Danielle and Brooklyn enjoy baking together.
Danielle Evans’ home-based bakery in Linden is named after her daughter, Brooklynn.
By Rich Wicks | Panora Times, February 2026
A one-third-pound Smores cookie with marshmallow filling.
Danielle Evans of Linden has a side gig that she says fits her life perfectly. She operates Sweet B’s Treats and More, baking homemade bread and other goodies. The business is named after Evans’ daughter, Brooklynn, who is 10 years old.
“We opened in November of 2019. We are a home-based bakery, so I bake out of my kitchen. We started in Booneville, and then we bought our house 2½ years ago in Linden,” Evans said. “Brooklyn and I have always baked together since she was about 1½ years old. She helps me; she does a lot of packaging and things like that and gives me a lot of ideas of things to make.”
Evans recalled that when the family was looking to move to the Linden area, one of the selling points of the house they purchased was the large kitchen, which provides ample space for the cooking that Danielle and Brooklyn enjoy.
“I stay pretty busy. I also work fulltime from home. We do 30 to 35 events a year, and I take orders. Usually I’m booking one to two weeks out,” Evans said. “We do some farmers markets and bigger shows. The Covered Bridges Festival in Winterset is one of our biggest. We’ve done Guthrie and Panora farmers markets. For a lot of our events, we pair with Glitz and Dust Designs. They do wooden flag signs and tumblers.”
Cinnamon roll focaccia bread.
Evans explained that the warmer months are the busiest time for Sweet B’s because of the many local events she sets up at.
“Summer is usually the busiest. January is usually a little slower, with New Year’s resolutions, and I’m glad for the break,” Evans said. “My mom, Melody Thomas, comes and helps us when we’ve got a lot going on. She ran a bakery when I was growing up. She taught me how to bake.”
The tradition of delicious homemade baked goods has served the family well. Evans has begun adding new items occasionally, based on what sells.
“Our best seller is probably the focaccia bread or cake cups,” Evans said. “We also have gourmet Rice Krispies treats and one-third-pound cookies. They’re huge; a lot of them are stuffed with something inside of them.”
However, the newest offering is not a product; it is home delivery.
Fresh homemade donuts ready for delivery.
“In the last few months, we’ve started doing local donut delivery,” Evans said. “They’re comparable to Casey’s but delivered to your door.”
For anyone looking to learn more about the offerings of Sweet B’s, Evans suggests Facebook as the first stop.
“Any way is fine. If they find us on Facebook, that’s the best way to get all of our contact information and see posts of what we have at the time,” she said.
When asked what makes Sweet B’s unique, Evans pointed to the care that goes into each item.
“Everything is done by hand. It’s a lot of physical labor,” Evans said. “I would say my focaccia breads are my favorite thing to make, just because they’re so versatile. You can dip it in soup or salad, you can just eat it, you can make it into grilled cheese sandwiches, you can make it into croutons. And, it’s affordable. A loaf is only $10.”
Looking ahead, Evans noted two plans in the works.
“For Saint Patrick’s Day, I will be offering the do-it-yourself sugar cookie kits,” she said. “That’s something easy that people can do with their kids, and they get a treat after it,” she said. “And, my goal this year is to set up some type of loyalty program. So, if they buy so many focaccias, they get one free, or something like that.”
Evans appreciates feedback from customers. She recalled a special moment of enthusiastic feedback from a youngster who found something to his liking.
“One of my favorite reviews ever was a boy, probably 8 years old. We were at a small-town festival, and he wanted to buy something for breakfast. I had loaves of banana bread, but he wasn’t sure and said he’s really picky about banana bread,” Evans said. “Eventually, he decided to buy it, and he came back not 20 minutes later when it was really busy and announced to the whole place, ‘That’s the best banana bread I ever had in my whole life.’ That’s something I’ll never forget.”