Our 2022 Guide To Winter Flavors: What Flavor Trends Are On The Horizon

With the winter holidays quickly approaching, seasonal flavors are beginning to make their appearance. Fall and winter flavors pull on consumers’ heartstrings, evoking years of nostalgia, often connecting their memories to past holiday seasons and traditions. 

Winter flavors can enhance their yuletide experiences by igniting some of those memories and having a carefully curated list of winter flavors that will likely reign supreme this holiday season. This list can help you ensure that your products are on point to wow your customers. As an industry leader in beverage and food flavoring, our team is ready to take on your brand’s palate-pleasing needs to present a full spectrum holiday experience for your consumers.

2022 List of Winter Flavors Trending in the United States

While it may come as a surprise, flavor trends vary from country to country. Depending on culture, traditions, weather, and other variations, some flavors excel in specific regions. Here’s our list of winter flavors that are trending in the United States:

White Chocolate

Sipping a warm drink flavored with the rich buttery, creamy, and sweet notes of white chocolate is something quintessentially winter. With a cocoa butter base, white chocolate is technically part of the chocolate family, however not officially deemed chocolate by experts. The milk solids within its makeup give white chocolate its pale, ivory color. This season, use white chocolate as you would a blank canvas, dressing it up with other festive hues and garnishes to spice up the flavors of winter. 

Praline

It’s no surprise that this quintessentially southern flavor has landed a spot on our flavor list of trending winter flavors. Pralines—a sweet confectionery treat created by heating whole almonds with lightly caramelized sugar date back to French-colonized Louisiana—were the south’s answer to the plentiful sugar cane plants and pecan trees growing in the Bayou State. Pralines are full of sophistication and southern charm, making their buttery flavor perfect for fall and winter drinks.

Spiced Cider

Similar to apple pie, mulled spiced cider is both tart and buttery, spicy and sweet, creating a warm and cozy atmosphere in any kitchen and home. Crisp, sweet, and juicy apples combined with cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, orange peel, and maybe even a pad of butter create a delicious and cozy cup of holiday cheer. Spiced cider is a flavor that can take on many modalities, from a warm drink to a scrumptious bite of cake or cookie. It’s the ideal flavor to have in the fall and winter months because it keeps consumers warm and satisfied. 

Gingerbread

Though not nailed down to one specific recipe or origin, gingerbread goes hand-in-hand with the fall and winter holidays due to its nostalgia and deep-seated traditions around Christmastime. European settlers carried their families’ variations of spice bread (French) or pepper cake (German) to the United States in the early 1600s. The fusion of these recipes resulted in this delicious and classic flavor. With notes of ginger root, cinnamon, clove, and sweet honey or molasses, gingerbread has become a staple in American households to flavor more than just bread. In recent years, more and more gingerbread-flavored items have come onto the market, keeping up with the growing trends in holiday-themed food and drink.

Eggnog

Historically known as “milk punch,” or “egg milk punch,” eggnog has been a fan favorite for hundreds of years. In North America, eggnog is traditionally served from October through the New Year celebrations in January. Though typically served chilled, eggnog’s nutmeg, cinnamon, and buttercream flavoring also work with hot beverages like hot chocolate or in cocktail mixers.

2022 List of Winter Flavors Trending Across the Globe

When it comes to going international, some flavors trend across the globe. Below is our carefully curated list of flavor trends that hit on an international scale. Though not too far off their mark in the US, global trends can vary slightly. Here are our predictions for global flavor trends this holiday season:

Green Apple

Crisp, sharp, and tart are three excellent adjectives to describe this palate-pleasing fruit. Known for its bright green shade color and its sour, candy-like flesh, green apples are the perfect addition to any holiday beverage. They also blend effortlessly with other spiced holiday elements such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove.

Bergamot

A member of the citrus family, bergamot is known and grown for its healing properties and pleasant aroma. Commonly harvested into essential oils and extracts, bergamot creates wonderful flavorings and scented products. This fruit hails from Italy and is a well-established staple in Europe’s health and wellness industry. Not only does it smell great, bergamot is also known to lower cholesterol.

Gingerbread

Gingerbread is more than an American sensation—it is an internationally adored flavor around the winter holidays, making it a staple across global markets. Gingerbread has a rich history dating back several hundred years, so there are many different recipe variations, making it flexible and ever-changing from culture to culture. 

Milk

On a global level, milk—or any dairy product—reigns supreme. From milk-flavored desserts, creamy rich cocktails, and luxuriously smooth candies, starting with a milk base establishes a strong and neutral foundation to build on. From spices to fruits, milk is a buildable flavor that can take on many different elements.

Almond

For hundreds of years, Almond’s smooth, sugary, and nutty flavor has sweetened and flavored candies, desserts, beverages, and other food products. In fact, almonds are mentioned in ancient texts that date as far back as 1400 B.C. This rich, complex flavor adds itself well to sweet or savory dishes, so it comes as no surprise why this flavor will be trending across the globe for the winter of 2022. 

No matter the flavors you choose to incorporate this season, we’re here to help you throughout your entire flavor journey. If you want to stay ahead of trends as you develop your product, our team of flavor scientists and experts is here for you. Contact us today to see how we can help you get your product to market.

Flavor Insights believes this information to be correct. No warranty, guarantee, or representation is given or made in respect to the information provided. Flavor Insights is not in a position to validate the actual production or labeling of products. Flavor Insights recommends that all finished product labeling be reviewed by legal counsel, and finished product and label claim testing be confirmed to ensure product label accuracy.