The holiday rush inspires innovations for Halloween through New Year

American’s love of pumpkin spice continues to grow – inspiring a wide range of cross-category products featuring the flavor profile, which market research​ predicts will continue to grow at a staggering 10.2% compound annual growth rate to reach $2.4 billion by 2031 from $1.1 billion in 2023.

Latecomers to the pumpkin spice party, which kicks off earlier each year with many products featuring the flavor profile launching in the first half of August, include Bubbies pumpkin spice mochi, Lifeway’s Pumpkin Spice Kefir, Good Culture’s Organic Pumpkin & Spice seasonal cottage cheese flavor and Thomas’ limited-time Pumpkin Spice English Muffins and Bagels.

Better-for-you treats, playful packaging launch for Halloween​

Halloween shopping is already in full swing with spending for the holiday projected to reach $11.6 billion – up from last year’s record-setting $12.2 billion, according the National Retail Federation’s annual survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics.

Candy is central to the holiday and will capture $3.5 billion of the spend with 67% of consumers planning to pass out candy this year, according to the survey.

While trick-or-treating is a beloved tradition for many US consumers, the huge hauls candy children bring home at the end of the night can cause caregivers to worry about too much sugar or allergic reactions.

On a mission to make “life’s sweetest moments worry-free and fun for everyone,” better-for-you brand YumEarth launched Halloween Sour Littles in Target. The bites are free-from the top nine allergens as well as artificial dyes and GMOs, and made with “organic and simple ingredients.”

CLIF BAR also is tapping into consumer demand for better-for-you Halloween treats with the launch of its LTO Zbar Halloween Minis in Spooky Choco-Chip. The soft bars skip the high fructose corn syrup and artificial flavors, colors and ingredients in favor of nutrient-dense ingredients, such as organic oats which deliver 4 grams of whole grains per serving.

General Mills promotes a full line of snacks and cereals for celebrating Halloween from sunup to past sundown.

Packaging across brands will feature the company’s iconic Monster Mash crew, including in a line of cereals featuring new pet-shaped marshmallows and a limited-edition Frightful Friends cereal, which General Mills says is “an epic mashup of all four Monsters flavors.” The crew also feature on individual fruit snack packs.

General Mills also features bats prominently across brands, including in Annie’s Organic Bunnies & Bats fruit snack packs and a limited-edition Reese’s Puffs Bat cereal.

Convenient solutions to simplify the holiday rush without sacrificing fun, flavor​

Halloween still may be weeks away, but the holiday season kicks off with Rosh Hashanah Oct. 2-4 before sliding into the winter holidays, which typically include a bounty of baked goods.

Just in time for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Manischewitz launched a line of holiday staples, including ready-to-eat frozen matzo balls, frozen potato knishes, frozen ready-to-eat blintzes in cheese, blueberry and potato, and multiple frozen bakery items, including challah, chocolate babka, chocolate rugelach and apricot and raspberry hamantaschen that it says are “just like Bubby’s but without the hours of preparation."

The new products will feature the brand’s refreshed branding that centers on Manischewitz’s “renewed ethos” and an invitation to “a broader audience to explore the cultural richness of Jewish cuisine,” according to the company.

For many Americans, the winter holidays include a blitz of baking and to ensure consumers cookies, cakes and confections are as creative as they are craveable, McCormick and Kraft Heinz debuted convenient holiday hacks.

McCormick launched a line of limited-edition holiday finishing sugars available in “nostalgic flavors,” including Candy Cane, English Toffee, Salted Caramel, Hot Cocoa, Gingerbread Spice and White Frosting. The spice giant also is promoting a range of recipes that use the sprinkles, including a Candy Cane Martini, Salted Caramel Pumpkin Muffins, Gingerbread Latte and more.

Kraft Heinz also is making it easier for at home bakers this holiday season with the launch of Philadelphia Cream Cheese Flavored Frosting, which promises a clean label option made with fresh milk and cream, no artificial flavors or dyes and which is available in the refrigerated set.

The product, which took a year and a half to craft, can be used on cakes, cookies, cinnamon rolls or as a dip for fresh fruit, according to Kraft Heinz.