Tag: Martha Stewart

We’ve done it again—published our Top Ten Food Trends report! In the interests of TL;DR, we have divided it into two parts. Part 1 can be found here.

Find Part 1 of our 2025 Food Trends report by clicking here.

To recap, Part 1 called out the following:

1. Recalls Upon Recalls.

2. Transparent Ingredients.

3. Kitchen Warehousing.

4. Beverage Playground.

5. Culinary Travel.

And now, here is Part 2:

6. Pass the Butter, Please. Butter has become interesting, as people make their own, prices fluctuate, and various flavor enhancements are introduced. Fortune Insights is one company that has hit on butter as something with a future. Not just any butter, but butter boards, flavored butters, cultured butters, and even plant-based butters. We like honey butter as well as the next person, and admit to making the occasional strawberry butter, but we think we are in for a new learning experience in the year to come. We can put some of the frenzy on YouTubers, who seem to find butter a moldable food that is tastier than, say, Play-Doh. Check out what Forbes has to say about butter, too.

7. Soup Dumplings. This is one of the food items making appetizers both front AND center. We had this on our list by early fall so we’re pleased to see we aren’t alone. Martha Stewart and Whole Foods are also on top of the trend. While still primarily relegated to the Appetizer category, there is a new tendency to merge soup dumplings into the entrée category, too, not just for smaller portions or price, but because they are filling (especially if you aren’t into sharing!). Our research team was first introduced to the famous soup dumplings made by Din Tai Fung in Glendale, California, and they became the food dreams are made of. As we’ve watched them go mainstream, they are now available online from Mila. We’ll be placing our order any day now…

8. Brown is Back. We’ve spent years with colorful food, decorated with edible flowers and enhanced with beets and matcha. But with the new Pantone Color of the Year is actually Mocha Mousse—yes, like the delicious pudding-like dessert—it’s ok to think brown. We’ll see braising, and gravies, and brown rice and lentils. We’ll see toasted almonds and caramel and rye bread. We also expect crispy to have a moment, as slightly burnt edges on pizza (like tthe one pictured from McKinley Chalet Resort in Denali, Alaska) and crispy cookies become more popular. We suspect people will embrace the comfort of the food colors this style evokes, such as ube, saffron, and mustard.

9. Mobile Apps Improvement. Companies have been listening to consumers. My standard complaint is, “Has your CEO ever used this app?” That’s followed by, “Go use Chick fil A’s® app and see how a good one works.” If I’m really cranky, that’s followed by, “And make your employees learn to use the app!” Truly, it’s amazing how little attention companies have been paying to their apps. We see that changing, though, as usage grows. There is hope.

10. Food Experience Parties. As people ramp up their socializing, they are becoming intentional with party activities. It’s not just group sharing, like with fondue—it’s group preparing, too. One of the fun ones we’ve experienced is a make-your-own vanilla event. Gneiss Spice makes it easy with kits that come complete with the vanilla bean splits and the jars/labels. You just add your own spirits of choice (vodka or bourbon are the most recommended). A bottle can go home with each guest, or you can use the vanilla and bake something fun for the evening (or both). There’s also eating contests (in moderation), and creative ideas such as doing still life paintings of the food before you dig in! Buy paint palettes and small canvas boards with easels—your guests will feel like they’ve been transported to Paris! Parties have always revolved around the food (for those who love, food, at least), and we expect new creativity around this.

That’s our Top Ten Food Trends for 2025. We’ll see what’s ahead!

Photos by Food Channel staff. Vanilla kit available from Gneiss Spice. No sponsorship was received for this (our staff just loved it!) See more in Part 1 of our Top Ten Food Trends for 2025.