The Top 15 Snack Trends of 2025

Consumers increasingly demand dye-free snacks

Orange cheddar cheese, and orange salmon are often not actually orange to begin with: they’re typically dyed orange to meet consumer expectations of freshness.

For centuries, cheddar cheese has been artificially colored in order to regulate color variations in milk due to seasonal changes in cows’ diets. The color most commonly seen is most extreme in Spring, when cows produce the highest fat milk which works best for cheesemaking.

Now, demand for “dye free” products are on the rise, likely benefitting from related, "all-natural" health & wellness trends.

High-protein everything on the rise as consumers look for any opportunity to gain muscle

Protein powder has been growing in popularity for years, and while it's a good way to add protein to shakes and smoothies, it's not very compatible with preexisting meal habits. Now, high-protein options like carnivore sticks, one of the latest meat snack trends, and even high-protein desserts, have become fast-growing snack and nutrition trends.

Utensil-free and clean-up-free snacks

As screen time grows, and consumers increasingly watch with a phone in hand (one 2019 survey put the share of TV watchers who do this at 55%), there's a battle for the last hand, and healthy snacking options are aiming to win it by becoming one-hand-eating friendly.

Rather than a traditional meal that could require a fork, knife, and plate, TV-focused snackers are increasingly seeking out hand-held snacks, inspired in part by TikTok snack trends that highlight portability and ease. A snack for gaming, a snack for texting, or a snack for watching TV. Food companies noticed and started pushing to create snacks that are utensil-free and clean-up-free.

Alcohol takes on the gummy form factor

DIY alcohol gummies have been a party hack for decades: hosts say taking drinks out of the equation is an easy way to avoid spills and makes them more comfortable leaving expensive furniture uncovered.

The downside? They take 24 hours to prep.

Now, pre-made alcohol gummies are emerging as one of the top alcohol trends. A product that makes a consumer more likely to host parties and to use that product at the parties has a natural built-in viral loop.

Any time a snack is convenient to eat but inconvenient to prepare, there's an opportunity for a brand to offer a pre-packaged version.

Better-for-you snacking on the rise as line between snacks and meals blurs

Snacking is on the rise as the line between snacks and meals is blurring—a shift that’s giving rise to better-for-you snack trends, as consumers look for options that feel more like real meals and less like junk food. Research shows that consumers are eating more meals at non-standard times and that snacks now account for over half the times younger generations eat. It’s a function of a more fragmented day that's less likely to be bookended by a context-setting commute.