Bakery Trends: Next Level Indulgence

Consumers first and foremost turn to sweet bakery goods to treat themselves.

croissant amazing colorful layers — Source: Supermoon Bakehouse

Raspberry cheesecake croissant from Supermoon Bakehouse in NYC is a “dual core bi-color croissant filled with a cream cheese crème patissiere and house-made raspberry mint jam. Topped with a raspberry glaze, raspberry white chocolate shards and white chocolate Chantilly.”

In proprietary research by Barry Callebaut, 76% of North American consumers agreed that they prefer cakes & pastries containing chocolate brands and products that allow them to indulge¹.

As a result, creating mouthwatering texture and flavor in baked goods is paramount. Building hyper indulgence and elevating your baked goods can make baked goods more appealing to consumers looking for a sweet delight.

Here we explain how you can play up these bakery trends to build hyper indulgence in, and premiumize, your offering:

Create Layers of Texture, Flavor & Color

In a Barry Callebaut consumer research study, 50% of North American consumers agreed that chocolate products containing multiple flavors and textures are more premium¹. Furthermore, in one of The Food People’s identified bakery trends “Turning Within”, they point out the importance of layers and fillings in baked goods as they add elements of visual appeal, textural complexity and delightful surprise when hidden inside a bakery product².

We see both artisans and brands creating these layers of texture, flavor & color in many different baked good categories.

Christmas piecake — Source: Goldbelly

The Christmas Piecaken from Goldbelly featured a pecan pie, eggnog cheesecake and red velvet cake layered together with vanilla buttercream and topped with sweet and tart cherry pie filling.

classic birthday cake — Source: MilkBar

Classic birthday cake from MilkBar in NYC.

Play Up The Handcrafted Appeal

Handcrafted or artisanal appeal is another way to build hyper indulgence and premiumization in a baked good.

In recent years, we have seen this trend really come to life through the popularity of kitchen sink cookies and “naked cakes”. Cookies no longer need to be dotted with perfectly shaped inclusions and cakes no longer need to be frosted smoothly to perfection. Rustic or “paint-like” strokes of buttercream, or no buttercream at all, can create a cake that looks truly handmade- and therefore, more superior.

Consumers agreed with this sentiment in our proprietary research study. When provided with the statement, “Premium cookies containing chocolate products do not have to be perfect. They can have an irregular or non-uniform appearance.” 69% of North American consumers agree¹.

Dessert Flavors Make It Irresistible

Finally, flavor can play a big role in creating a more decadent product. With this, the trend towards “category blurring” does not seem to be diminishing. Baked goods with dessert flavors can make a product truly irresistible as consumers seek their favorite flavors in new formats.

Sources:

1. Barry Callebaut Benefit Territory Substantiation Research Fall 2018

2. The Food People, Bakery Trends