By Michelle M. Sharp, Founder and Content Creator of Meet the Minnesota Makers
Kelly Murphy of Lily Bean Bakery is a macaron enthusiast. She started making macarons in 2017 and “failed miserably the first time”. Refusing to be outsmarted by a pastry, “I got stubborn and was determined to figure out how to make them.” Stubbornness became a singular focus. “I worked on them for about a year and grew obsessed with making them,” admitted Kelly.
The business was born out of the tasty surplus in her Bloomington home. Lily Bean Bakery, named after Kelly’s niece, was born in 2018. Since then she has shared
Macaron Rainbow!
her love of macarons at craft events, farmers’ markets, weddings, and pop-ups with other small businesses. In 2022 she had her first collaboration with 7 Vines Vineyard to co-host a wine and Macaron pairing class. Sounds like a real treat!
Kelly’s favorite part of running her small business is, well, multiple parts. “Flexing my creative side in flavors, playing with color and introducing a delectable treat to those who have never had a Macaron,” shared Kelly. “I love connecting with new people and other small businesses.”
Kelly is a cottage producer who bakes small batches at home. Her current focus is weddings and special orders. “I take great pride in providing high quality products and great attention to my customers. I believe freshness is very important.” Kelly’s most popular flavors are birthday cake, lemon, orange creamsicle, dulce de leche, and chocolate caramel. Kelly loves the versatility of macarons—any flavor a customer wants is possible!
The greatest surprise since establishing her bakery is the confusion between Macarons—the delicate sandwich-like pastries made from almond flour—and Macaroons—coconut cookies often dipped in chocolate. “I’m surprised how many people haven’t yet tried macarons even though they’ve been popular for awhile,” said Kelly. “I endeavor to change that as much as I can!”
Kelly’s vibrant macaron rainbow palette includes chocolate caramel, dulce de leche, orange creamsicle, pistachio, and raspberry lemon. We were delighted to have the chance to sample Kelly’s beautiful macarons.
My oldest kiddo loved the cinnamon notes in the dulce de leche macaron. She really enjoyed how the cinnamon flavor played with the vanilla that
she tasted in the filling.
My husband raved about the raspberry, which he found to be fruity and rich. It had a really pleasing texture. He thought it paired especially well with coffee.
The chocolate caramel was a balanced blend of chocolate and caramel elements. My youngest savored this one as she thoughtfully allowed each bite to dissolve in her mouth. 
The orange creamsicle was a surprise favorite of mine. It hinted at the frozen treat I loved as a kid without letting the sweetness get in the way of the citrus notes.
We were really impressed with the range of flavors that Kelly delivers for her customers. Across the board, the flavors were bright and distinctive.
After the fact, my eldest suggested that we should have sampled them with our eyes closed to see if we could have guessed the flavors. I think we would have done well because Kelly has honed her flavor profiles expertly.
Contact Kelly at lilybeanbakes@gmail.com for availability and pricing.
Follow @lilybeanbakery on Facebook and Instagram for Kelly’s latest macaron inspiration. Follow @7vinesvineyard for information about their annual 
fashion show fundraiser for Alzheimer’s research. Kelly’s deeply committed to supporting their research fundraising efforts.
Follow @meettheminnesotamakers on Facebook and Instagram to discover more local makers who make Minnesota amazing!
