From marzipan to matcha: on-trend toppings and fillings for bakery in 2025

In today’s Instagram and TikTok-driven society, bakers would be forgiven for thinking that consumers are only interested in looks.

When it comes to bakery, though, it’s what is on the inside as well as what’s on top that really counts.

“Today’s consumers want their sweet baked goods to look great so of course they must have pick-me-up appeal, but they need to offer a satisfying eat with interesting flavours and layers of texture too,” comments Jacqui Passmore, marketing lead West EU & AMEAP at bakery supplier Dawn Foods. “This is where innovative toppings, fillings and inclusions, the fashion accessories of the product, get a chance to take to the catwalk.”

Here, we delve into the UK’s top bakery trends in toppings and fillings for 2025 and beyond, and which ingredients bakers can use to tap into them.

Recognised tastes

More than a third (36%) of UK adults are looking for new food or flavours all of the time, according to Mintel data from 2021. And the demand for innovative flavours within the bakery sector, especially from the younger generation, shows no signs of abating.

“Trying something new means consumers believe that they are aware of the latest trends,” asserts Passmore.

However, many are still seeking comfort through traditional flavours that they know and trust. Latest research conducted by ingredients supplier Puratos UK had 64% of British shoppers surveyed saying they liked to have a familiar element when trying new types of food.

Marzipan is one such element sparking feelings of nostalgia as we head into the festive season, though cake decoration specialist Renshaw by Bakels is keen to educate that marzipan is not just for Christmas (or fruit cakes).

“Almond has been at the top of the table for fastest growing flavours within baking ingredients over the last five years, and more recently, marzipan was listed as the flavour trend ‘to watch’ for food manufacturers around the world,” says Renshaw’s marketing manager Hannah Kennedy.

The ‘newstaglia’ trend, which has consumers enticed with modern twists on tradition, has set the stage for the sweet almond paste to make a “spectacular comeback”, adds Kennedy. Examples include layering marzipan in the likes of chocolate brownies and cherry almond slices or baked into Bakewell crumble tarts and Eccles cakes.

Another way to switch things up is by putting a classic dessert recipe into a bakery format. “Bakeries such as London’s Fortitude Bakehouse with their Apple & Custard Pudding Buns or Strawberry & Plum Custard Danish with Hazelnut Crumb are championing the dessert-bakery hybrid with their innovative use of toppings and fillings – a theme that’s being rolled out and replicated in artisanal bakeries now across the UK,” notes Dawn’s Passmore.

In fact, the trend in Danish pastries adorned with visible pieces of fruit has made its way into British café culture as well as retail in-store bakery.

Feeling fruity?

It’s just peachy for bakers to use fruit fillings and toppings. That’s because they are perceived as both tasty and healthy, which is doubly important considering taste remains a key driver of pastry purchases [Délifrance’s ‘Prove It: Viennoiserie’ report] and 55% of UK consumers are making food choices based on the health claims [Puratos’ Taste Tomorrow research].

There’s growing demand for reduced sugar bakery options too, with manufacturers exploring natural-origin sweeteners. According to Liesl Gruber, business manager texture solutions food EMEA at Ingredion, the use of stevia in fruit fillings has been particularly successful. “Natural is the keyword here, as 62% of UK consumers of bakery goods find ‘natural’ claims appealing,” she comments, citing data from FMCG Gurus’ Bakery Trends in the UK report from July 2023.

Citrus fibres from fruit can also be employed in fillings and toppings to maintain texture over shelf-life and boost fibre content, another attractive claim for baked goods.

When it comes to trending fruit flavours, Puratos research found the fastest growing profiles to be orange, red raspberry, and lemon. These are “in contrast to the more adventurous plum, guava, and white peach that top the global list,” notes Lisa Kerr, senior marketing manager at Puratos UK.

However, Kerr reveals that British people are currently favouring the more classic fruit varieties like strawberry and apple. “Apple is a great choice for autumn and can be made more indulgent or seasonal by combining with toffee, blackcurrant or cinnamon,” she says, adding that it can be elevated further with the addition of more spices like ginger and nutmeg or different flavoured toffee such a mint or salted.

The tartness provided by fruit fillings will cut through the richness of an indulgent pastry, points out Passmore at Dawn, whilst cautioning that consumers are no longer satisfied with a basic jam. “They require a fruit-rich filling… often with named origin fruit to help enhance the authentic credentials,” she comments.

There’s an additional benefit of cramming fruit in your bakes – it’s cheaper than chocolate. Cocoa prices are still around twice as high as they were last year after spiking in April. On the other hand the cost of vanilla is falling, allowing for a return to prominence in custard and cream fillings which pair oh so well with fruit.

Gastronomic journeys

The world’s cuisines continue to influence bakery menus on home soil.

Lantmännen Unibake UK marketing manager Samantha Winsor highlights the use of traditional Scandinavian flavours for toppings and fillings like cinnamon, berries, almonds, and cardamom. She singles out cinnamon for its potential in breaking seasonal boundaries, saying: “We expect it to become more prevalent within core ranges across the category as the trend evolves”.

