Let’s talk about cookies

We love digging deep into an unexpected food trend – and pulling out the lessons we can learn from it about consumer behaviour and the F&B industry.

So when we read a new trends report called Cookies Crazed, from chocolate and cocoa products company Barry Callebaut, we couldn’t resist sharing it with you. Our office cookie jar has been well-loved this year – and it seems we’re not alone. 

A report about cookies? 

Yep. And while we all quietly wish it was our job to do cookie research, let’s look at the stats: 

• Cookie sales have increased by more than 9% from 2022 to 2023
• Almost one in four consumers say they’re eating more cookies than they were last year
• According to Statista, revenue in the global Cookies and Crackers market reached USD $284.60 billion in 2023
• The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.96% until 2028
• The most cookie revenue is generated in China – $48.570 million in 2023

(Side note: was anyone else obsessed with the Cookie Monster?)

In case he wasn’t part of your culture, let us introduce you: a blue, boisterous character on a children’s TV show called Sesame Street, who has an insatiable appetite for cookies. He’s one of the most iconic characters across the show’s 54 seasons, created by American puppeteer and animator Jim Henson. And the Cookie Monster is famous for his distinctive gravelly voice, and his signature song: C is for Cookie. 

Anyway, we’re writing about cookies, so we can’t stop thinking about him. Back to the point…

Why are cookies becoming more popular? 

Jason Phillips (Chef and contributing editor for Also The Crumbs, Please) told the Food Institute, “Cookies remain popular in times of inflation because they’re a comfort food and people crave comfort in times of crises.”

And as the world faces uncertainty and upset, cookies have indeed grown in popularity. They’re a simple bringer-of-joy – delicious, comforting, and timeless. 

They’re also very versatile. Cookies can be adapted to any taste preference and any dietary requirements – they can be dairy-free, gluten-free, chocolate-filled, fruit-packed, enriched with seasonal flavours… You get what we’re saying. You can do whatever you want with a cookie, and yet it retains the sweetness and comfort that consumers crave. 

What are the top cookie taste flavours in 2024? 

Cookie predictions for 2024 include…

• Lemon-lime paired with white chocolate (source: FlavorSum)
• Uniquely textured macaron cookies in adventurous flavours (according to Allyson Brigham, speaking to the Food Institute)
• A rise in Asian-fusion flavours, including taro and ube, matcha and white chocolate, and yuzu shortbread cookies (according to Meghann Smith, in the same Food Institute report)
• Unconventional build-your-own cookie options – like Subway’s new foot-long cookie, which just achieved a spot on the brand’s permanent menu 

See you at InFlavour 2024 to eat treats, discover new trends, and get ahead of that smooth cookie curve.