Life Should Be Sweet. Visit a Bakery.
By Kimberly Barbano
If you’ve ever visited South Carolina beaches, you are probably familiar with, U.S. Route 17, the main road along the coast. It stretches from Wilmington, NC to Charleston, SC. Right over the border is the small town of Little River, SC, where I moved from Arlington, VA in 2021. A few minutes down the road, on the right side, is a little bakery called Life is Sweet.
Small Village Known for Shrimp and Crab Festivals
For decades Little River was simply a small fishing, shrimping and crabbing village known for its shrimp and crab festivals. Recently, more development has popped up with more people moving to the area, and bring new modern businesses, alongside some of the town’s longtime staples. Life is Sweet is located directly next door to one of the oldest local restaurants in town, Mulligan’s, in its own little building in front of a condo community. A hidden gem, the exterior is as unassuming as the town, and easily missed…but you wouldn’t want to overlook this gem.
Life Should Always be Sweet
Life is Sweet Bakery is the only local bakery in Little River. Chef Jan offers custom cakes, cupcakes, cookies and an abundance of options in the shop everyday. The bakery itself is just big enough to walk through with the right side completely lined with display cases and filled with every treat imaginable. There is just enough room to walk to one end where the gluten free (GF) options hide to the front where freshly baked quiches greet you.
Shortly after moving to Little River, I hosted my grandfather’s 90th birthday party in my new community’s clubhouse. Although I had been visiting the area since I was two, upon relocating, I discovered that living in the community was truly thrilling. I quickly googled local bakeries, and was surprised to discover Life is Sweet was just a few minutes down the road.
Initial Observations
When I first visited Life is Sweet, I was immediately struck with the gourmet, decorative, and diverse selection of baked goods. They offer an entire display case of GF options. Everything I tried was delicious. The GF chocolate cookies are thick, almost cake-like, and resemble a muffin top. The GF muffins and cupcakes have structure, leaving fewer crumbs than most GF options. And the whoopie pie is a masterpiece of oatmeal cookies (thankfully, without the raisins) stuffed with icing.
My favorite treat at Life is Sweet is the macaron. Macarons are difficult to find in Little River so whenever I purchase them, I savor them to the last bite. Macaron flavors include strawberry, mango, key lime, chocolate, coffee, and pistachio. They are the perfect “sweet bite,” as one of the bakers attested.
The bakery is most known for their cinnamon rolls. They are so popular that they were sold out on my last visit.
Gluten Free Cupcakes and a Cake
To celebrate my grandfather’s 90th birthday, we ordered a standard cake and GF mini cupcakes. Everyone was indeed impressed with the cake, and we were pleasantly surprised that the cupcakes were a hit as well. Attendees did not immediately know they were gluten free.
Beautifully decorated
The colors and decorations first sold me. This was how I ended up with a cow cake for a birthday party. I wandered in not sure what I was going to find. However, it felt wrong to celebrate a birthday without a cake or at least something with candles. The cow cake was perfect for someone who would rather have a beef short rib or a filet mignon as opposed to a cake. We never cut the cake, opting instead to send the cake home with a friend. His two daughters said it was the “best cake ever.”
If you ever find yourself driving to the South Carolina beaches from anywhere on the east coast or in the North Myrtle Beach area, be sure to make a special stop on the way into Life is Sweet Bakery.
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