FAQ
See below for answers to questions in the following categories:
GENERAL
DELIVERY
ALLERGENS
QUALITY INGREDIENTS
SATISFACTION GUARANTEE
REFERRALS
GENERAL
Why are your brownies frozen?
For quality and convenience. Most fresh brownies must be eaten within two or three days or they can go stale and turn bad. Viscaya Baking Company brownies are frozen in a commercial freezer immediately upon cooling to preserve the flavor profile and quality of the brownies. This allows our brownies to have a best by date of 30 or more days from baking (without added preservatives) and can often maintain quality beyond this dependent on how the brownies are kept.
Beyond the quality factor, it's a matter of convenience. Our brownies can be eaten one at a time or everyone having a brownie can choose a different flavor, without having to bake large quantities themselves. When stored properly and warmed in our warming bags, the brownies have that just out of the oven taste!
How do I warm a brownie from frozen?
For most regular orders (i.e. non foodservice) each brownie comes with an individual warming bag for heating the brownie in the microwave. This allows you the opportunity to heat one brownie at a time. It can take 15 - 60 seconds to warm a brownie from completely frozen, with the length of time needed depending on how warm you would like the brownie and how powerful your microwave is. Brownies can also be heated in a regular oven, but this would be an option best left for heating foodservice quantities on one of the supplied warming trays. The foodservice trays can be used in most commercial-size microwaves as well. Instructions for each method are provided with each pack.
Why do you bake on a schedule?
Because we bake in a shared commercial kitchen, we must book time in advance. This means that we must have a set closing date for orders in order to know how much kitchen time we will need. Sometimes orders can be baked off schedule, but all bake time must be scheduled. As long as the ordering for the month is still open, you would still be able to place an order. When bake capacity has been reached, the link(s) for the month will be closed.
What's a small batch?
Each batch is made from scratch and baked to order. Sometimes this means baking two or three dozen of a flavor offered for any given month when combining all the orders for that flavor for the month. Sometimes, orders can be in the double digits, but still always mixed by hand. This is why we also have a cutoff number for the amount of batches we are able to bake on any given day to ensure that your brownies are given the attention they need to provide you with the best possible flavor.
What is an off-schedule order?
An off-schedule order requests a flavor not planned for the normal rotation. It might be possible to schedule these orders. It would depend on availability of ingredients (e.g. is the fruit in season). Minimum order quantity for an off-schedule flavor on a reguar bake date is one dozen. Minimum order quantity for a custom bake date may vary. Contact us for more details.
What is a pre-order? Why would I need to authorize payment when pre-ordering?
A pre-order is you putting down a reservation on a future batch. This means that you are saying you want part of the production for the given bake date and no one else should have that quantity. When we know what flavors you are interested in, the bakery is better able to make approrpiate purchasing decisions and book the right amount of kitchen time further in advance. When you put down a reservation, it is an authorization to charge your card within 30 days -- we will charge at between 15-30 days of you placing a pre-order. If for any reason, you would like to cancel your order up to one week before the bake date, feel free to do so. We want you to feel totally comfortable with the pre-order process. If you need assistance with changing a pre-order to another flavor or cancelling altogether, please contact us before the "order by" deadline on the schedule.
Are there any alternatives to pre-ordering?
Yes! If you are not sure that you would like to reserve a future batch, but want to keep an eye on a particular flavor for the month, go to the product page for that flavor and add it to your wish list. You can then decide at a later date if you want to move forward with an order or pre-order should bake space and quantities still be available.
DELIVERY
Where do you deliver to?
We deliver to some areas of Tulare and Fresno Counties. Cost is determined by distance from a regular delivery point and whether we need to use a third-party delivery service to carry out the delivery. Through December 2025 deliveries, many areas in Tulare and Fresno Counties have no delivery charge. See Delivery table for more details.
What if I am outside your delivery area but still want to order brownies?
