If you could share a token of your childhood, what would it be? 

Most of us believe they had it better than the generations that followed, lamenting about yesteryear like a badge of honour; a sense of pride that ‘we’ escaped the clutches of the Metaverse and found joy in the simple pleasures of swapping VHS’ films instead of Instahandles and choosing pyjama parties over PlayStations. As expats, our sense of ‘home’ is often wrapped up in nostalgia and as we scramble to recreate the familiar in a new ‘strange’ place,  the best of our childhood sets the tone – at least it did for Muna Rahim.

When the Canadian born stay-at-home mum planned her daughter’s birthday, she never imagined that the sticky, gooey, sweet crunchy treats of her childhood would get such raving reviews. Today, Muna revells in the privilege of getting to teleport her customers back to a simpler time – adding a modern twist to rice crispy treats to offer an Insta-ready centre piece for birthdays, house warmings, or pick-you-up cheer.

What’s the story behind CrACKLES? 

Five years ago I planned a “movie night under the stars” party for my daughter’s 7th birthday, complete with outdoor cinema and of course, a sweets table. It was such a fun night to plan and despite not having eaten a rice crispy treat for years, they just felt like the perfect addition to this party.

So, I referred back to a simple recipe I had to hand, adding some flare and giving it a bit of an upgrade. I cut the treats into squares, put them on sticks and arranged them neatly on a stand. The response was amazing! Not just from the kids but even the adults at the party ‘mmm-ed’ and ‘ahhhh-d’ at every bite. They flew off the stand and the reviews were a raving success.

That set the tone for what was soon to come and a few days later, I was baking them again for a friend, then again for my daughter’s class mates, each time topping them with different flavours, packaging them in fun ways and gifting them to friends and family. I started to become known as the “rice crispy lady”. We grew up on this dessert in Canada, but they weren’t readily available in the region and when my friend said “you should start a business selling these” – it struck a chord! I was a stay-at-home-mom at the time and was constantly thinking and dreaming about starting a business of my own. I had so many ideas, but none that I believed in enough to take forward. That was until that day. 

But it didn’t happen overnight. Entrepreneurship is definitely not for the faint of heart – the business planning, logistics, financials, recipe development and most importantly the courage required is huge. But my friend’s words and my husband’s constant encouragement gave me the final push to create the CrACKLES loved by many today.

What flavour did you start with, what’s your favourite and which do you love to create the most?

I started with Classic. It’s simple yet so deliciously satisfying– it’s the OG through and through, it’s my favourite and I’ve always said that marshmallows + crisp rice cereal is a winning combination. But what’s really so great about it is that it’s a base for creativity, an open canvas. You can add flavours to it, shape it in different ways, colour it  – like magic, turn it into all kinds of delicious and fun treats.

Classic CrACKLES are perfect but I do love elevating the flavours and creating unique variations. It may sound easy but the ratios are so important and (tooting my own horn here) CrACKLES has got that down to a pat! Every flavour will always carry that OG winning combo of being chewy, gooey, crispy and delicious – all at once!

I love creating the Cookie Butter CrACKLES because I’m a big fan of Lotus Biscoff.  Combining it with CrACKLES seems the natural thing to do – they are the perfect bite. Mastering a flavour recipe for CrACKLES is always very exciting for me.

What’s your favourite CrACKLES memory?

One special memory is when my daughter came to the CrACKLES shop for the first time after it was fully fitted-out; stocked up with all kinds of yummy sweet treats and ingredients. She looked around in awe and her face lit up with joy and excitement, she had the biggest smile on her face. I knew right then and there that CrACKLES would have the same effect on our customers and I was reminded of one of the main reasons I decided to start this business – to put a smile on people’s faces!

I launched CrACKLES about a year ago and I look forward to making many more beautiful memories. 

What’s the price range of your treats?

Our smallest category of products is CrACKLES Candies, they are round treats with a 14 cm diameter and start at 48 AED. We have CrACKLES in a Box that come in two sizes: SM and LG and can go up to 205 AED per box. Then there are CrACKLES Singles – ranging in price from 125 AED for 12. 

We often pop up around the city at various markets and events where bite sized treats are available starting at just 5 AED.

Do you do any special orders?

We have special seasonal offerings for almost every occasion. 

We often handle corporate gifting and we love personalizing our treats for events of all sizes – from birthdays to baby showers to holiday events and private parties. CrACKLES are perfect for every occasion, whatever the size.

What’s next for Crackles?

Innovation is a priority for me. You will always find something new on offer from the CrACKLES kitchen – whether it be seasonal delights, new flavours or new concepts! The future horizon is so promising, especially in the UAE, and I can see the business grow in exciting new ways. Stay tuned!

As hard as it is to choose, we love CrACKLES edible numbers and think it’d make a super unique house warming gift to congratulate someone’s new home with their door number in CrACKLES! But we’re also partial to the ‘Over The Top’ as party favours, even if it is hard to choose which brightly coloured sprinkles to go with. Work your way through the flavours from ‘Chocolate Lovers’ to ‘Birthday Cake’ and don’t miss the Ramadan special: PISTACHIO & DATE SYRUP RAMADAN CRESCENT MOON! Order your hand made to perfection, CrACKLES, direct from www.cracklesuae.com.  Check them out on instagram here.