September 3, 2025 – Consumers want more from their confectionery, from different flavors to a lower carbon footprint. Health and personalization are also becoming important for consumers globally. As highlighted by our #1 Top Trend for 2025, “Ingredients and Beyond,” food and beverage brands are looking for new ways to add value and differentiate themselves. We look at how the confectionery category is evolving and how brands are responding to consumer demands.
Dessert Flavors are Popular
In flavor innovation, dessert inspiration, botanicals and “freshness” are leading the category, according to Corinne Yven, business development manager EMEA of confectionery, bakery and pharma at Mane. At the Food Ingredients Europe (FiE) trade show in Frankfurt, Germany, the French flavor house showcased a double-layered lemon pie soft chew, combining the flavors of lemon curd and tart in two distinctly colored segments. The dessert inspiration trend aligns with findings from Kerry’s 2025 Sweet Taste Charts, which identifies other pie-type flavors as some of the fastest-growing in the past three years across multiple regions. These include Europe (banoffee pie, carrot cake and cheesecake), the US (Key lime, dulce de leche and apple cinnamon) and Asia (apple crumble, matcha tiramisu and Biscoff).
Back to the Roots – Nostalgic Flavors
DSM-Firmenich reports that nostalgia is hitting home with consumers this year. Its flavor of the year, Milky Maple, combines the two comforting aspects of sweet brown flavors with dairy’s inherent creaminess.
“Milk as a flavor has seen consistent growth globally, extending far beyond its traditional role in dairy products,” shares Jeffrey Schmoyer, VP of human insights at DSM-Firmenich. “Over the past two decades, specifically from 2004 to the start of 2024, there has been a steady rise in the use of milk-flavored products in non-dairy categories.” He attributes the origins of this growth to Asian and Latin American markets, where milk as a flavor is especially pronounced. Milky-flavored cookies and candy are perhaps the most iconic examples.
Reducing Cocoa to Keep Prices Down
As one of consumers’ most prized flavors in the confectionery category, it’s no surprise that the demand for chocolate continues to grow. But, given that the supply of cocoa ingredients has started to dwindle due to climate change and crop disease, there is a clear need for “future-proof” solutions.
One strategy is to reduce the amount of cocoa powder or cocoa butter in a product, namely through the use of flavors and compounds. While rebalancing chocolate, a flavor twist can create a new product with a more culinary and worldly experience, such as French chocolate or smoky Indonesian chocolate.
Another flavor solution was developed by BioLev, a specialist in yeast ingredients. Its Flavor Dark SW is a natural yeast extract positioned to create a highly efficient synergy that highlights chocolate’s roasted, toasted and caramelized notes, enabling up to a 70% reduction in cocoa content.
Alternatives to Cocoa
Another strategy to help close the supply and demand gap in chocolate is to use completely different ingredients, which can become chocolate-like through processes like roasting or fermentation. Cocoa alternatives are not only positioned as more cost-effective but as a more sustainable solution with a lower carbon footprint and less water use. Consumers are looking to make a better environmental impact, even with their indulgent purchases. Innova Market Insights data indicates that 76% of global consumers want to buy more sustainable chocolate or cocoa-based products but are unsure how to go about it. One such company working on cocoa alternatives is California-based Voyage Foods. The start-up’s patented technology allows brands to move away from cocoa as the raw material. The key ingredient has been developed based on roasted grape seeds and sunflower kernels but can be tailored to use a variety of abundant ingredients where the product is manufactured.
Personalized Confectionery
Another top confectionery trend is the rise of personalized offerings to accommodate lifestyles and allergies. While chocolate and compounds are growing, premium offerings like vegan, nut-free and lower sugar are increasing faster than traditional types of chocolates. Identifying the “specialty” trend in the chocolate space, Cargill increased the capacity of its coatings and fillings plant in Deventer, the Netherlands by 60% last year. It opened a segregated nut-free production line on-site to ensure a 100% nut-free product for consumers. The plant also increased its production of vegan, palm oil-free and lower-sugar offerings to meet the growing demand for mindfully consumed products.
Consumers Want Healthier Gummies
Suppliers in the gummy confectionery category are also taking note of consumer demand for vegan and health-centric products. Acacia gum expert Alland& Robert, recognizes that the demand for vegan confectionery has led to an interest in gelatin-free formulations. One of the company’s most recent innovations, Syndeo Gelling combines acacia gum with other hydrocolloids to create a texture in gummies that falls between traditional gelatin-based products and pectin-based solutions. The company’s R&D director, Isabel Jouen, also explains that acacia gum can be used to reduce sugar in a number of applications thanks to its texturizing properties, making it suitable for lifestyle diets like keto. The company’s acacia fiber was also recently FODMAP-certified, furthering its already established health-promoting qualities, such as prebiotic activity.
What’s Next in Creative Confectionery?
Multisensory experiences can surprise and delight consumers through visual elements, textures, and physical sensations like cooling, warming, or salivating. Despite the growth of chocolate alternatives and the shrinking cocoa supply, chocolate is not going away and milk chocolate flavor still ranks among the top ten sweet flavors in various regions. Consumers also want candy to be healthier. The Nutri-Score is becoming more common, guiding consumers in making better choices. Brands can look at boosting their Nutri-Score, providing value to consumers in a healthier product that still tastes nice.
This article is based on Innova’s Creative Confectionery Proliferates – Global report. This report is available to purchase or with an Innova Reports subscription. Reach out to find out more