If you are located in Tulare County or in Fresno County, we may be able to arrange a custom delivery order. Please contact us for more details. Otherwise, you are welcome to arrange a pickup at the bakery in Visalia.
Are brownies really delivered frozen? Why?
Yes! Viscaya Baking Company brownies are delivered frozen. We recommend that you put them in a freezer upon receipt for best quality duration. They are frozen upon cooling because this is the best way to preserve the quality and flavor profiles, while keeping them food safe for a longer period of time than merely setting them out on a counter. Dependent on the wattage of your microwave, it should take no more than a minute to reheat a brownie. The advantage of reheating our brownies from frozen is that because they were frozen upon cooling, this gives you an opportunity for a fresh-tasting brownie upon reheating. And you only need to reheat one at a time. Unless, of course, you want to eat them all at once.
ALLERGENS
What allergens are in your brownies?
Our brownies may contain milk and/or milk products, wheat, eggs, soy, peanuts and tree nuts. Our brownies are baked in a shared, commercial facility and while we take care to use our own dishes and utensils, our brownies may have unknowingly (directly or indirectly) come into contact with sesame, shellfish, celery, and other allergens.
Do you make any gluten-free brownies?
At this time, we do not. However, if you are interested in gluten-free or other specialty brownies, please fill out the contact form and let us know.
Do you make any vegan brownies?
At this time, we do not make any vegan brownies. We do use vegan marshmallows in our Smores brownies. However, there is no brownie we make that is entirely vegan.
QUALITY INGREDIENTS
Are all of your ingredients organic?
No. While we strive to find the freshest, cleanest ingredients with a minimal number of sub-ingredients (e.g. compare the chocolate we use to any common chocolate available on a supermarket shelf), not all ingredients are organic. Some of the organic ingredients we use are regenerative organic sugars, which are produced by farmers that go beyond organic standards to actively improve the health of the soil, enhance the environment, and support social fairness. Viscaya Baking Company also uses organic vanilla extract and, when possible, also organic fruit. All ingredients are labeled accurately on the product labels and will always be disclosed as to whether they are organic or not.
Does having premium ingredients matter?
Absolutely! It does matter when premium ingredients are part of a recipe. Whether you understand the farming background of regenerative organic sugar, or can tell the difference in the taste of eggs from pasture-raised heritage hens compared to factory-farmed, you will understand how each ingredient contributes to a robust and profoundly satisfying flavor profile. It has been our experience that premium chocolate with a cleaner ingredient list tastes better than one that has an infinite list of preservatives that may actually substract from the flavor. The simpler and more well-chosen the ingredient, the more the base flavors shine.
Does using premium ingredients affect the price?
Yes, it does. Premium often means more care put into quality and production, a cost passed on to the consumer, whether it be an end-consumer or a bakery.
May I see an ingredient list?
A list of common-name ingredients for each product are available at the following link: Ingredients
SATISFACTION GUARANTEE
Is there any kind of guarantee for the brownies?
Yes. While we pride ourselves in crafting quality batches of brownies and use premium ingredients to elevate the taste, if for any reason you are dissatisfied with the brownies, notify us within 24 hours of delivery and we'll make it right. This could mean a credit or refund, depending on the circumstances. In either case, we'll ask that you eat no more than one brownie from the order and that you save the remaining brownies for return. We won't be able to resell the brownies -- they would eventually get tossed -- but having a look at the brownies would give us an opportunity to examine what might have gone wrong.
REFERRALS
Do you have a referral program?
We do not yet have a formal referral program. However, if you enjoy Viscaya Baking Company brownies, we would appreciate you telling your family, friends, and fellow brownie lovers. Follow us on Instagram (link at top of this page) and share the link with others. If one of your contacts orders some of our delicious brownies, please have them put your name in the order notes as a referrer. We'll notice, especially if you are providing a lot of referrals, and may just make you the recipient of some free brownies or even invite you to be part of the test flavor program to try new flavors before they go to market. We'll define the formal parameters for a referral program soon, and will post the details here. Stay tuned!