Benni Pops is shaking up the frozen dessert scene. We make small-batch, dairy-free pops that are as fun and flavorful as they are clean and conscious. Our mission is simple: create indulgent frozen desserts that deliver nostalgic joy—without all the junk.
Every Benni Pop is handcrafted by humans (not machines) in Santa Cruz, California, using 100% organic ingredients. We skip the refined sugar, dyes, and preservatives in favor of real, recognizable ingredients. Each pop is sweetened with raw honey and infused with functional ingredients.
What sets Benni Pops apart? Each frosty treat is packed with functional mushrooms like lion’s mane, chaga, cordyceps, or reishi—adaptogens known to support focus, energy, and immune health. The best part? You’d never know it from the taste. No mushroom-y flavors here—just creamy, dreamy goodness.
We believe healthy food should be fun, and dessert should never feel like a compromise. That’s why our pops strike the perfect balance between playful and purposeful—wrapped in 100% home-compostable packaging, shaped like a smiling face, and available in a lineup of vibrant, memorable flavors. Whether you're craving something light and refreshing like Strawberry Mint or cozy and indulgent like Cinnamon Roll, there’s a Benni Pop for every kind of craving.
Founding Story
Meet Katie and Paul, a duo fueled by curiosity, creativity, and a deep-rooted love for mushrooms, flavor, and the natural world. From their home base in Santa Cruz, California, they immersed themselves in the wild and wonderful world of fungi—learning, foraging, cultivating, and experimenting since 2013. What began as a passion project in their tiny home kitchen soon became a mission: craft popsicles that are as craveable as they are nourishing. They weren’t classically trained chefs but they were obsessed with real food, bold flavor, and better-for-you ingredients.
Katie brings 18 years of experience in brand strategy, luxury CPG marketing, and food packaging design. Paul adds 12 years of deep hands-on expertise in mushroom cultivation, wild foraging, and product innovation. Together, they’ve blended culinary curiosity with functional ingredients to create something truly original: Benni Pops.
Katie Sarna is the Co-Founder and CEO of Benni Pops, a Santa Cruz–based brand redefining frozen treats with organic, dairy-free pops infused with adaptogens. With 18 years of experience spanning luxury CPG, beauty and fashion, she has built a career at the intersection of brand building, content marketing, and food packaging. Before launching Benni Pops, she worked across creative and marketing teams for brands including Sephora, Verve Coffee Roasters, Clarisonic, e.l.f cosmetics and 100% Pure, developing campaigns and partnerships.
Paul Lazazzera is the Co-Founder of Benni Pops, the Santa Cruz–based brand redefining frozen treats with organic, dairy-free pops infused with adaptogens. A lifelong learner and the brand’s resident mushroom expert, Lazazzera has spent the past 13 years growing, foraging, and studying fungi. Before launching Benni Pops, he spent over a decade as an educator. Today, he brings that same curiosity and craftsmanship to creating functional, feel-good frozen treats that inspire joy and connection.
