innovations in recent years—most recently, its Salty + Sweet line. To learn more about the growing company and its plans for the future, Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery connected with Breezy Griffith, co-founder and CEO of SkinnyDipped.

Jenni Spinner: Would you please tell us a bit about SkinnyDipped—how it got started, the products it’s offered since it debuted, and what sets the company apart from other snack makers in the space?

Breezy Griffith: SkinnyDipped was founded by myself and my mom, Val Griffith, after losing a young man very dear to our family. It really put things in perspective and showed us what’s important in life, which is ultimately spending time together with our loved ones. As a family, we’ve always had a shared love for food that is both delicious and healthy for you, and wanted to make that a reality for all. Everybody should have access to the kind of good food we’ve had our whole lives.

Growing up, one of our go-to snacks was a handful of roasted almonds and a few pieces of dark chocolate. We realized that there had to be a better way to enjoy it and thus, the original coated SkinnyDipped nuts were born! At this time, we believed the market was missing a perfectly balanced coated nut, so that is what our focus has been with our product launches, with fun flavors like Lemon Bliss and seasonal Pumpkin Spice. We’ve also expanded to other products like our Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups and Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Bites and now Salty + Sweet.

What differentiates SkinnyDipped from other snack brands on the market is how true the brand stays to its core values, whether it’s the recipe-testing and innovation process to the commitment to making better-for-you snacks that are as delicious as they are nutritious. SkinnyDipped’s signature nuts are also coated using a proprietary method, so no other brand on the market is able to exactly replicate what we do here at SkinnyDipped!

JS: The company might have started off small, but it’s growing and going, with notable developments being a not-too-shabby Series A funding round announced at the end of last year. Please share what you can about what you credit your continued growth and successes to.

BG: There are so many people who have contributed to the growth and success of the business, and much of this success is due to our amazing team who works day in day out to help bring our vision as founders to life. We’re so thrilled to have now brought on partners who share in this vision as well and can help us to introduce SkinnyDipped to a larger audience. Last year’s Series A funding round as you mentioned, led by Miami-based entrepreneur David Grutman, was an important piece in growing and scaling our business to where we are now in 2024. The celebrity and athlete investors who were part of that series are true brand fans, which inspires us each day to look for more ways to innovate. Most importantly though, we have to thank the dedicated SkinnyDipped fans who continue to support the product and share it with their family and friends. That’s what it’s all about for us!

JS: Then, could you please offer some insight about SkinnyDipped’s approach to product innovation—what kinds of qualities does a product idea have to possess for it to make it from the concept stage, to prototype, and then store shelves?

BG: When we approach any new product idea, we approach it from the lens that we want it to strike the perfect balance of flavor and health. We never debut a product that we wouldn’t consume ourselves. Every product we’ve come out with has started in my mom’s kitchen, with lengthy recipe testing to ensure the flavor and/or new product meets our high brand standards! From mixing the almonds in a blender to testing out a paint sprayer filled with chocolate to perfect the brand’s signature light nut coating, all recipes and flavors are perfected in our home kitchen before they are replicated and manufactured on a larger scale.

My mom, Val, is the brains behind the flavor innovations and pulls a lot of inspiration from her travels around the world, namely the Amalfi Coast, which inspired the Lemon Bliss flavor! Consumer insights also play a big role in our product and flavor innovation, and that’s how our new line, Salty + Sweet, came to life!

JS: You’ve got a new product line, Salty + Sweet—could you please tell us about what the items have in common, what each of the three varieties offers, and why you think these new items are going to resonate with consumers?

BG: We’re so excited to debut our new product line, Salty + Sweet, which for the first time offers a dual salty + sweet offering from SkinnyDipped! Launching in three new flavors, Vanilla Crunch Almonds, Maple Crunch Almonds, and Cinnamon Crunch Cashews, Salty + Sweet still offers maximum flavor and health which are at the forefront of everything we do. My mom and I often debate whether we’re more “salty” or “sweet” people when it comes to snacking, then we figured - why not be both? Salty + Sweet is the perfect answer to both cravings. A healthy snack where a little sweet meets a salt-kissed kick without the sugar hangover is just right.

JS: SkinnyDipped appears not to just be interested in making snacks, but also in making a difference; could you please tell us about your efforts, which include the recent partnership with the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative?

BG: As a female-founded company, we are committed to raising up and supporting women and the children they care for in both our local communities and around the world. No one, especially a child, deserves to go without love or food. Back in March, we formally announced this all-new social impact partnership with the actor and social activist, Forest Whitaker and his Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative (WPDI). This partnership with WDPI’s Women’s Livelihood Program increases economic and educational opportunities for women in South Sudan, aids in the creation of small businesses, amplifies communities, and equips future female entrepreneurs with the tools to succeed. By removing some barriers to entry, the Women’s Livelihood Program presents a sustainable runway for female entrepreneurs to start and maintain a business, which is something that myself and my mom are passionate about as family-first female entrepreneurs ourselves. So far, 114 women have graduated from the program, with more to come!

JS: What’s next for the company—anything you can tell us about new products in the works, new stores and distribution channels, or anything else would be welcome.

BG: While I don’t want to give too much away, I can definitely say that SkinnyDipped has some very exciting product launches and campaigns coming down the pipeline for 2024, and beyond that, we can’t wait to share with our passionate brand fans. We’re energized to innovate new flavors and product lines. You’ll have to keep an eye on the brand’s social channels to see what’s coming next.