A delicious trend driving growth in the beverage space recently is that of dessert-based flavors, particularly in the coffee and dairy aisles. From bananas foster K-Cups by celebrity chef Guy Fieri to to the Starbucks Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino to The Republic of Tea’s red velvet chocolate and peppermint chocolate tea varieties, brands are taking risks by incorporating highly indulgent sweet flavor profiles into their established products to surprise and entice consumers. Flavors previously only found in your local ice cream aisle are becoming mainstream.
A larger beverage development and food service industry trend of the hybridization of day parts is an interesting twist on this dessert flavor trend. Not only are brands employing dessert flavors in creams and coffees, which lend themselves rather easily to those flavors, but they’re also starting to add dessert inspirations to food and beverage products in completely opposite eating occasions. For example, Dunkin’ Donuts recently introduced a new breakfast offering with an indulgent twist – the traditional bacon and egg patty are no longer sandwiched between two bagel halves, but between two donuts, bringing dessert flavors to breakfast time. On the opposite end, Jelly Belly offers a pancakes & maple syrup flavored jelly bean, bringing breakfast flavors to snacktime.
These brands and others blend different day parts together by bringing specific flavor profiles, like indulgent desserts, to seemingly opposite meal occasions like breakfast and teatime. What’s next? Maybe we’ll see brands attempt more crazy day part combinations like lunchmeat inspired cocktails, or sleepytime tea with a scrambled egg base. Who knows!
