The smell of dark chocolate fills a cozy kitchen on a Sunday afternoon. A spoon rests on the counter, a bowl of glossy batter stands ready for the oven, no guilt in sight. This isn’t fantasy. It’s what happens when passion, science, and heart unite to create something revolutionary: LUV Ice Cream, a micro-business redefining indulgence.

For those who’ve spent years believing that “healthy” means flavorless or that “sugar-free” means synthetic, the brand is rewriting the story, one delicious, creamy, chocolatey bite at a time. And at the heart of this sweet revolution? Two extraordinary creations: the 80% Cacao Sugar-Free Chocolate Chips and the Chocolate Hazelnut Bark.

To truly understand how the brand came to be, you need to hear the story, the love story, the science experiment, and the dream that started it all.

A Love Story with Chocolate (and Science)

It all began with Susanna and Ilya Gorodisher, a couple from Stillwater, Minnesota, who’ve been navigating life, love, and wellness together for over four decades. Like many others, they once fell into the dietary traps of the past, the “fat is bad” era that left entire generations avoiding butter, cream, and chocolate as though they were forbidden pleasures.

The result? Food lost its joy. Meals felt mechanical. The pounds came and went like unwanted dinner guests.

A lightbulb moment came, wrapped in laughter and irony. During a rare, indulgent breakfast with real butter, not the chemical substitutes, they joked it was “made with LUV.” They never imagined the phrase would one day become the heartbeat of their business.

As time passed and nutritional science evolved, Susanna and Ilya discovered the real culprit behind their health struggles: refined sugar and processed carbohydrates. And when Ilya’s pre-diabetic numbers started to normalize after cutting them out, the pair felt renewed hope.

Then came Ilya’s now-famous words: “Susanna, if you think I’m going to lead a life of kale, this is NEVER going to work! I need chocolate, and I need ice cream!”

That sentence, part stubborn declaration, part divine inspiration, sparked the creation of the brand.

The Birth

Armed with a shared passion for wellness and flavor, Susanna, a lifelong fitness professional, and Ilya, an MIT-trained Ph.D. research scientist with a confessed obsession for good food, began experimenting.

Their mission: create decadent ice creams and chocolates with no added sugar, no dairy, no soy, no artificial anything, and absolutely no compromise on taste.

Months of trial and error followed. The kitchen turned into a chemistry lab filled with laughter, failures, breakthroughs, and delicious test batches.

By late 2012, they had achieved it: a line of rich, creamy, bold ice creams and sugar-free vegan chocolates that felt indulgent yet nourished the body.

Soon, word spread. Friends and family couldn’t get enough. Then friends of friends. And eventually, LUV Ice Cream LLC was born.

The Chocolate Chip That Changed Everything

One of the biggest challenges came when they needed a sugar-free chocolate chip for their now-iconic ice cream flavor: Where Is This RelationCHIP. Every alternative on the market was either too sweet, too artificial, or just plain disappointing.

That’s when Ilya dove headfirst into his next delicious research project, crafting a dark chocolate chip so pure, so unapologetically chocolatey, that it could stand proudly on its own.

Six months later, after countless tweaks, the 80% Cacao Sugar-Free Chocolate Chips were born. Vegan, soy-free, gluten-free, and dairy-free, these tiny morsels are what true chocolate lovers dream about: pure intensity, no sugar, no fillers, just real cacao and plant-based sweetness.

And then, something incredible happened. Customers began asking for the chocolate chips alone, without ice cream. Bakers wanted them. Snackers wanted them. Even people on keto and diabetic-friendly diets wanted them. The kitchen had given birth to a star.

From Chip to Bark: The Hazelnut Discovery

At the end of 2019, Susanna and Ilya attended an agricultural event sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, prepping for the prestigious Fancy Food Show in San Francisco. It was a big moment, a chance to showcase their handmade, small-batch products on a world stage.

But fate had something even sweeter in store.

There, they learned something surprising: hazelnuts grow natively in Minnesota. Yes, those rich, buttery, nutrient-packed nuts often associated with Europe were thriving right in their home state.

Before the seminar ended, LUV had connected with Hazel Heart Farms, a cooperative of about 60 local hazelnut growers.

Inspired by this homegrown discovery, Susanna and Ilya began experimenting with their signature chocolate and Minnesota hazelnuts, and soon, the Chocolate Hazelnut Bark was born.

It was, in a word, heavenly.

