Flavor Trends 2025: What’s New and What’s Next

From the grocery aisle to TikTok’s For You Page, flavor is one of the strongest cultural signals of what consumers crave. It’s not just about taste, but about indulgence, wellness, nostalgia, and global exploration. Spate’s latest data on Google Search and TikTok reveals the flavors that are bubbling up now and the ones set to shape innovation in 2026.

Meals Get a Flavor Upgrade

The meals category is leading food and beverage growth with +11% year-over-year popularity. TikTok dominates here, capturing over two-thirds of the buzz. Quick recipes, budget-friendly ideas, and global flavor twists are driving the excitement.

Among meal flavors, onion, cucumber, hot honey, coffee, and ranch are spiking. Onion stands out with 74.8M average monthly searches and a big lift from viral French onion soup content. Cucumber is another star, up +276% YoY in meal-related searches, from refreshing salads to cucumber sandwiches for afternoon tea.

Consumers are gravitating toward flavors that feel familiar but versatile, elevating everyday meals with refreshing or indulgent twists.

Snacks Balance Indulgence and Adventure

Snacks are climbing +5.8% YoY, with chocolate, marshmallows, and jerky on the rise. But the real story is in flavors pushing beyond the basics.

Top growth leaders include guava (+766.2% YoY), durian (+751.2% YoY), and wintergreen (+695.9% YoY). TikTok’s global creator community is fueling this surge, showcasing exotic fruits and bold confections in ways that feel both aspirational and accessible.

Closer to home, pistachio is booming in snacks with +105.1% YoY growth and over 20M monthly searches, thanks to viral pistachio chocolate bars and Middle Eastern-inspired knafeh desserts. It’s a clear sign that consumers want snacks that feel premium, photogenic, and rooted in global inspiration.

Beverages Without Alcohol: Bright and Bold

Non-alcoholic beverages are also trending, up +4% YoY, with flavors like coffee, matcha, and tea anchoring growth. Yet what’s really propelling the category are fruit-forward and globally inspired flavors.

Blueberry leads with +143.1% YoY growth in beverage searches, appearing in smoothies, lemonades, and mocktails. Ube is making waves too, up +240% YoY, driven by TikTok’s love for its creamy texture and striking purple hue. Brands like Jack in the Box are even rolling out ube shakes, blurring the line between fast food indulgence and cultural discovery.

Meanwhile, cookie butter, sea salt, and soursop are climbing quickly, adding both indulgence and intrigue to the non-alc beverage space.

Key Takeaways: What The Data Supports

Spate’s analysis points to three big movements shaping the future of flavor:

• Creamy and Nutty Indulgence: Ube and pistachio are thriving because they hit both visual appeal and comfort. Expect more products that combine creamy textures with nutty richness.
• Light and Fruity Refreshment: Blueberry and guava are go-to choices for consumers seeking something uplifting and wellness-adjacent. Their versatility makes them strong contenders across categories.
• Familiar Flavors with Fresh Spins: Onion and cucumber are proof that even classics can trend when paired with the right cultural moments, whether cozy soups or refreshing summer salads.

What It Means for Brands

TikTok and Google are shaping how flavors break through. For brands, this means leaning into flavors that balance indulgence with health, comfort with discovery. A pistachio dessert can feel premium, while a cucumber snack can feel fresh and functional. Blueberry drinks can look wellness-driven and fun all at once.

The flavors trending today are setting the stage for tomorrow’s innovations. And with strong predicted growth in categories like ube and pistachio, there’s ample opportunity for brands to translate social buzz into lasting shelf presence.

Want to uncover what flavors are bubbling up next? Book a demo with Spate to decode the data behind tomorrow’s taste trends.

Data Source: Popularity Index: US Google Search + TikTok Views From May 2024 to Apr 2025 vs. May 2023 to Apr 2024

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