MODESTO, CA — A new 2024 Snacking Trends report from Innova Market Insights highlighted various uses for almonds in innovation and improving plant-based and better-for-you snacks. This report — derived from Innova’s Top Ten Trends for 2024, new product launches from the Innova Database, and Innova consumer surveys — notes several opportunities for including almonds in product development.
Between 2018-2023, the report noted that the fastest-growing subcategories in plant-based snack launches featuring almonds included pastries and sweet goods, as well as sweet biscuits and cookies. Additionally, almond paste, flour, protein and butter are among the fastest-growing almond ingredients in plant-based snacks.
“Almonds offer endless opportunities for texture and flavor in product development, and we’ve continued seeing products with almond ingredients grow over the past five years,” said Harbinder Maan, associate director of Trade Marketing & Stewardship at the Almond Board of California. “Their well-rounded nutrition package and various forms make them an ideal ingredient for innovating in the plant-based snacking category to meet everchanging consumer preferences.”
With 50% of consumers globally saying that it’s important to have familiar culinary formats when purchasing plant-based products, focusing on format and leaning into convenience can support innovation in plant-based offerings.
“Keeping an eye on what’s trending in the snacking category will inspire innovation for product developers and drive growth with consumer preferences in mind,” said Lu Ann Williams, co-founder and global insights director at Innova Market Insights. “Looking ahead, consumer demands are changing, and almonds can be at the center of innovation. There are many potential opportunities for almonds in plant-based snacks with a need for innovative formats, especially when it comes to health claims and improved flavors and textures.”
