Meet The Chef: Darius Pittman, Food Blogger, Social Media Celebrity, and Chef

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Today, I interviewed Darius Pittman, one of the most fantastic Chefs I have ever come across in my Life. He is also a media personality, food blogger and. He is the founder of Sugarless Crystals, a food brand committed to helping people live healthier and happy lifestyles.

Darius Pittman spent a significant part of his life as a 200-pound overweight kid. Aside from the stigma and insecurity that often follows being overweight, hitting the gym to drop some pounds wasn’t helping either. In his early 20s, he watched his grandmother fight and lose her life to life-threatening illnesses, including cancer and heart disease. About a decade later, he lost his mother to slightly similar conditions.

These three seasons of his life were wake-up calls and a turning point for his career as a chef. Through the loss he suffered, he decided to transform his lifestyle with the healthy keto diet. 

Like most dreams, he started small, from a YouTube channel that documented and shared healthy living tips with fun ways to diet successfully in 2010 to a full-fledged food blog in 2017. Currently, he has the trust of tens of thousands of viewers and readers constantly enjoying sweet and easy-to-follow recipes to live better lives. 

Please keep reading to learn more about the chef, his career journey, and his recipe-development style.

Please tell me about you and your brand Sugarless Crystals

I started Sugarless Crystals because I wanted to make a change. Everything about dieting, improving health, etc., was so depressing and unappealing. I wanted to be the creator people enjoyed watching and learning from in hopes that the overall message would change their lives.

What or who inspired you to become a chef?

I fell in love when I found out cooking was a skill. I learned that just because you went to a highly accredited school didn’t mean you had the talent to cook. This began my journey of sharpening my skills in the hope of becoming one of the best in my niche.

What’s your signature dish?

I’ll say my keto waffles because of their popularity. I blew people’s minds with what I made as far as flavor and texture go at the time. It is prepared with blanched almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, salted butter, and eggs.

How many recipes do you currently have

Over 300 at this point.

What is the inspiration for your recipes?

Flavor and the ease to replicate. I can make a recipe difficult, but I aim to make it as easy as possible for a new cook to follow and recreate something superb.

What is your favorite piece of kitchen equipment?

What’s a chef without his knife?

What would you be doing if you weren’t a chef?

I’d be doing something in the nutrition or health industry, such as a dietary nutritionist, physical therapist, or personal trainer.

What are the most important considerations when crafting your menu?

How easy it is to follow, and can I translate it enough that anyone who reads or listens says to themselves, “that sounds easy enough to do.”

What are some of your happiest moments?

It was going viral on social media. Finally, it felt like I had finally reached the people who needed my help. I had the attention of the masses and the opportunity to introduce the true side of healthy eating beyond simply eating Keto.

What are some of your most challenging moments?

Going viral again, lol. I loved the attention, but it wasn’t without the social media trolls and judgment.

Do your personal preferences influence the menu at all?

No. I believe in exploring different options and giving my audience a variety to choose from. The only criteria I don’t compromise are the health and nutrition value.

How would you describe your cooking style?

I am very technical. I belive with great techniques, salt and pepper can take you far.

What do you do in your free time if you are not cooking or writing a blog?

When I’m not working on Sugarlesscrystal, I’m in the gym weightlifting or practicing kickboxing.

Do you eat outside at all? Even if it is a fast food

It depends. For example, I love Texas-style barbecue. Also, if on a date, I will find something on the menu that suits my taste. After all, I can’t just invite a girl back to my place when we meet for dinner.

Do your social media channels (if any) have influenced your audience in how to prepare a recipe?

I hope so. I strive for that.

How do you receive feedback judging how buzzing they can be

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Looking at it from the movie, “The Matrix” perspective, people are always willing to defend what they believe, and I’m okay with that.

How do you cope with the pressure of being an influencer?

I am not Gordon Ramsey big. I see myself as an everyday guy.

What inspires the content you post on your social media platforms

Struggle and pain. Every time someone has dieted and not lost weight or fallen into depression from being overweight, I can relate because I’ve been there. My understanding of that pain and knowing that I never want to go through it again guides my content creation process on social media. This also applies to those without any idea where or how to start their weight-loss journey.

What are your favorite outdoor activities?

Smoking meat, for now.

Have you collaborated with any brand or fellow food bloggers/ enthusiasts,

Yes, quite a few. I even have a co-branded keto dessert product I developed for ChipMonk Baking that makes me super proud. Food bloggers are lovely to a certain point. Some people can get on a pedestal, but it’s life. What can you do?

Have you ever thought of competitors?

No. In the recipe industry, everyone gets a chance. No one looks at one recipe without checking the others before choosing which one to explore. So, things are fair in that sense. Google is another story.

What is your advice for anyone looking forward to joining your industry?

Be pure. Care about what you do and understand the consumer. I know Keto is hot right now. But once it dies down, the true believers will be all that’s left, and that will be your base.

How will you like people to connect with you?

You can connect with me directly on my website, sugarlesscrystals.com or follow me on social media.

Instagram: SugarlessCrystals

TikTok: SugarlessCrystals

YouTube: SugarlessCrystal