Connecticut Cottage Food
What You Can Sell in Connecticut
Connecticut allows home food sellers to produce and sell non-potentially-hazardous foods — items that are safe at room temperature and don't require refrigeration.
Product Status at a Glance
Every food product falls into one of three categories under Connecticut's cottage food program. Your specific products must be listed on your license application and approved by the Department of Consumer Protection before you can sell.
Breads, Rolls & Biscuits
Loaf breads, dinner rolls, biscuits
Cookies & Pastries
Non-potentially-hazardous varieties
Cakes
Birthday, celebration, wedding cakes (not cheesecake)
Fruit Pies
Apple, cherry, berry — not pumpkin
Candies & Confections
Fudge, caramels, brittle, toffee
Jams, Jellies & Preserves
Must meet 21 CFR 150 standard of identity
Dried Fruits
Dehydrated fruits only — no meat
Dry Herbs, Seasonings & Mixes
Spice blends, herb mixes, dry rubs
Trail Mix, Granola & Cereal
Non-potentially-hazardous formulations
Coated & Uncoated Nuts
Roasted, candied, or seasoned nuts
Vinegar & Flavored Vinegars
Infused vinegars for retail
Popcorn & Popcorn Balls
Flavored, caramel, kettle corn
Cotton Candy
Prepackaged for sale
Roasted Coffee Beans
Whole bean or ground — not brewed
Dry Bread & Instant Mixes
Packaged dry mixes for consumer preparation
Hard Candies & Lollipops
Allowed only if non-potentially-hazardous
Baked Goods with Fresh Fruit/Vegetables
OK if fully baked into batter (e.g., zucchini bread). Cannot be used as decoration or garnish.
Buttercream Frosting
Allowed — DCP considers standard buttercream non-TCS. Check with DCP for specific recipes.
Fondant Decorations
Allowed as a non-TCS decorating medium
Products Using Commercial Canned Goods
Commercially canned ingredients (e.g., cherry pie filling) may be used. Home-canned products are NOT approved — except jams/jellies meeting 21 CFR 150.
Eggs & Dairy as Ingredients
May be used as ingredients in approved baked goods. Cannot be sold as standalone products.
Products Not on the Approved List
You may apply to DCP to request a new item be reviewed and added. Must be non-TCS.
Specialty/Wedding Cakes
Allowed, but labeling info must appear on the invoice if cake cannot be packaged.
All Beverages
Including apple cider, juices, coffee drinks, kombucha, lemonade
Meat & Poultry
Including dehydrated jerky — requires USDA inspection
Dairy Products (Standalone)
Milk, cheese, yogurt, butter sold as products
Cheesecake
Contains cream cheese — potentially hazardous
Pumpkin Pie
Classified as potentially hazardous
Fruit Butters
Apple butter, pumpkin butter — insufficient sugar/pectin for safety
Pickles, Hot Sauce & Salsas
Acidified foods — botulism risk, require pH control
Fermented Foods & Kombucha
Not permitted under cottage food program
Cooked Vegetables
Salsas, tomato sauces, spaghetti sauce, roasted veggie focaccia
Home-Canned Products
Except jams and jellies meeting 21 CFR 150
Foods with Fresh Fruit/Veggie Garnish
No fresh or frozen fruit/vegetable decoration on finished products
Any TCS / Refrigerated Food
Anything requiring hot-holding (135°F+) or cold-holding (41°F or below)
Understanding the Rules
Connecticut's cottage food program is built around one core safety principle: if a food needs temperature control to stay safe, it cannot be sold from a home kitchen. This is the "TCS" standard — Time/Temperature Control for Safety. Foods that can sit at room temperature without spoiling or growing harmful bacteria are considered non-potentially-hazardous and are eligible for cottage food production.
This is why items like breads, cookies, candies, dried herbs, and properly made jams are allowed — they're inherently shelf-stable. And it's why products like cheesecake, cooked vegetables, and beverages are off-limits — they can support bacterial growth if not kept at proper temperatures.
Important: The approved foods list is not automatic. When you apply for your cottage food license through the Department of Consumer Protection, you must specify every product you plan to sell. DCP reviews and approves each one. If your product isn't on the standard list, you can submit a separate application requesting it be added — but it must be non-TCS to qualify.
Eggs and dairy deserve special attention. You cannot sell eggs, milk, or cheese as standalone products under the cottage food program. However, you can use them as ingredients in approved baked goods — butter in cookies, eggs in cakes, milk in bread dough. The finished product must still be non-TCS.
If the food you want to sell falls into the prohibited category, you're not out of options. Many Connecticut food entrepreneurs graduate from cottage food to a food manufacturing establishment license, which allows a broader range of products but requires a licensed commercial kitchen. See our Special Categories guide for licensing paths beyond cottage food.