Read the back of a taco packet sometime. Maltodextrin. Corn flour. Modified food starch. Silicon dioxide. "May contain wheat, milk, egg, soy and sesame." Somewhere in there, a rumor of chile. This isn't that. Every blend in the collection is built on ancho and guajillo chiles, sweet Hungarian paprika, and toasted cumin and coriander — ten ingredients, all of them recognizable, nothing added to stretch it. No fillers, no anticaking agents, no preservatives, and no major allergens. Four jars, one base, four very different nights at the table. Blended by hand in small batches in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Pick your heat
Same chile foundation in every jar. The only thing that changes is how loud it gets.
The Full Den
One of each
Find your level
$26.00 $31.00 separately
Every jar is net wt 1.4 oz (40 g) and seasons about 2½ lbs of meat. Prices are per jar unless noted.
What's actually in the jar
Real chiles, not chili powder
Ancho and guajillo chiles from Mexico and sweet paprika from Hungary — single-varietal, single-ingredient, nothing blended in at the source. That's where the sweetness and the faint smoke come from.
No fillers
No cornstarch, no maltodextrin, no anticaking agents, no preservatives. The blend will settle in the jar — that's what a seasoning without anticaking agents does. Shake it.
One base, four heats
Mild, cayenne, ghost pepper, Carolina Reaper. The flavor underneath never changes, so moving up the ladder adds heat instead of trading flavor for it.
Thirty years of kitchens
Blended by Dr. Edward McKeown — Marine Corps veteran, Ph.D. in hospitality management, and author of the Comfort Food Survival Guide series.
Questions
How hot is each one, really?
Baby Bear has no meaningful heat at all — it's built for a table with kids at it. Mama Bear adds cayenne for warmth that shows up after the first bite and fades before the second. Papa Bear uses ghost pepper and is genuinely hot. Grizzly Bear uses Carolina Reaper and is extreme; use less than you think you need.
How much do I use?
Use about 2 TBSP per pound of meat. Brown and drain your meat, add the seasoning, and stir over medium heat for about 45 seconds until fragrant. For a saucier finish, add ½ cup water or stock and simmer until it coats. Shake well before use — this blend contains no anticaking agents and will settle.
Are there any allergens?
Every blend in the collection contains no major allergens. Full ingredient statements are printed on each product page — Baby Bear, Mama Bear, Papa Bear, and Grizzly Bear.
Where do you ship?
We ship within Iowa only. Iowa's Cottage Food Law permits direct sales and in-state shipping; out-of-state shipping requires a commercial license we don't currently hold.
Orders ship USPS from Cedar Rapids, usually within 2 business days. Local pickup in the Cedar Rapids area is available — just ask.
Can I pick up locally instead?
No shipping charge. I'll email you to arrange a time and place. Choose “Pick up in Cedar Rapids” at checkout.
Can I buy these wholesale or for resale?
Under Iowa's Cottage Food Law, Doc Bear's Comfort Spice Collection is sold directly from us to you. We're not able to offer wholesale, consignment, or resale arrangements at this time.
Who makes it?
Doc Bear Enterprises, LLC, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Dr. Edward McKeown is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran with a Ph.D. in hospitality management who worked his way up from Waffle House line cook. More about him here.
How to use
Use about 2 TBSP per pound of meat. Brown and drain your meat, add the seasoning, and stir over medium heat for about 45 seconds until fragrant. For a saucier finish, add ½ cup water or stock and simmer until it coats. Shake well before use — this blend contains no anticaking agents and will settle.
Storage
Store in a cool, dry place away from direct light. Best within one year.
Shipping
Orders ship USPS from Cedar Rapids, usually within 2 business days. Local pickup in the Cedar Rapids area is available — just ask.
Sold direct only
Under Iowa's Cottage Food Law, Doc Bear's Comfort Spice Collection is sold directly from us to you. We're not able to offer wholesale, consignment, or resale arrangements at this time.
Returns
All sales are final. These are consumable food products, so we cannot accept returns. If your order arrives damaged or incorrect, email us within 7 days and we will put it right.
Made in Iowa under the Cottage Food Law
This product was produced at a residential property that is exempt from state licensing and inspection.
Doc Bear Enterprises, LLC · Cedar Rapids, Iowa
edward@docbear-ent.com
· (319) 654-5200
Doc Bear's™ is a trademark of Doc Bear Enterprises, LLC.
Recipes to put them in
The blends came out of the recipes in the Comfort Food Survival Guide series — all of which are in the cookbooks and built into the Comfort Kitchen app.
Browse the Cookbooks