From chewy to gooey - people are craving interesting textures

30 Aug 2024

Consumers search for sensorial experiences in baked goods, patisserie and chocolate

Artisans
Chocolate
Retail
Cross-category
Foodservice
Industry
Bakery
Patisserie
Trend
Trend Updates

Melty-centered snack cakes, super flaky pastries or stretchy mochi snacks, texture has emerged as the most desirable element to elevate the consumer experience from mundane to extraordinary. Taste is no longer the sole king, texture is vying for the crown. Our global Taste Tomorrow survey pointed out that 72% of consumers seek out foods with diverse textures. Let’s chew on this textural trend in the bakery, patisserie and chocolate industry. 

Chase the crunch

For cookies and many other food products, texture has always been equally important as flavor. The snap of a thin wafer, the crumble of a biscuit or the crunch of a chocolate chip are what makes them so satisfying. But now we see a strong focus on texture all throughout the industry. Innovations in treats focus more and more on the sensorial experience. Almond croissants are promoted as ‘double baked’ to highlight the crunchiness and recipes for a triple-burnt basque cheesecake are going viral online. The biggest online hype in chocolate? It’s the Dubai bar. A chunky bar of chocolate filled with gooey pistachio paste and crispy toasted knafeh puff pastry. The chocolate bar is a creation of Fix Chocolate, which went instantly viral. And because it was only available in Dubai at first, it became known as the Dubai bar.

Eating with your eyes

Social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram are filled with videos of people breaking open a bar of the knafeh chocolate, filming their enthusiastic reactions as the oozy filling spills out. While flavor can only be enjoyed with one of the senses, texture can be savored by two: taste and sight. That’s why baked goods and chocolate innovations that focus on texture have so much potential for going viral online. Just by looking, you can experience them. That might also be the secret behind the wildly popular cookies by Van Stapele in Amsterdam. Ques of up to an hour are no exception for consumers who want to try this internet-famous cookie. The chocolate cookie features a crispy outer layer with a melt-in-your-mouth soft white chocolate core.

Creating complexity by combining contrasting textures

Bakers and patissiers are increasingly experimenting with contrasting textures for their new creations. Layered pastries with crispy, flaky exteriors and soft, creamy fillings are becoming more popular. Think of the crookie: a croissant filled with American-style cookie dough. 

According to our worldwide consumer survey, 67% of consumers prefer some familiar element when they try new foods. People are looking for classics with an unexpected twist. Thus, focusing on a new version of a classic pastry with an intriguing texture update is a smart focus in product innovation.

Texture satisfies the connaisseurs

The final explanation for the consumer fixation on texture, is because texture is seen as an important marker of quality. Consumers today know more about the craft of breadmaking than ever. It’s common knowledge that the crust of a bread and the flakiness of a croissant indicate how well they were made and – perhaps even more importantly – how fresh they are. Consumers associate certain textures with premium ingredients and superior baking techniques, leading to a higher perceived value of the product.

New textures on the block

The leading texture claims for the past 5 years have been crunchy, smooth and chewy, according to Mintel, who’s tracked global launches of confectionery and snacks. With the help of our Taste Tomorrow semantic AI technology, we predict chewy textures will continue to grow in popularity in the English-speaking world. Treats such as mochi and ingredients like tapioca pearls, oats and marshmallows will peak, especially in cookies and pastries. Think of the new oatmeal raisin banana pudding cookies by Magnolia Bakery or Mochi Mochi Bread by Maison Mori.


Mintel also identified some new stand-out themes for this year: freeze-dried confectionery, crunchy and chewy protein snack mixes and melty-centered snack cakes. Meltamors are an example of those melty-centered cakes. The snack cakes in the flavors Double Chocolate and Chocolate Creamy Caramel have a runny filling. If consumers warm them up in the microwave, the cakes start to resemble the lava cake – a popular restaurant dessert.

Take charge with texture

Make texture the main focus of your next product innovation and win consumer hearts. These are the twelve most well-known and loved types of food textures to experiment with:

  • Crispy - crumbly - crunchy

  • Firm - hard - soft

  • Creamy - chewy - sticky

  • Juicy - watery - moist

Find out more about the 3 most hyped textures of the moment

Our extensive Taste Tomorrow research program pointed out the three biggest texture hypes are chewy, flaky and hybrid textures. Dive into the insights straight away.

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