Imagine a thick, glossy sheet of 80% dark chocolate, broken by hand into generous shards. Studded with roasted hazelnuts that crunch with every bite, it’s both luxurious and comforting. Every piece carries the warmth of local craftsmanship and the boldness of true innovation.

Today, the Chocolate Hazelnut Bark stands as one of LUV’s most loved products, a celebration of community, health, and unapologetic flavor.

More Than a Brand: A Philosophy of Self-LUV

At its core, LUV isn’t just about chocolate or ice cream; it’s about taking care of yourself from the inside out.

Susanna and Ilya believe that the truest form of sustainability begins with self-respect, and that starts with what you put in your body. Every LUV product reflects that philosophy.

There are no artificial sweeteners, no refined sugars, no shortcuts. Instead, there’s real food, made with real integrity. Because when you remove sugar, you make space for something else: balance, joy, and vitality.

That’s why they often say, “Lose the sugar and feel the LUV.”

For the brand, this isn’t just a slogan; it’s a mission. They’ve built their brand around those who’ve felt “left out” by mainstream food culture:

• People with diabetes or pre-diabetes.
• And anyone simply wanting to live better, cleaner, and more joyfully.
• Those with autoimmune conditions or food intolerances.
• Athletes, ketogenic eaters, and low-carb followers.

They call them the “eating disenfranchised,” and they welcome them back to the table, one bite at a time.

The Sweet Science of Feeling Good

What makes LUV 80% Chocolate Chips and LUV Hazelnut Bark so revolutionary isn’t just what’s missing; it’s what’s included.

Both are made with plant-derived sweeteners that deliver the sweetness people crave without spiking blood sugar or creating that artificial aftertaste. The focus is on the purity of the cacao, the rich, velvety intensity that real chocolate should have.

And here’s the secret: dark chocolate isn’t just a treat; it’s a functional food. Studies show it can help improve mood, lower inflammation, and even support heart health. So, when people savor LUV chocolate, they’re not just indulging, they’re nourishing their bodies, too.

Where It All Comes Together

If you ever find yourself wandering through historic downtown North St. Paul, Minnesota, there’s a small, unassuming café that might change your life.

Step inside the LUV Ice Cream Café, and you’re greeted with the scent of cocoa, the hum of conversation, and the unmistakable joy of people discovering that “sugar-free” can mean “delicious.”

From decadent vegan ice creams to colorful “nice creams,” handmade candies, and of course, the signature chocolate line, every item in the shop feels personally crafted with intention and heart.

And for those who can’t make the trip? The magic is just a click away. LUV products are available nationwide through their website, Amazon, and select independent grocery stores.

A Movement Made with LUV

Since 2013, LUV Ice Cream has grown from a small kitchen experiment into a beloved wellness brand, all while staying true to its roots.

Every decision, every recipe tweak, every ingredient sourced, is guided by a simple truth: health should taste good.

From that first “RelationCHIP” ice cream to their celebrated Hazelnut Bark, the brand continues to remind the world that indulgence and wellness can coexist beautifully.

And perhaps that’s the real secret behind the brand’s success: it’s not just food. It’s hope, comfort, and care, wrapped in chocolate.

Why This Matters

In a world where food has become both complicated and confusing, LUV stands for simplicity, honesty, and joy.

They’ve taken something as universal as chocolate, a symbol of love, comfort, and pleasure, and stripped it down to its purest form. Then they built it back up with intention, science, and yes, a whole lot of LUV.

It’s not just about replacing sugar. It’s about reclaiming pleasure, without guilt, without compromise.

So, whether you’re baking your favorite cookies with 80% Cacao Sugar-Free Chocolate Chips, or savoring an evening moment with a square of Chocolate Hazelnut Bark, remember this: you’re part of something bigger. A quiet, delicious revolution that says you don’t have to give up sweetness to live well.

The Invitation

Susanna and Ilya’s journey began with a simple act of love, and it continues with every person who discovers the brand for themselves.

If you’ve ever stood in the candy aisle wondering if you’ll ever find something truly satisfying that also supports your health, this is your sign.

Because once you taste it, you’ll realize losing the sugar was never about giving something up. It was about gaining everything back.

So, go ahead, lose the sugar. Feel the LUV.

Visit their website or step into the Ice Cream Café in North St. Paul, MN, and see what happens when science, health, and heart collide.

You might just find that a little LUV goes a long way.