Nutty flavours, healthier bakes and mini desserts are among the top patisserie trends for 2020, according to Brioche Pasquier.

“For future trends we look to Paris and to shows like The Salon de la Pâtisserie at the Porte de Versailles for inspiration,” said Brioche Pasquier managing director Olivier Ripoche.

“This show is a celebration of pastry invention and innovation, and demonstrates how the very best artisan pâtissiers are drawing inspiration from the flavours and terroir of the French pastry scene.”

Here are Brioche Pasquier’s top trends for 2020:

Less sugar, less guilt

The move towards healthier pastries is a clear trend for 2020, according to Brioche Pasquier, with a push for less additives, unsweetened, cleaner recipes and low glycaemic items.

“We are certainly making advances in the area of cleaner recipes with fewer additives,” said Ripoche.

The return of classics such as Opéra cake, apple pies, lemon tarts and Paris Brest – a French dessert made of choux pastry and praline-flavoured cream – was also highlighted at the show, alongside custard and millefeuille. However, Brioche Pasquier noted that they had been given a modern makeover and the new creations were lighter on butter and sugar.

Think small

Bigger is not always better, particularly when it comes to desserts, as Brioche Pasquier noted the opportunity for small, sweet bites on a number of occasions.

Café Gourmand – also known as petits fours – allows for a bite-sized treat to be served alongside coffee at any time of day, or as a mini-dessert on restaurant menus.

“Cafe Gourmand is very popular in France and we see this trend growing in the UK in 2020, in line with a desire for a small sweet bite,” added Ripoche. “The French like their sweet treats in the afternoon. In France, 50% of afternoon visits to a café or restaurant results in the purchase of a sweet product. In this country, it is only 20%, so there is plenty of room for growth.”

They also lend themselves to the trend of sharing as petits fours and macarons can be built into a sweet canapé offering, the company added.

Looks are important

Think pink. Why? Because Brioche Pasquier thinks it will be the go-to colour in patisserie in 2020. Berries and beetroot will play a part in bringing rose tints to the patisserie world as a natural dye.

There’s also pink chocolate, which was unveiled by Barry Callebaut back in 2017. The naturally pink pigmented chocolate has started to gain traction, with a ruby chocolate KitKat by Nestlé and a ruby choc cheesecake by foodservice supplier Central Foods (pictured).

Straight-up chocolate is also likely to remain at the heart of dessert menus, Brioche Pasquier added.

When it comes to toppings, Brioche Pasquier predicted that nuts would be the favourite, particularly hazelnuts and pistachios. Macadamia and pecan nuts would also gain traction, it noted.