Out to Lunch Vendor Baan Vaan Churns Out Happiness with Handcrafted Ice Cream

Lu (Baccam) Young, owner of Baan Vann Handcrafted Ice Cream + Goodies, recently participated in her first-ever Out to Lunch series since moving to Greater Des Moines (DSM) from the east coast. After moving during the winter months, Young had a craving for ice cream, and with few options open, she crafted her own ice cream. Baan Vaan was officially born not long after with a focus on using natural dairy and approachable ingredients, to make the best ice cream possible.

It’s pronounced like Bon Jovi and Vince Vaughn.

Baan Vaan, which loosely translates to Sweet Village in Taidam/Lao is made in small batches. For Young's first week of production, she used dairy from a small farm in northeast Iowa and featured Peace Tree Brewing Co.'s old-fashioned root beer in her floats. Using Iowa-produced products is something Young is excited about. Young utilizes shared commercial kitchen space in Sherman Hill in Downtown Des Moines (DSM) to make the ice cream, which has also allowed her to meet other entrepreneurs, including other cooks / chefs. The shared kitchen is a great place to grow a business and learn from others on the same type of journey.

When you visit Baan Vaan, Young’s use of color and florals are sure to catch your eye. Textiles are big in the Taidam/Lao culture, so you’ll notice that, too. Young uses paper containers and wooden spoons and straws, doing what she can to reduce waste when it comes to her small business. This, along with the variety of rotating ice cream flavors and goodies offered has brought a lot of positive feedback following their events.

Baan Vaan Flavors

There may only be a few flavors at each event, but the ones you’ll find are delicious. Baan Vaan debuted with strawberry shortbread (strawberries are simmered with brown sugar and lemon zest and the shortbread is equal parts butter and flour), classic cookies and cream and diary-free bumbleberry sorbet.

For those who want something different from just regular ice cream,  ButterOO Cookies (made with browned butter and olive oil) and Ice Cream Soda Floats are a refreshing choice. Find a list of all possible flavors on the website.

Summer Events

For Young, participating in Out to Lunch made a lot of sense. It’s a great way to meet the community and see downtown residents and workers supporting small vendors and entertainers. Baan Vaan will be at a few Beaverdale Farmers’ Market events throughout the market season. 

In August, you can find Baan Vaan items at the Downtown Farmers’ Market, too, so the small business is looking at more ways to incorporate ice cream as a morning option and considering items like affogato (espresso over ice cream) and maple waffles a la mode. Young says any time of the day is right for ice cream — if you want dessert first, that’s fine!

Be sure to follow vaanvaan.icecream on Instagram or visit baanvaan.com for more information.

There are so many fun events specific to Downtown DSM. Attend annual events like the Downtown Des Moines Farmers’ Market, World Food & Music Festival and Holiday Promenade or find live music happening each week through the "Live Music This Week in DSM” blog series.