Layers of Love with Chef Megan Garrelts
Featuring Nana's 7 Layer Bar — a Clementine's x Rye collaboration
When you think of Kansas City's culinary soul, you think of Chef Megan Garrelts. A celebrated pastry chef, James Beard Award nominee, and co-owner of Rye (and formerly Bluestem), Megan has helped shape what it means to dine and dessert in the Midwest. Her creations embody everything we love about this region: hospitality, heart, and a deep appreciation for the simple things done exceptionally well.
Megan's desserts are the kind that linger long after the last bite: thoughtful, balanced, and beautifully nostalgic. They tell stories of family gatherings, community tables, and the comfort of something baked with care. Whether it's a slice of pie fresh from the oven or a layered bar passed down through generations, every recipe reflects her belief that food is about connection.
From Kansas City Kitchen to Clementine's Collection
For Clementine's inaugural Holiday Cookie Exchange Collection, Megan brought a staple from her mother's kitchen into ours. Her flavor, Nana's 7 Layer Bar, is inspired by a timeless dessert that's a little gooey, a little crunchy and loved in Midwestern homes. What makes this recipe extra special is that it comes straight from her mom's own recipe book.
We transformed that familial spirit into ice cream form: brown butter ice cream as the golden foundation — nutty, toasty, and rich — folded with generous pieces of chewy-crunchy 7-layer bar and rippled with silky butterscotch sauce. The result is a scoop that's nostalgic yet elevated, capturing the cozy sweetness of the holidays.
The Heart Behind the Layers
As a cookbook author, restaurateur, and teacher, she continues to champion Midwestern ingredients and traditions with a creativity and grace uniquely her own. Through Nana's 7 Layer Bar, Megan invites us all to taste a bit of that magic and those familiar flavors that remind us of home, wrapped in the craft and care that define both her work and ours.
Taste the Magic
You can find Nana's 7 Layer Bar in all Clementine's Ice Cream parlors and online for nationwide shipping through Goldbelly.
This holiday season, share a scoop inspired by the heart of Kansas City and celebrate the sweet traditions that bring us together.
Photography by Jenna Whitmore. Videography by Once Films.