7 out of 10 consumers now enjoy food with different textures
8 Jan 2026
Texture used to sit quietly behind flavor, but now it’s the main event. From crackly crusts and shatteringly crisp pastry to oozy fillings and chewy cookies, consumers are no longer just tasting baked goods, they’re listening, watching and feeling their way through them.
With 7 out of 10 consumers actively seeking foods with contrasting textures, mouthfeel has become an important quality cue and a powerful driver of social media appeal. Texture is now a reason consumers choose one product over another. For bakers, patissiers, and chocolatiers, that makes texture a core consideration in product development.
Discover the texture cues consumers are responding to most for each category:
Patisserie
- Layers
Online conversations around ‘seven layer chocolate cake’ went up 121% over the past year, as consumers are drawn to both extravagance and textural content in their pastry. Layered patisserie delivers contrast by design, alternating crumbly cake with dense buttercream or fluffy mousse. Or – in the case of the viral and trademarked Bertha cake by Get Baked – twelve layers of dark chocolate cake, sandwiched with twelve layers of milk and dark chocolate ganache. The famous Strawberry Watermelon Cake by Black Star Pastry offers a different interpretation, combining almond dacquoise, with rose flavored cream with a slice of fresh watermelon. Layers turn eating into a sequence of sensations, which is just the excitement consumers are looking for.
- Cream filling
Cream filled pastries are hot. No wonder, as 86% of consumers worldwide believe cream filling adds to the tastiness of sweet pastry. Classics like cream puffs remain strong, proved by the popularity of Odette Paris specialized in choux pastries. At the same time, new interpretations are driving buzz. Patisseries like The Eclectic Collection in London and Aurora in LA that are gaining attention with fruit-shaped pastries in the style of Cédric Grolet: beneath a chocolate shell resembling mango, apple or strawberry sits a combination of mousse, fruit purée, and soft cake. These generous fillings heighten indulgence, create visual drama and deliver a consistently rich eating experience from first bite to last.
- French laminated pastry
Laminated dough remains a cornerstone of patisserie, but now consumers are explicitly praising it for its texture. Online searches and social mentions of “French crispy pastry” grew by +2,400% over the past year. The term leads consumers straight to classics like mille-feuille, palmier, escargot, and Paris-Brest. The appeal lies in the crackle. A well-made laminated pastry delivers a crisp, shattering bite doesn’t just make for a satisfying bite, but also signals craftsmanship and quality.
Bakery
- Crusty
Few textures are as emotionally satisfying as a crusty loaf. The audible crackle of a baguette or rustic sourdough, followed by a soft, airy interior, remains irresistible to many consumers. Their popularity is on the rise, as we’ve witnessed a +16% increase in online conversations on crusty baked goods, with another 19% projected growth for 2026. But a good crust is more than a sensory detail. It communicates freshness, skill and tradition, especially in artisanal breads. Making crusty breads gain even more relevance as consumers now place a stronger value on authenticity.
- Crunchy
Crunch has become a selling point in its own right. The classic almond croissant has been reintroduced at bakery and cafe menus with an important addition: the term ‘twice baked’. Once known primarily for indulgent flavor, the product is now positioned as a textural experience, where double baking promises extra bite and crunchiness.
Industrial bakery brands are doubling down on crunchy by highlighting “double baked” on their packaging, just like Kii Naturals did on their artisan crisps. For 2026, this type of texture-forward claim is expected to become even more prominent, with online mentions of crunchy textures forecast to grow another 19%.
- Chewy
In their search for new textures, bakery customers have now landed on chewiness. This mouthfeel is valued particularly in chocolate cookies, with online mentions of “chewy chocolate cookies” going up 617% over the past year, with another 392% growth for “chewy chocolate brownie cookies”. Chewiness signals comfort and it prolongs enjoyment, encouraging slower, more mindful eating.
This preference extends beyond cookies. Canelés and bakery hybrids incorporating mochi, such as mochi croissants and mochi cookies, tap into the same desire for elasticity and bounce. Chewy textures can give familiar formats a new twist, making them exciting yet easy for consumers to embrace.
Chocolate
- Rich filling
In the second quarter of 2025 alone, search volumes for “chocolate bar fillings” went up 191%. Consumers are no longer satisfied with solid bars, they want lavish fillings. The success of Dubai chocolate and angel hair chocolate set the tone, with bars designed to crack open dramatically and expose a filling-heavy center.
Chocolate brands are now translating that idea into their own creations. Maeve Chocolate’s Cozy Cannoli bar for instance features a meltaway white chocolate center dotted with mini chocolate chips, cannoli cookie flakes, and pistachio pieces, all encased in dark chocolate. Those types of rich fillings transform chocolate into a multi-stage experience, balancing snap, melt, and crunch while maximizing visual appeal.
-
Texture mash-ups
Consumers are craving unexpected combinations that surprise the senses; playful contrasts such as soft meets crunchy and creamy meets crispy are redefining indulgence. Think of chocolates with a creamy center and a crispy outer layer with nuts, or a chocolate bar that has a caramel layer and crunchy cookie crumbles. These combinations elevate traditional treats, turning familiar favorites into exciting, multi-sensory experiences.
Even traditional formats benefit from this shift. Interest in the mendiant increased by 74%, pairing smooth chocolate with crunchy nuts and chewy dried fruit. Online mentions of the Manon chocolate rose 42%, driven by its balance of creamy and crunchy textures. These classics succeed because they deliver variety without sacrificing familiarity.
- Crunchy
Crunch is becoming an important point of excitement in chocolate. Ritter Sport’s Duo line makes texture one of its headline features, with the Crunchy bar combining crispy cream and choco crunch in a single format. The positioning is clear: texture is the reason to choose this bar. Other brands are pushing crunch even further. M&M’S Caramel Pop’d introduces a freeze-dried version of the classic, creating a light and airy crispness.
Crunch will be an important feature of chocolate innovation, as we expect kataifi, the shredded pastry dough popularized by Dubai chocolate, continues to inspire chocolatiers even as the Dubai trend subsides, exploring new combinations with this crispy ingredient.
Viral flavors to apply in your next baked good, pastry or chocolate
We’ve combined the power of advanced trend-tracking tools with human expertise to analyze millions of social media posts and online searches worldwide to give you a curated snapshot of the viral flavors in baking, pastry, and chocolate right now. From matcha fusion and the dominance of Dubai chocolate to decadent indulgence.
