Dawn Foods Shares Four Bakery Trends to Watch This Year

Since the baking industry is quickly and constantly evolving due to changing consumer expectations, cultural influences, and ongoing technological innovations, the research team at Dawn Foods released a list of the four main emerging trends that are shaping the baking industry in 2026: Sweet Connections, Elevated Indulgence, Simple Pleasures and Empowering Choices.

Sweet Connections refers to the fact that food has now become a global, interactive experience that has completely changed the way consumers discover and interact with bakeries. Dawn Foods reported that social media influences 57% of consumers to buy a bakery item and that one out of two consumers like to try viral food trends. Moreover, two out of five consumers are likely to order food directly via social media in the future.

Businesses, big or small, have been making content and tuning increasingly into social media to attract and keep clientele. Any video could become viral, boost the firm’s engagement and bring in customers. Social media has become more than a marketing tool and now plays an important role in shaping brand perception, networking, and growing the business.

Another helpful use of social media for bakers is discovering and experimenting with different flavors and ingredients. Jacqui Passmore, the Marketing Lead at West Region Europe & AMEAP, talked about introducing Flavor Passports: “It’s a campaign designed to help bakers explore globally inspired flavors while still staying true to their local food culture. […] From Sweden to India, Japan, Mexico, and beyond, Flavor Passport brings global bakery flavors, formats, and traditions to life, and translates them.” A few examples of the flavors are: matcha, originating in Japan, guava, from Mexico, açaí, native to Brazil, rose, which is European, and cardamom, which comes from India.

Elevated Indulgence introduces the idea that consumers want to enjoy premium experiences and products every day, rather than saving those for a special occasion. This concept is directly tied to the “little treat” culture that’s been emerging in the online space. Reportedly, 72% of consumers believe that sweet baked goods are affordable luxuries, three out of four like to try new foods and experiences, and 3 out of 5 agree that limited time offers capture their attention and drive purchases.

The shift from people denying themselves these purchases to now justifying purchasing them daily is also changing their expectations towards bakers. Customers want meaningful and sensory-full experiences when engaging in this elevated indulgence, which gives businesses an opportunity to be creative and stand out.

Marie Frigo, the Category Marketing Manager at Dry Europe & AMEAP, talks about the way different and surprising textures please the consumers, making their experience feel more exciting and special: “At the heart of Elevated Indulgence is a simple idea: everyday treats should feel special. For our pastry mixes, we’re seeing a growing demand for products that deliver both comfort and a more premium, sensory experience, whether that’s through richer flavors, more indulgent textures, or something that really stands out visually. Our pastry mixes are designed with that in mind. They make it easy for bakers to take classic favorites and elevate them in a way that still feels achievable day to day, bringing in on-trend flavors, layered textures, and consistent, high-quality results.”

Simple Pleasures explains how, in times of uncertainty and rapid change, consumers are seeking comforting, familiar and grounding experiences, with sweet baked goods playing a key role in inducing those feelings. According to the statistics, four out of five consumers like sweet baked goods that remind them of childhood, three out of four like a new spin on a sweet bakery item, and 80% of them buy sweet baked goods for social gatherings.

The customers’ need for these nostalgic experiences gives bakeries the chance to connect with their roots and heritage to reinvent themselves and bring in new products. By introducing subtle innovations, such as new textures or modern formats, bakeries can refresh traditional recipes while keeping the authenticity and familiarity of their products intact.

The Category Marketing Manager at Wet Europe & AMEAP, Christopher Riles, elaborated a bit on the idea: “Almond paste and marzipan are such traditional staples in bakery, but it’s interesting to see how the category is evolving. What we’re seeing now is that these classic products are finding a new kind of relevance, as consumers rediscover them through more modern, creative applications. There’s a growing appreciation for heritage recipes, but with a fresh twist.” Some of the traditional products from all over the world have already become international staples, such as the Mexican concha, the South Korean mochi, the Brazilian Bolo de Rolo, the Swedish semla, the Australian lamington, and the Japanese melon pan. These have all become appreciated and sold worldwide, with bakers reinventing them constantly.

Empowering Choices elaborates on the fact that there has been a shift in our society: people want things that feel like they’ve been specifically tailored for them. Reportedly, three out of five consumers are loyal to brands with a commitment to sustainability, 56% shop at bakeries that cater to different dietary needs, and more than half prioritize a brand’s values when making a purchase.

Nowadays, people take into consideration more than the price and taste of baked goods, because they want to make choices that feel authentic and true to who they are: considering dietary needs, individual lifestyles and personal values have all become important factors when making a purchase. This shift encourages bakers to balance inclusivity and creativity when trying recipes and innovations.

The R&D Team Leader of Evesham, UK, Richard Farrington, talked about what this entails: “For us, empowering choice is a big part of how we think about innovation at Dawn. We’re focused on developing versatile, reliable mixes that help our customers respond to a wide range of consumer needs, whether that’s driven by lifestyle, dietary preferences, or simply what people feel like enjoying in the moment. Ultimately, it’s about making it easier for bakeries to offer something for everyone who walks through the door.” For example, having vegan cookies, gluten-free brownies, high protein pancakes, products portioned for sharing, or bite-sized treats like cake pops all at once on display could really help the bakeries showcase that they are inclusive when making sure their products and the client feels cared for and thought of.