BISCUIT AND COOKIE INGREDIENTS Flavour movements in sweet bakery


The Kerry 2026 Global Taste Chart can provide biscuit and cookie manufactur- ers with a data-backed roadmap this fast-changing market sector. “Our in- sights reveal a balancing act – today’s consumers want both the comfort of nostalgia and the thrill of novelty,” says Mariel Lerma, Marketing Manager for Bakery UK&I at Kerry. Currently, three flavour movements stand out in the sweet bakery space. These are:


A shift to depth: Indulgence is being redefined. Consumers are increasingly seeking more complex taste experien- ces, creating opportunities for ‘swalty’, ‘switter’ and ‘swavory’ profiles. In Europe, emerging flavours such as salted butter, miso, chicory and hojicha are gaining traction, while brown sugar is being em- braced for the depth it brings. Rather than relying on added sweetness, consumers are gravitating towards processes such as fermentation, roasting and browning that build flavour naturally, creating richer and more nuanced bakery experiences.


add protein or fibre, manage ingredient costs and maintain existing processing conditions simultaneously. Meanwhile, regulatory requirements around the nutritional composition of products add another layer to the design brief and every change will affect the others. “We see this clearly in our development


work. In a source-of-protein, no-added-sugar coated biscuit, for example, wheat gluten can build protein content and structure, while hydrolyzed wheat protein helps moderate the protein network to support dough flexibility and shape retention. A combination of maltitol, erythritol and maltodextrin can provide sweetness, bulk and texture. The filling and coating are then designed as part of the same system to create the finished sensory experience. “Cost pressure is encouraging the


same systems thinking. Our bakery work has shown how recipes can be rebalanced across multiple ingredients rather than relying on straightforward substitution. This matters because reducing an expensive ingredient can have consequences for structure, colour,


Flavours without borders: Flavours travel faster today and arrive more in- tact. Social media, travel and curiosity about food cultures across the globe have shortened the distance between origin and shelf, and consumers want the specific version rather than a generalised one – for example, a Filipino dessert, not an ‘Asian’ flavour. Ingredients such as ube and dragon fruit are gaining momentum across categories, while traditionally savoury flavours like miso are finding new expres- sion in sweet applications. For brands,


this presents an opportunity to bring distinctive tastes, cultural relevance and discovery to consumers seeking some- thing new and authentic.


Nostalgia, reconstructed: As consum- ers balance a desire for novelty with a need for comfort, texture is becoming as important as flavour. Familiar cues such as custard cream, Chantilly cream, marshmallow and cotton candy are gain- ing appeal, evoking nostalgia through both taste and sensory experience. Simultaneously, texture-led formats like cookie crumble are expanding across categories, from sweet treats to hot bev- erages. Together, these trends highlight a growing consumer appetite for products that deliver comfort, familiarity and in- dulgence through every bite and sip. Offering further insight from the Kerry


Taste Chart, Mariel says: “The biscuit has now become a texture other cat- egories borrow. Identifying these trends is only the first step; speed to market is where producers win. Balancing a fer- mented or roasted note within a delicate biscuit matrix requires more than a trend report, so Kerry approaches these shifts with holistic science-backed solutions.” The KerryNow digital platform is said


to be able to bridge insight and execu- tion, giving bakeries instant access to technical documentation, expertise and trend-aligned flavour samples. “Combining these global insights with Kerry’s technical capabilities enables biscuit and cookie producers to antici- pate demand and turn concepts into market-ready innovations quicker and more affordably,” concludes Mariel.


moisture, flavour or processing elsewhere in the recipe,” continues Susen. She believes that there is also scope to


combine familiar and newer ingredient solutions. For example, NextCoa – a confectionery alternative to chocolate – can provide an additional formulation pathway in applications such as coated biscuits, cookies and bakery inclusions. “Rather than assuming every innovation has to reproduce chocolate exactly, the opportunity is to determine what level of


colour, flavour, creaminess, melt and texture creates the right indulgent experience for that particular product,” explains Susen. Ultimately, Susen believes that


successful biscuit innovation is about balancing all of the requirements rather than treating them independently. The objective is to create a product that delivers the sensory experience consumers want, meets the nutritional or commercial brief and can still be manufactured reliably at scale.


AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2026 • KENNEDY’S BAKERY PRODUCTION • 35


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