The food industry is both ever-changing and evolving, it follows and reflects the whims and desires of our society more closely than almost any other profession. Pastry, perhaps more than any other branch of that industry, has encountered the most dramatic changes over the decades. As our society shifts and a new generation shapes the market, food trends have followed suit catering to the tastes and preferences of the power wielded by the age group referred to as “Millennials.”

Veggies, Veggies, Veggies

Healthy eating has come to the forefront of our country’s vision, ironically at the same time our health statistically continues to decline. It has become one of the most important elements to consumers that their food at least presents itself under the guise of “health food”. This translates to organic, low-calorie, gluten-free labels. Throw those processed sugars and refined flours out and consider replacing them with sprouted grains, raw sugars, or natural sweeteners like maple syrup, honey, or stevia. Above all be sure to advertise those changes. Perhaps your establishment has been making health-based decisions all along, don’t let those good values go to waste; be sure the people know. Try sourcing some of your ingredients locally it’s a great way to boost the local economy and it looks great on your packaging.

Baked Goods from Behind the Bar

Though our health is our priority; everyone’s gotta have a little cheat day now and again! What better time to feature booze-laden desserts than the turn of the New Year? Infusing your products with alcohol gives it a fun twist, tempting to any dinner party. It has become especially popular within the upscale dining and wedding reception circuits. Booze based trends show no signs of slowing down in 2019!

An Artistic Twist

We are living in the age of Instagram when food not only needs to taste amazing, it needs to look amazing too. Though traditional designs have a timeless appeal, people are looking for new, exciting, and bold representations of their favorite desserts. Make a concerted effort to try new ways of plating and presenting your desserts adding your own creative touches and artistic flair. This original take will help your pastries stand out from the rest and separate you from the mediocrity. If you find yourself running out of ideas, consider holding a contest among your customers. Sometimes an outside perspective can open a whole new world of ideas, plus it’s always a good idea to engage your customers.

Boujee Doughnuts

Due to recent health crazes, you may have thought doughnuts were a thing of the past, but they are going strong well into the new year. Exotic doughnuts, with non-traditional fillings and toppings are leading the trail of trends into 2019. This includes the typical sweet options but more and more we are seeing savory accompaniments. Coming up with your own unique flavor combinations and pairings could put you in the center of trending desserts in 2019 so don’t forget to post your creations!

Micro Desserts

Coming full circle, we return to the health-conscious individual of 2019. We want to be healthy, but we still want to “indulge”. The market response? Micro-desserts! Think of all your favorite sweet treats, but on a miniature scale. 2019 promises to be the year of the “bite-sized” dessert so start figuring out how to turn your bakery’s best-selling cake into a petit-four. This can be a real boom, as large desserts can more easily be cut down to size increasing profit margins astronomically.

There we have it! The new year promises to be exciting and full of wonderful opportunities to design, develop, and share the things we love creating with the world.