More than half of U.S. millennials bake over the holidays to connect and spend time with loved ones, according to new survey

Research uncovers underlying psychology of why Americans love to bake during the holidays

New Holiday Survey Reveals Surprising Stats on Millennials Baking Habits

Nielsen-Massey Vanillas has unveiled a new survey, revealing that millennials, America’s largest generation of adults, are the most enthusiastic age group when it comes to holiday baking. The data supports a larger trend indicating that millennials are increasingly pursuing at-home dining experiences with friends and family as a form of personal connection and self-care.

According to the survey, while millennials and Gen-Xers are equally likely to bake during the holidays (87 percent), more than half of millennials say they are motivated to bake as a way to spend time with loved ones (59 percent) – the most of any generation. By comparison, Gen-Xers and Baby Boomers reported their highest baking motivation was to enjoy the finished goods.

Occasions where Americans enjoy sharing baked goods together include Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s, as together they watch holiday movies, decorate their homes or travel to visit friends and family. Millennials were up to 30% more likely than other respondents to bake for these other holiday occasions.

When it comes to gifting, nearly 50 percent of adults said they would like to receive homemade baked goods as holiday gifts, with cookies claiming the top spot across all age groups.

To accentuate the link between holiday baking and the emotional connection those who bake gain from sharing their kitchen creations, Nielsen-Massey is kicking off its first-ever “Bake to Share” campaign. This holiday season, consumers are encouraged to let the experts at Nielsen-Massey be their baking ally by visiting NielsenMassey.com for tips on hosting holiday gatherings, new recipes, gift giving ideas and more.

“As a family company, we are passionate about helping America’s families create and share memories with family and friends, especially through the joy of baking at home during the holidays,” said Kirk Trofholz, chief executive officer at Nielsen-Massey Vanillas. “This research underscores our belief that a new generation is embracing baking as a means of emotional connection and sharing. All season long, our “Bake to Share” campaign will offer useful baking tips and other unique tools to help aspiring bakers and those who love them connect across millions of kitchens in America.”

For more than a century the experts at Nielsen-Massey have crafted high-quality pure vanilla and flavor products to help professional and home bakers create taste that delights. Now through the holidays, Nielsen-Massey will be offering a special Holiday Flavors Bundle to help bakers create the most scrumptious holiday treats. The Bundle features some of the season’s most popular flavors including, Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract, Pure Almond Extract and Pure Peppermint Extract. Available online only, visit NielsenMassey.com and order by December 20 to receive by Christmas Eve.

Survey methodology

Nielsen-Massey Vanillas commissioned an online survey of 1,000 Americans, representative of the general population by age, race, income and gender. The margin of error for this sample is +/- 3.1% at the 95% confidence interval. Conducted by Prodege, LLC, the survey was fielded August 30 – September 2, 2019. As a member of The Insights Association, Prodege conducts all research in accordance with MRA Marketing Research Standards and adheres to the CASRO Code of Standards and Ethics.

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