Want to talk snack tastes, textures and trends? It promises to be fun discussion—yet there’s news that’s both good and bad.

What’s good is that consumer at-home snacking has become an entrenched behavior since COVID. And the bad news? Unfortunately, not all snacks are created equal. Chocolate confection processors faced skyrocketing 2024 cocoa prices following intense rain and severe drought conditions in West Africa’s cacao growing regions. Not surprisingly, confectionery innovation was flat in 2024, with double-digit declines in new product introductions for the two largest chocolate subcategories.

Less reliant on ingredients like cocoa, other snack makers boosted new product launches by more than 13% in 2024, according to Innova Market Insights’ database. And potato-based snacks, the second largest snack subcategory by product launches, saw innovation rise by more than 70% thanks, in part, to limited-time offerings and a swell of sweet and spicy (“swicy”) new products during the year.

Chips Cash In!

PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay business targeted both sweet and spicy with LTO offerings such as Ruffles Korean Style Sweet and Spicy Chili Potato Chips. Campbell’s Kettle Brand offered LTO Sweet & Spicy Gochujang Potato Chips and Kellanova’s Pringles brand introduced Thai-inspired Sweet Chili Sauce Crisps. Our Home, Boonton, N.J., also extended its Popchips line with an Original Sweet Heat Flavored Popped Potato Snack.

Global flavors also boosted potato chip innovation. Frito-Lay extended its Lay’s Potato Chips brand with three world-inspired flavors: Honey Butter (Korea), Lay’s Wavy Tzatziki (Greece), and Masala (India). This February saw Kettle Brand add a Chamoy flavor (one-year LTO) in nod to the popular Mexican condiment made from fruits, chiles, and spices.

Last fall’s football season brought spice innovation with pimento cheese, a Southern staple, from Kettle Brand Tailgate Edition Spicy Pimento Cheese Chips. Frito-Lay’s also rolled out a “Lay's Flavor That Hits Home” series that included Lay's Crispy Taco, Lay's BLT Sandwich, Lay's Fried Pickles with Ranch and Lay's Kettle Cooked Lime & Cracked Pepper flavored chips. Herr Foods Inc., Nottingham, Pa., introduced its own “Flavored by Philly” Potato Chips in limited-edition flavors inspired by Philadelphia restaurant dishes. Varieties included a Cheese Ravioli and Marinara, Potato Pierogi and a Special Hot Stromboli.

Who says potato snacks must be chip shaped? Last May saw Kellanova take Pringles out of its familiar canister and shape as it described new Pringles Mingles as a new “puffy, airy snack.” Debut flavors were Dill Pickle & Ranch, White Cheddar and Ranch, and Cheddar & Sour Cream.

Flavor-Palooza!

Snack nuts and seeds, the largest snack subcategory by new product launches, saw innovation rise by more than 12% in 2024.

Flavor innovation drove those new product introductions. When it came to nuts, Flagstone Foods, Minneapolis, extended its Emerald brand with an Absolutely Everything mix of almonds and cashews that tapped the “everything bagel” flavor. It also introduced Hot Honey Cashews with sweet heat. Ranch flavored almonds were among many new 2024 offerings from Blue Diamond Growers, Sacramento, Calif. It also came back this February with a new offering co-branded with Mike's Hot Honey. One of the category’s most interesting flavorful new lines was Planters Nut Duos from Hormel Foods Corp., Austin, Minn. Nut Duos not only combine different types of nuts—but each nut retains its own coated seasoning that doesn’t rub off inside the bag. Debut varieties were Buffalo Cashews and Ranch Almonds, Cocoa Cashews and Espresso Hazelnuts, and Parmesan Cheese Cashews and Peppercorn Pistachios. Second Nature Brands LLC, Madison Heights, Mich., used this year’s Natural Products Expo West to introduce two new Sahale nut mixes: Honey Cinnamon Cashews and Gochujang Almonds.

Flavor innovation in other snack categories trended toward spicy, sweet, and sour flavors.

Tillamook Country Smoker, Bay City, Ore., introduced a co-branded Tajin Beef Jerky, which marked chili lime-flavored Tajin seasoning’s first foray into meat snacks. On the sour front, Conagra Brands, Chicago, introduced Vlasic Pickle Balls dill pickle flavored corn puffs; and PepsiCo launched Rold Gold Selects Dill Pickle Flavor Pretzel Twists.

Other processors tapped sweet flavor innovation. Snaxsational Brands LLC, Windermere, Fla., introduced PB&J POP Popcorn, a coated product with co-branded The J.M. Smucker Company’s namesake jelly (Grape or Strawberry) and Jif brand peanut butter. Also targeting peanut butter and jelly was Quinn Snacks, Boulder, Colo. It closed last year by launching gluten-free PB & J Berry Pretzel Nuggets with dried strawberry and raspberry fruit ingredients. In other moves, PepsiCo extended its Smartfood popcorn line with a Limited-Edition Chocolate Cake Pop Popcorn.

Speaking of pretzels, Pretzelized, Fairfield, N.J., created something of a new category with Pretzel Pita Chips, a pretzel-pita chip combo. Tempeh chips are also new. Jan’s Enterprises Corp., Los Angeles, launched Jans Tempeh Chips, protein rich soybean chips, in Truffle and Original Flavors.

Not surprisingly, protein-rich snacks are growing. Goya Foods, Jersey City, N.J., introduced Chickpea Puffs (rich in plant-based protein) in three flavors: Elote, Churro and Chile Limón. Wellness Natural USA Inc., Wilmington, Del., also broke out of the protein bar category to introduce SimplyProtein Restaurant-Style Tortilla Chips with 7g protein per serving. Second Nature Snacks also used Natural Products Expo West to introduce a Protein Crunch Smart Mix featuring protein dark cocoa drops, roasted almonds, cashews and peanuts. It delivers 6g of protein per serving.