Stéphanie Brillouet, marketing director at baked goods manufacturer Délifrance, also picks cardamom as a rising flavour in UK bakery, along with hot honey and pistachio. “These flavours add both depth and sophistication to pastries,” she comments.

A favourite recipe of Délifrance this year is the Caramel Babka, said to draw inspiration from the rise in mixed culture cooking. It contains a Guérande salted caramel filling complemented by pieces of fudge and a chopped pecan nut topping. Having been a consumer favourite for quite some time, caramel appears to only be increasing its popularity – 31% of consumers responding to Délifrance’s survey were seeking more of this flavour when purchasing a pastry.

Over to Japan, and the annual cherry blossom season (late march to early April) is about as pretty as it gets. This delicate pink colour is now being adopted for cakes and pastries in Britian. Miriam Bernhart, director category bread & pastry solutions at CSM Ingredients, explains that cherry blossom can afford a range of sweet, bitter, floral, and almond flavours, depending on the variety. “The flowers and petals can be salted, and pickled in plum vinegar, candied or made into a syrup,” she adds.

Global flavour infusions are having an impact on the savoury side of the market too, with Middle Eastern ingredients like tahini, halva and date syrup being seen in savoury bakery items.

Vivid visuals

Good-looking baked goods with exciting toppings will catch the attention of shoppers. Délifrance research backs this up, with 42% of consumers surveyed ticking product appearance as a key impulse trigger for pastries.

Colour trends in bakery has CSM Ingredients’ Bernhart gazing at high street fashion as one of the influencing factors. She refers to Pantone fashion colour trends for 2025 in her prediction that next year “will see the emergence of exotic brights, earthy mid-tones, timeless neutrals, and an array of eco-inspired foliage greens and expansive blues” reflected in toppings.

It doesn’t get more exotically bright than matcha green tea, which “could be your best friend” in bakery according to Macphie brand manager Kirsty Matthews. “It can be easily added to sponges, icings, frostings or fillings to add colour and vibrancy – making it an ideal secret weapon to make bakes more ‘Instagrammable’,” she says, noting it has an earthy, slightly bitter flavour, which contrasts beautifully with sweet flavours.

These qualities saw the Brioche Japonais by Kuma San Bakehouse win Britian’s Best Loaf 2023, with the combination of matcha and white chocolate also featuring in more recent launches such as Doughlicious’ cookie dough and one of the Crosstown doughnuts listed at Waitrose.

The trend for overloading sweet bakes is also taking shape.

Dawn’s Passmore says images of overloaded, fashion-oriented doughnuts make for the perfect shareable content, propelled by the likes of Donutelier in London (which recently opened its second shop), and Who Cult in Cardiff. “In the celebration cake category, overloaded cakes featuring large cookie pieces, miniature doughnuts, chocolate bars, and even sweets take toppings onto another level and introduce an experiential element,” she adds.

Viral bakes

Social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, which attract a predominantly Gen Z audience, encourage a culture of exploration, trends, creativity and innovation. “This inspires influencers to experiment with trends and try new products,” comments Lantmännen’s Winsor. On the flip side, the platforms offer a savvy way for retailers to increase category awareness and penetration among younger consumers.

One of the hottest marketing trends of 2024 is social searching, whereby users shun Google for the likes of TikTok to find answers to their queries. It’s a route through which a lot of younger consumers are discovering new products.

Gen Z aren’t just thinking about themselves when making bakery choices. Mintel data from 2022 which found 44% of consumers aged 16 to 24 agreed it was important that their friends approve of their lifestyle choices, including everything from the clothes they wear to the bakeries they visit and the latest trend in cakes.

So how to become the next viral bake? It’s all about developing ‘experience-led eating’ featuring elaborate toppings and fillings, apparently.

Karsten Smet, CEO at ingredients distributor ACI Group recommends the use of “satisfyingly messy fillings that add a sense of theatre when cut into”. This can be achieved using colourings and additives which give bakers precise control over the viscosity of fillings, Smet notes.

You shouldn’t be getting carried away, necessarily. Younger consumers are also looking for more authenticity in their bakery. “This is true of the toppings and fillings used to premiumise them. Think quality nuts, real fruit fillings, and compotes as well as authentic custards and naturally flavoured creams,” says Dawn’s Passmore.

Although craft bakeries provide the better narrative for authenticity, many retail bakery lines are now using innovative toppings, fillings, and inclusions to replicate the handcrafted artisanal feel. These include the recently launched self-serve patisserie range at Waitrose and the quartet of hand-finished celebration cakes at M&S.

The choice of toppings, fillings, and inclusions can make or break a bakery’s success, be it online, on the high street, or in a supermarket. And as outlined above, there’s plenty to get right from nostalgic flavours, twists on tradition, and a healthy packing of fruit, to international influences, and fashionable colours.