Thinking about turning your home recipes into a business? The Texas Cottage Food Law makes it easier than ever to sell homemade food legally. However, before you start, it’s important to understand what the law covers and what food safety training you’ll need.
Whether you’re baking cookies, crafting jams, or packaging dried snacks, the Texas Cottage Food Law helps Texans turn their passion into income while ensuring safe food handling and consumer protection. Let’s break down exactly how it works and how to get certified with AAA Food Handler.
Understanding the Texas Cottage Food Law
The Texas Cottage Food Law allows individuals to prepare and sell certain low-risk foods made in their home kitchens without needing a commercial facility or a state health permit. The goal is to help Texans launch small-scale food businesses from home, all while maintaining public health and safety standards.
However, there are certain limits on what foods you can sell, how much you can earn, and what training you must complete before selling to the public.
Foods You Can and Can’t Sell from Home
Under this law, cottage food producers can sell a wide range of shelf-stable and non-potentially hazardous foods directly to consumers.
You can sell:
- Baked goods like cookies, bread, cakes, and pastries
- Candies and confections
- Roasted coffee or dry tea
- Popcorn, cereal, or granola
- Pickled or fermented vegetables
- Jams, jellies, and fruit butters
- Nuts and unroasted nut butters
- Dried fruits and vegetables
Starting September 1, 2025, the state will expand opportunities for cottage food operators to sell through restaurants, retail stores, and farmers’ markets — as long as the food doesn’t require temperature control for safety.
However, certain foods remain off-limits. You cannot sell:
- Raw milk or dairy products
- Meat and poultry (except eggs)
- Seafood or shellfish
- Ice, ice cream, or frozen desserts
- Low-acid canned foods
- Products containing CBD or THC
Income Limits and Business Freedom
One of the biggest perks of the Texas Cottage Food Law is that you don’t need a permit or inspection to operate. The state doesn’t regulate your kitchen like a restaurant or food establishment would be.
Currently, you can earn up to $50,000 per year, but this cap will increase to $150,000 beginning September 1, 2025, a big win for local entrepreneurs looking to scale their home-based food businesses.
Who Needs Food Safety Training in Texas?
If you plan to sell homemade food under the cottage food law, you are required by the Texas Department of State Health Services to complete a state-approved Food Handler training course.
This course ensures you understand essential food safety principles like:
- Preventing cross-contamination
- Safe food storage and handling
- Personal hygiene and handwashing
- Cleaning and sanitizing best practices
Completing a certified training course helps you avoid common mistakes that could lead to foodborne illness, protecting both your customers and your reputation.
Get Certified with AAA Food Handler
AAA Food Handler offers an ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) accredited Texas Food Handler course that meets the state’s training requirement for cottage food operators.
- 100% online and mobile-friendly
- Finish in just 90 minutes
- Instant digital certificate and Food Handler card
- Accepted by all Texas health departments
Once you pass, you’ll have official proof of certification valid for 2 years and ready to display or upload on your website.
Labeling and Packaging Rules
Even homemade food must look and feel professional. Texas law requires your products to be packaged and labeled in a particular way that prevents contamination and clearly informs buyers about what they’re purchasing.
Every label must include:
- Your full name and physical home address
- The common name of the product
- A statement declaring:
“This food is prepared in a home kitchen and is not checked by the Department of State Health Services or a local health department.” - A list of any of the nine major food allergens present
If your food requires refrigeration or freezing for safety, you must also include “SAFE HANDLING INSTRUCTIONS” in at least 12-point font on the label or receipt.
And if you sell your products at wholesale or retail locations, you must post a visible sign reading:
“This product was made in a private residence and is not subject to governmental licensing or inspection.”
Adding optional details like ingredients and nutritional information can build even more trust with customers.
Growing Your Cottage Food Business the Smart Way
Texas’ cottage food industry continues to grow, and with the 2025 updates, it’s about to become even more rewarding for home-based entrepreneurs.
But success starts with safety. Completing an ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB)-accredited food handler training through AAA Food Handler ensures you’re compliant, knowledgeable, and ready to grow your home business the right way.
Start Your Cottage Food Business with Confidence
Get certified today with AAA Food Handler’s Texas Food Handler Course, fully online, fast, and approved statewide.
Finish in 90 minutes and get your official Food Handler Card instantly.
