From ‘swavoury’ to doubling up, there’s a lot going on in the bakery world in terms of trending flavours, and of course as always, lots of room to experiment! Dessert-inspired flavours are here to stay, as well as classic coffee and chocolate. However, there are a few other stand-out flavours we expect to see more of this year!
Pistachio
We’ve been talking about it for months, and we’re not going to stop just yet! Pistachio is growing increasingly popular across bakery. Dubai Chocolate was Deliveroo’s top trending dish of 2024, and it’s a flavour being embraced at all levels of bakery – from the high-end indies to supermarket shelves. We’ve also seen Starbuck’s launch Pistachio-flavoured drinks and ranges for Spring. It’s luxurious and indulgent, but still affordable and widely accessible to consumers which is why it’s everywhere right now.[i]
Matcha
Again, Matcha is proving to be a popular choice – and it’s no longer limited to drinks offerings. From Matcha cakes to cookies, it pairs well with fruit such as strawberries and blueberries, and with its beautiful pastel green colour, certainly helps make an Instagrammable offering!
Doubling Up on Fruity Favourites
Just in time for summer, Mango is tipped to be popular this year. On this topic, ‘Tropical vibes’ is expected to be a trending flavour profile – inspired by adventures in paradise[ii], so embrace fruity and citrus flavours, from passion fruit to pineapple in your bakery offerings. Or, go experimental with Yuzu or Guava. Why not double up on flavours – think mango-flavoured icing, covered in freeze-dried mango sprinkles to really pack a punch.
We’re also seeing dates used a lot more in baking – especially with avid home bakers and foodie influencers on socials. With their natural sweetness, and range of health benefits, we wouldn’t be surprised to see these used more in bakery production.
Spicy
Consumers are also on the hunt for brave flavour profiles[iii] – like ‘hot’ and ‘spicy’[iv]! Why not experiment with your bakery offerings, with combinations such as chilli and ginger, or chilli chocolate – not a new flavour combination by any means, but one that’s sure to attract consumer interest with spice in high demand.
Research also indicates a new wave of innovation with popular flavours, making a new ‘swavoury’ trend![v] Classic sweet-savoury combos like salted caramel and hot honey have taken the food industry by storm, but we’ve seen more experimental combinations such as miso with banana bread and tahini being increasingly used in baked goods.
With Kluman and Balter’s extensive range of over 1,500 high quality bakery ingredients and cake mixes, there’s a solution for all bakery needs, and everything bakers and manufacturers need to get creative and produce delicious – and trending baked goods!
Click here to view our full range, or speak to our team!
[i] Lumina Intelligence, March 2025
[ii] McCormick Flavour Forecast, 25th Edition, https://www.mccormick.com/flavor-forecast-2025
[iii] 28 food and drink trends to watch in 2025 | Food & Drink | Speciality Food Magazine, January 2025
[iv] Lumina Intelligence, Menu Tracker Tool, Spring/Summer 2024
[v] The Food People, Food Trends 2025-6