BAKERY FLAVOR TRENDS
Wow Bakery Buyers with Whimsy:
Flavors that Tell a Story Lisa Jackson, Director of Marketing at FlavorSum
The sensory experience of bakery flavors – appearance, aroma, taste, and texture – is compelling to most people. While interactions with multiple senses enhance the enjoyment of cookies, pastries, donuts, cakes, pies, breads, muffins, and snack bars, the backstory about flavors or ingredients strengthens connections. A bite of a lemonade cookie can transport someone to refreshment on a hot summer day. A slice of Buche de Noël (yule cake) may carry the voices of grandmothers or aunts sharing step-by-step preparation instructions.
With social discussions about flavor stories surging by 54% in the last year, it’s clear that people will respond to tastes that do more than deliver great flavor. They crave creativity, genuineness, and whimsy – a quality that evokes imagination and lightheartedness. Linking stories to bakery experiences is more than a trend. For in-store bakeries or center-store baked goods brands, storytelling through flavors opens a powerful opportunity to connect with shoppers on a deeper level.
Let’s explore how the right flavor stories can captivate bakery buyers and keep them coming back for more.
From Farm to Shelf: How Regional Ingredients Bring Genuineness to Bakeries
When describing a “genuine” person, adjectives like "trustworthy," "positive," "honest," and "relatable” come to mind. Regional ingredients can instill a sense of comfort; people associate local sourcing with sincerity and dependability. Provenance linked to foods and beverages dates to the 1600s but surged in popularity in the last decade as mistrust of “big brands” grew amid scandals. Post-pandemic, people continue to value local after experiencing supply chain vulnerabilities.
Bakeries can incorporate and promote several types of regional ingredients to generate excitement and foster engagement.
FRUITS WITH PROVENANCE
Incorporating local and seasonal fruits can bring a sense of place – people's emotional connection to a location – to baked goods. Social conversations about regional fruits increased by about 10% last year. Trending examples include:
• Michigan cherries, whether tart Montmorency, a sweet variety, or the increasingly popular sweet- tart Balaton, fit in pies, pastries, or cake fillings. Bakeries in the West or Northwest can tap into the
WHAT’S IN STORE | 2025 legacy of Bing cherries.
• The Pacific Northwest is also home to the trendy marionberries for muffins or turnovers.
• Several countries now cultivate huckleberries, with fun alternative names like farkleberry or sparkleberry, to add a wild berry flavor to baked
goods.
Storied fruits from around the globe that are trending in social discussions about baked goods are:
• Lychee fruits (sometimes called alligator strawberries) add a unique sweet-citrusy flavor to donuts (especially mochi-style), tarts, and macarons.
• Hawaiian pineapples are trending, especially in cakes and cupcakes, and emerging as an ingredient in filled croissants.
• The earthy vanilla flavor of pandan is emerging in a variety of pastries, from cronuts to cannoli.
When sourcing raw ingredients is challenging, flavor suppliers can help with fruit flavor ingredients. Many baked goods variegates, fillings, or flavor systems will feature ‘from the named source’ or ‘true-to-fruit’ characteristics to support provenance.
LOCAL DAIRY PRODUCTS
People associate their local dairies with freshness, healthiness, and sustainability and will support the farming community. Importantly, dairy ingredients from specific regions can elevate the richness and genuineness of baked goods.
Callouts about the source of cream in frostings, the butter in puff pastries, or the milk in cheesecakes or cookies boost the indulgent characteristics of bakery items. Some plant-based milks like coconut milk or oat milk can lend exotic flavor or affect texture favorably in baked goods.
SWEETENERS WITH STORIES
The type and source of sweeteners lend distinctive flavors and extra appeal to shoppers who like to “be in the know” about ingredients.
• Home bakers are adding maple syrup to pies (especially cherry), cakes, and danishes. Maple syrups from Vermont, Michigan, Canada, Australia, or Japan have unique characteristics worth mentioning in a bakery story.
• Manuka honey from New Zealand and coastal Australia is getting attention for its rich natural
© 2025 International Dairy Deli Bakery Association Bakery Flavor Trends 108
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