Laminated pastry hybrids are going viral again

Laminated pastries have long been associated with sweet treats. While the ham and cheese croissant has always been a staple, most consumers traditionally gravitated towards sweet options such as pain au chocolat, mille-feuille and pain suisse. That balance is now shifting. Pastry chefs are increasingly swapping sweet danishes for savory interpretations. Examples include spanakopita danishes with spinach and feta, umami hoisin buns with spring onion, or danishes with béchamel sauce, bacon, cheese and parsley. 

Even the latest viral creation by Dominique Ansel, inventor of the cronut, is savory. The Hot Dog Sticky Rice Spiral, available at Papa D’Amour, features a laminated spiral filled with shiitake and scallion sticky rice, topped with chopped sausage and a sprinkle of furikake. 

Many of these savory danishes reinterpret classic dishes in pastry form, such as the steak frites croissant. These concepts appeal to the 67% of global consumers who enjoy trying food in new formats. Savory pastries inspired by specific cuisines like Korean, Mexican or Italian in their turn tap into consumers’ desire to explore flavors from other cultures, a motivation shared by 64% of consumers according to our global Taste Tomorrow consumer survey.

A crispy, flaky crust paired with a creamy filling is an irresistible combination. Over the past year, online conversations and searches around croissant tarts increased by 68%, and we predict there’s more to come. Le Cordon Bleu pastry chef Mohamed Salah Hammouda is one of the frontrunners of this trend, earning tens of thousands of Instagram likes with creations such as croissant dough chocolate flan and vanilla crème brûlée tart baked in crispy croissant shells.

Bakeries are rapidly developing croissant egg tarts and custard-filled danishes that are flying off shelves. Shadow Baking, for example, regularly introduces new variations such as a ricotta cheesecake danish. With strong consumer interest in texture mash-ups and the belief held by 86% of global consumers that cream fillings enhance the tastiness of sweet pastry, croissant tarts offer a proven route to indulgence and repeat purchase.

With a 63% increase in searches and online conversations over the past year, we can definitely say the cruffin is clearly making a comeback. TasteWise data confirms this revival, showing a 224% year-on-year increase in mentions of croissant-muffin hybrids on foodservice menus.

Most cruffins feature generous fillings and toppings in familiar flavors such as pistachio, chocolate and berries. However, online audiences are especially drawn to more unexpected combinations. Examples include the black sesame strawberry cruffin by JL Patisserie and the piña colada cruffin by Bad Butter, filled with coconut rum pastry cream and pineapple compote. With that kind of playful flavor experimentation, the cruffin is continually revitalized.

The centuries-old French kouign amann remains highly relevant today. In 2025, the pastry generated 7.9k online mentions, a 38% increase from the previous year. Most discussion centers around kouign amann variations with a twist. 

The pastry’s crispy, caramelized exterior and soft, buttery interior lend themselves well to fillings such as caramel, cinnamon or dulce de leche. Bakehouse Captain Roti, for instance, fills its version with caramelized vanilla apple and pear compote. Others take it even further creatively, such as the Honey Butter Furikake Kouign Amann by La Tour Cafe. 

Some bakeries keep flavors classic but update the format instead. Albatross finishes its Queen A kouign amann with sea salt flakes and weighs down the pastry during baking to create an extra-crispy, flattened top. This technique has become increasingly popular and results in a kouign amann that visually resembles a round croissant.

Equally unlikely was the partnership between Sprinkles and oral care brand Moon, which resulted in birthday cake-flavored toothpaste and an electric toothbrush with a cupcake sprinkle design. Biscuiteers collaborated with luxury shoe brand Manolo Blahnik on cookies inspired by high-end stilettos, a sharp contrast with the biscuit brand’s previous partnerships with children’s classics like Beatrix Potter and Paddington Bear. The unexpected nature of the pairing was precisely what gave it impact.