Brothers All Natural, Rochester, N.Y., rebooted fruit snacks with Infused Fruit Crisps in three varieties: Blueberry, Raspberry and Strawberry. The company says it soaks sliced Fuji apples in juice concentrate and then freeze-dries it for a crispy product. The resulting fruit crisps are made from 100% fruit with no additives, preservatives, or artificial coloring. Debuting online are Nature’s Garden Probiotic FruiChias from Cibo Vita, Totowa, N.J. The company says FruiChias fruit pieces are created with 100% real fruit puree and chia seeds and deliver 4g of fiber per serving—with an added nutritional benefit of two billion microencapsulated probiotics for gut health. Probiotic FruiChias come in 24 individually packed servings, in three flavors: Strawberry, Blueberry, and Raspberry.

Cluster snacks got a lift early in 2025 with organic Snacking Granola from Go Raw, Northbrook, Ill. Officials describe it as “a poppable, craveable granola snack packed with sprouted seeds and puffed whole grains.” The gluten-free, vegan-friendly product debuted at Wegmans and Sprouts Farmers Markets nationwide in five pouched flavors: Sweet & Salty, Dark Chocolate Chunk, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Cranberry Almond, Cherry Berry, and Chocolate Chunk.

Sweet Strategies

Turning to confectionery, cocoa price volatility impacted chocolate new product innovation—and boosted use of chocolate blends.

Hershey showed how early in 2025 with Reese’s Red Velvet Peanut Butter Cups, a Valentine’s Day launch. The top half of each peanut butter cup has red velvet-flavored crème instead of chocolate. Transitioning chocolate into a snack was Reese’s Cluster Bites, a bite-sized candy blending Reese’s creamy peanut butter, caramel, and crunchy peanuts, in milk chocolate. In another move, Hershey refreshed its Kit Kat line with a year-round Vanilla flavor and limited-edition offerings such as Pink Lemonade. Elsewhere, Mars Inc. closed 2024 with a new addition to its M&M’s Peanut Butter portfolio: M&M'S Peanut Butter & Jelly.

Market opportunities didn’t dissuade foodservice bakery retailers from getting into the act. Philadelphia’s Frankford Candy partnered with Dunkin’ to launch Dunkin’ Chocolates Donut-Flavored Filled Chocolates with a milk chocolate shell and Brownie Batter-flavored crème filling. Last May also saw Sprinkles Cupcakes Inc., an Austin, Tex.-based dessert bakery introduce cupcake-inspired 2.8oz chocolate bars and mini chocolates as its first retail products. Bar varieties include Red Velvet, Milk Chocolate, Salted Caramel, and Sprinkle (white chocolate with rainbow sprinkles).

Innovation was up in non-chocolate confectionery products. Hershey bolstered its Jolly Rancher line with new Ropes, stuffed rope candies in dual flavor combinations: Blue Raspberry + Cherry and Watermelon + Green Apple. Hershey also partnered with Stuffed Puffs, Bethlehem, Pa., for two Jolly Rancher Stuffed Puffs Filled Marshmallow varieties: Sour Blue Raspberry and Sour Watermelon flavors.

Other category leaders exploring texture Ferrara Candy, Chicago; and Ferrero USA Inc., Parsippany, N.J. Ferrara introduced SweeTarts Gummy Halos, which promise multiple flavors and textures in a “soft & fluffy” and “tart & chewy” Blue Punch Strawberries and Cream Flavor confection. Contrasting textures power Ferrero’s new Tic Tac Chewy!, which starts with a crunchy exterior, transforming into a mouthwatering, chewy inside.

“Better for you” innovation included Procter & Gamble’s new Align Probiotic Yogurt Fruit Bites (Apple Blueberry flavor), which take a top-selling probiotic supplement brand into confectionery. Canada’s Pro Candy Inc., London, Ont., also introduced Protein Candy, a fruit chew it describes as the world’s first “super candy” with 14g of protein per serving, up to 100x more protein than any other candy on the market. Brainiac Foods, San Francisco, introduced three varieties of Brainiac Fruit Snacks (Mixed Berry, Tropical Tango, and Sour Apple) containing Omega-3s, choline, and lutein. The Fruit Snacks reportedly offer a smart snacking option that combines taste with essential cognitive benefits.

In other dietary news, Mars Wrigley went plant-based with Starburst Goodies in Original and FaveREDS flavors, both with just 8g of sugar per bag. Albanese Candy, Hobart, Ind., also introduced a Lower Sugar line of gummi bears and worms, each with 85% less than the company’s standard offering, and with just 2g of sugar per bag.

This year could mean a breakout for be freeze-dried candy with Skittles Pop’D Freeze Dried Candy from Mars. It’s perhaps the first major brand entering a niche popularized by third-party offerings. The freeze-drying process turns chewy Skittles (in Original Fruit, Sour flavors) into a “crispy & crunchy” product.

Flavor mash-ups also promise to propel 2025 innovation. One interesting example comes from Just Born, Bethlehem, Pa., which partnered with W.K. Kellogg for a Peeps Rice Krispies Treats Flavored Marshmallow Chicks for Easter. Caffeinated candy is another trend to watch in 2025. Punch'd Energy Inc., Viera, Fla., introduced Punch’d Energy College Candy Campus Caffeine Gummies (utilizing green coffee beans). Also on the East Coast is Charge Chocolate, Southport, Conn., which offers Caffeinated Chocolate Balls (Milk, Dark varieties) with 54mg of caffeine per ball.