Halloween is creeping up fast, with bakers jolted into action and preparing hair-raising products to thrill consumers.
The spooky seasonal opportunity appears to remain a frightfully good one in the UK – Brits spent an estimated £775m buying themed food items to celebrate the occasion last year [Statista data].
“With Halloween falling on a Friday this year, it could prove to be an even more lucrative celebration in 2025,” says Karin Janssen, business development manager at ingredients supplier Henley Bridge.
It also something that is savoured by all age groups. “Halloween has a huge appeal across both children and adults,” notes Barbara Lanzoni, category director fats, oils & coating solutions at CSM Ingredients.
Kids will enjoy being gifted most things, especially when they look ghoulish, while Lanzoni points to Mintel Spark 2024 data that reports 71% of adults feeling nostalgic when purchasing such goodies.
But are all bakeries across the sector as enthused to embrace the Halloween spirit? What trends can we expect to see this year, and how can eerie effects be created?
Craft bakers polled
A recent survey conducted by the Craft Bakers Association (CBA) on its members helped measure whether the sector’s pulse was quickening at the prospect of Halloween, or if firms were coming in relatively cold to it. It found mixed reactions. Three out of the five respondents considered Halloween-themed bakes to be somewhat important in their offering while the remainder deemed them as not important. Notably, no one rated them as very important.
A similar split was seen when asking about the commercial impact of the occasion, with 40% reporting a moderate uplift in sales and the rest either having no noticeable difference or not having any treats to sell in the first place. The best time to start rolling out limited-edition Halloween lines ranged from late September, and early October, to just a day or so before 31 October to capture last-minute buyers.
“These findings suggest that, while Halloween presents a niche opportunity, bakeries vary in their engagement and perceived return. For some, it offers a modest seasonal boost; for others, it remains a festive afterthought,” comments CBA chief executive Karen Dear.
Looks that chill
Another thing clear from the CBA survey was that creativity is key to making Halloween products that resonate. Around 40% of those interviewed said they opted for natural food colourings, and 20% revealed they used the likes of activated charcoal, edible glitter, and black sesame to create a scary twist.
Jacqui Passmore, marketing West EU & AMEAP at bakery supplier Dawn Foods, believes Halloween is “probably the most visually impactful annual celebration” and one that has had its expansion driven by “Instagram-loving Gen Z consumers”.
She recommends making the most of the short window of opportunity by creating visually stunning, limited-edition bakes promoted via social media channels. In Dawn Foods’ most recent Global Bakery Trends report published in May, consumer research had 57% of those surveyed saying they would purchase a bakery item having seen it on socials, while three out of five people agreed limited time offers captured their attention and drove purchases.
“Transforming bakery regulars can be as easy as changing fondants or icing to orange, purple or green to make them stand out, adding ‘spooky’ themed decorations or including seasonal flavour twists such as pumpkin,” adds Passmore.
Her colleague and technical applications specialist at Dawn Foods, Robin Loud, proposes making cookies that are half dipped in a coloured and flavoured flexible coating such as blueberry, orange or pistachio Souplesse. A buttercream can then be piped onto the undipped side. “Finish with chocolate ‘eye’ and witches’ hats decorations to give a fun Halloween theme,” he says.
Other everyday product lines that can be given a ghastly glow-up include biscuits, cupcakes, muffins, doughnuts, and celebration cakes.
On the savoury side, Ginsters has followed up its limited-edition Spicy Sausage & Red Pepper Pasty from last year with a Haunted Hog Roast Pasty. Hitting shelves in October (rsp £2.25), the NPD combines British pork with sage & onion stuffing, potatoes, and more onions, plus a touch of tangy apple sauce, encased in golden puff pastry.
Boo hues and deathly décor
As with previous years, bakery manufacturers should have a go-to colour palette for fillings and frostings that includes black, white, orange, red, purple, green, and brown. To complete the look, you can add decorations ranging from bats and spiders to ghosts, pumpkins, monsters, skulls, and haunted houses.
“If you’re feeling particularly adventurous (and feel your customer base can stomach it), edible insects are a novel topping,” declares Janssen at Henley Bridge.
People love the element of surprise, she adds, and this can be achieved inside the item too. For example, a pistachio paste filling with its natural green colouring is ideal for oozing out of doughnuts and muffins.
Flavour frights
Interesting textures and flavours are yet more ways to shock the senses. “There’s a definite shift towards savoury notes in sweet pastries and desserts, so dare your customers to try unusual flavour combinations like vegan chocolate mushroom mice filled with porcini ganache,” shares Janssen.
Autumnal flavours such as pumpkin spice, gingerbread, and toffee apple are predicted to feature across the Halloween season, along with year-round trends like caramel, dark chocolate, and hot honey [The Food People report, 2024]. “Pair with seasonally coloured branded confectionery sweets to add an extra dimension,” suggests Lanzoni at CSM Ingredients.
The best Halloween bakes may well come from keeping things simple whilst letting creativity run wild in the decoration department. However, some clever use of on-trend flavours or some playful scare tactics can see customers screaming back for more.
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