Sweet
Combinations
By merging different types of treats, manufacturers
are creating new dessert "mash-ups"—and consumers
are showing no hesitation getting on board.
by Julie Besonen
A
new food category, dessert hybrids, is rising faster than a doughnut muffin. While pudding-filled
cake and baked Alaska have been around longer than Betty Crocker, the melding of two iconic
desserts into one continues to be both familiar and surprising. And they are appearing in the
marketplace more than ever before. Trend-drivers range from delivering the unexpected to hitting that
sweet spot of lower-calorie indulgences. The biggest challenge, it seems, is trying to figure out where
dessert hybrids belong in the store.
MAY/JUNE 2013
71