As the chief editor of Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery, I cover all sorts of industry news, like company expansions, new hires and promotions, snack business awards, bakery acquisitions, and more. I also love hearing about the innovative new products bakery and snack producers come up with each and every day. Judging by the list of the most-viewed articles from 2024, I'm not alone. Many of the most popular pieces we shared with you in 2024 are items on the product releases that hit the shelves the last 12 months. Here's 10 of the ones that grabbed a lot of attention.
10. Oreo debuts Mexican-inspired cookie concoction
Does anyone else remember when there was just one flavor variation on Mondelēz International’s cookie? You probably do if you’re a Gen X kid like me, or older. These days, though, the cookie and cracker aisle is rich with different flavors, sizes, and thicknesses of Oreo, and one take on the treat was this cinnamon-flavored cookie modeled on the long doughnut-like dessert.
9. Funyuns team uses their noodle for snack collaboration
There are two things I ate a lot of during my college years: instant ramen in a cup (made with water headed up in my tiny dorm microwave), and Frito-Lay’s onion-ring-like Funyuns snack. Decades later, Frito-Lay has combined the taste of that snack with the flavor of Maruchan ramen in one tempting treat.
8. Doughnut or popcorn—Smartfood asks, “Why not both?”
Sweet and savory, healthy and indulgent—snack makers often seek to balance multiple things with their products in order to attract hungry consumers. With this January popcorn LTO, the folks at Smartfood came up with a nosh that combined hit a bunch of different notes—chocolatey, salty, BFY, etc.
7. Baked bar brand makes a key move with citrus-flavored item
Fans of the sweet, tart flavor of the key lime might not be content to enjoy it in just the fruit’s signature key lime pie. As for me, my favorite chapped-lip remedy (I’m a Chapstick addict) is a giant tube of key lime stuff. BFY bar brand Barebells jumped in on the trend with a key lime protein bar.
6. Lancaster Colony says farewell to two bakery brands
Unfortunately, not all the news that SF&WB shares with its audience every day is good news. One sad example is the announcement that broke in March about two Lancaster Colony-owned bread brands closing shop: BFY-focused Angelic Bakehouse, and lighter-side wrap producer FlatOut.
5. Fiber One aims low with 100-calorie doughnuts
Many consumers are looking to balance low-sugar content (me included) with indulgence in their sweet snacks. To that end, the high-fiber baked treat line came out with two flavors of Fiber one Donuts, giving consumers options that fulfilled their BFY desires and their need to keep sugar consumption low.
4. Domino’s slims down with NYC-inspired pizza
Founded in Ypsilanti, MI in 1960, the restaurant chain is baking pies for hungry customers coast to coast. My personal favorite offering from the business is the Cali Chicken Bacon Ranch Hand Tossed (I am a sucker for bacon anything, really), but consumers who prefer their pies on the thinner side can now have New York Style Pizza, with a super-slim crust, delivered to their homes.
3. A scorching snack brand gets a makeover
When Frito-Lay debuted Flamin’ Hot Cheetos in the early 1990s, the snack purveyor might not have known the extruded delicacy would inspire dozens of other products, a movie, and even street-fashion clothing. What’s more, the company announced in March it would be expanding the brand’s signature spicy flavor on other snacks, like Funyuns, Doritos, and others in its portfolio.
2. General Mills gets in the game with Dragon Ball Z cereal
Watching cartoons and anime can work up an appetite—what better way to fuel up, and to celebrate the 40th anniversary of one of the world’s most popular series, than with a bowl of fortified cereal? The company released this chocolately, peanut-buttery breakfast treat in honor of Dragon Ball Z, which has spread from cartoon form to inspire video games, movies, and endless tie-in toys.
1. Crumbl dessert delivers sweetness with a Latino flair
Consumers increasingly are reaching for foods in every aisle of the store that offer them international flavors and other new experiences. Crumbl offered its own piece of global sweetness with a limited-time Tres Leches Cake. The cookie-focused chain’s other stories also resonated with our readers, with stories about its Olivia Rodrigo collaboration, an LTO Beetlejuice cake, and Strawberry Shortcake offering also attracting attention.
