October 14, 2025 – The category of sugar confectionery is seeing varying degrees of growth and expansion. A number of trends are at work here, and to understand these further, Innova Market Insights breaks down the key factors and what they mean for the future of sugar confectionery on a global scale.
Global Megatrends Impacting Industries and Consumers
To build a sustainable future, the vision for confectionery needs to include a consideration for issues impacting planetary health. As one of the top concerns across demographics, products must support a cleaner and healthier environment from production to packaging. Other issues that are top of mind for many are the continued disruption of technology. The rate at which innovation is taking place means that the constant technological change is impacting how we live and influencing both economic and social structures. These include changes to demographic attributes such as fertility rates and age distribution, which in some key markets are affecting economies and marketing approaches. Finally, there is renewed focus on health and wellbeing, with the global cost of healthcare creating a mindset about a more proactive approach to both health and wellbeing.
Trend #3 — Wildly Inventive
One of the top trends in confectionery is wildly inventive flavors, with consumers craving the tastes that evoke feelings of delight and deliver a wow factor. Research by Innova Market Insights found that 43% of those surveyed craved the extraordinary, encouraging companies to satisfy them with surprising mash-ups that deliver the “wow” effect. Taste and texture, meanwhile, make the experience impressive to many with around 40% favoring rich flavor and tastes over combinations.
A quarter of consumers globally favor limited-edition or seasonal flavors for their candy. Offering these limitless taste experiences influences their food and beverage choices. Throughout the category, there has been more than 24% growth annually for such products since 2022. Other methods of creating new textures include multilayered candy, but also freeze-dried confectionery, which has seen more than 51% growth.
Trend #4 — Flourish From Within
There is a growing awareness of the importance of feeding the microbiome, which has paved the way for fiber to become the next spotlight ingredient across the category. Digestive and gut health are the main factors behind purchases of functional food and beverages, with more than 38% growth showing this expansion. Research found that sugar confectionery had a 52% increase in probiotic ingredient claims year-over-year. Indicating that gut health is now intertwined with other functional benefits. The top five health-related claims frequently used alongside digestive or gut health claims in sugar confectionery include sugar reduction claims, sources of protein, and claims related to the reduction, omission, or low amount of calories. Gut health innovation in sugar confectionery is therefore developing through probiotic, fiber, and prebiotic claims.
Trend #5 — Rethinking Plants
Plant-based food is experiencing a buzz as consumers pursue alternatives. The biggest issue for confectionery here is the perception that many of these alternatives lack natural plant-based ingredients. Concerns about too many processed or artificial ingredients rank as the third-biggest barrier for plant-based confectionery, even if healthy and natural terms are strongly associated with “plant-based” claims. To address these perceptions, companies are exploring a cleaner approach to plant-based offerings, and there has been more than 16% average annual growth in vegan or plant-based sugar confectionery products containing natural claims.
Brands are offering gluten-free products suitable for vegans made using natural pectins, emphasizing clean and natural composition. While gelatin-free claims continue to grow as a significant factor in plant-based sugar confectionery. There has also been more than a 31% year-over-year growth in vegan or plant-based confectionery with a gelatin-free claim. This growth is expected to continue.
Trend #8 — Tradition Reinvented
In a world that is constantly evolving, consumers wish to rediscover the flavors of their heritage and past. There is a desire to embrace authenticity and tradition across categories. The same can be said for sugar confectionery. In an ever-changing world, nearly half of all consumers surveyed mentioned they were eager to reconnect with the flavors of their culinary heritage, embracing authenticity and tradition.
Using tradition to engage with consumers’ roots and memories is key. As 65% of consumers said that they would like to see more old and traditional recipes in supermarkets, and many of them want to try new recipes with traditional methods. Given that the top three most important aspects of traditional food and beverage for consumers globally are local ingredients, familiar flavor profiles, and traditional cooking techniques, leveraging these can connect better with those who are nostalgic. Consumers are searching for products that evoke traditional flavors, particularly during specific occasions like sharing snacks with family or friends, traveling, and with co-workers.
Trend #9 — Mindful Choices
Prioritizing mental and emotional wellbeing is a key concern, and brands are crafting innovations that connect with feelings for this target market. There is significant attention being paid to mental health, and for 36% of consumers, feeling mentally or emotionally well is a primary goal. Although with a low association between mental health and functional food, there is an opportunity to utilize vitamins for demonstrating mood-enhancing benefits. Innova found that 23% of sugar confectionery launches had a brain health claim containing a vitamin B ingredient, while botanical ingredients offered new opportunities for stress relief. Overall, around 65% of sugar confectionery launches featured a stress relief claim and contained a botanical ingredient. This suggests that the expansion of functional confectionery is on the rise.
This article is based on Innova’s Top Trends 2025: Sugar Confectionery – Global report. This report is available to purchase or with an Innova Reports subscription. Reach out to find out more