Bethesda has already seen its share of high-end cupcakes, organic frozen yogurt and pricey make-your-own salads. This year, a new sweet treat has recently graced Bethesda Row: ice cream sandwiches.

In August, Tricia Wigden and Ashley Allen founded Sweetbite Creamery, an ice cream sandwich company. They sell their organic treats, which contain only local ingredients, on Sunday mornings at the Bethesda Farmer’s Market in the parking lot above the Landmark Movie Theatre.

These bite-sized ice cream sandwiches are about one inch wide and three inches long. In between the two homemade cookies is a thick layer of homemade ice cream in unusual flavors like Salted Caramel and Chocolate Coconut.

Initially, Wigden’s passion for baking was overshadowed by an office job, but when her company downsized, she said she decided to turn her hobby into a business.

“I had been making them for a while for my family,” Wigden said. “It’s been really great so far, people have been far more positive and excited than we thought they would be.”

To help get the word out, Sweetbite Creamery created a Facebook page and Twitter account that alerts die-hard customers about new flavors. They have nearly 100 followers on Twitter and 171 fans on Facebook.

Wigden and Allen hired their first employee, Andrea Truelove, about two months ago. Truelove works at the market and helps with finances. She said she’s noticed very positive customer feedback.

“People like the novelty aspect and the fact that we use local ingredients,” Truelove said.

At $5 each, these decadent desserts don’t come cheap.

“We weren’t sure how people were going to react,” Wigden explains. “But because we are using local, organic ingredients, our ingredients cost more than a typical ice cream shop. It hasn’t been a problem.”

The company is currently planning an expansion to California, where Wigden will live and work part-time with her fianceé.

“Ultimately we want to become a household name in this area and then expand from there,” Wigden said.