2025 Sweets & Snacks

The Sweets & Snacks Expo in Indianapolis (May 12–15, 2025) brought the bold, the bizarre, and the downright delicious—and we were there for all of it. Bryan and Krissy hit the floor with plenty of high fives and a sharp eye for trends that are shaping what’s next in snacking. From pickle-flavored everything to mystery-wrapped candy, the show was kind of lacking innovation, but a few things did surprise us (Tiger’s Blood, anyone?). Whether it was freeze-dried gummies, calming functional snacks, or the rise of Dubai chocolate, this year’s show proved that you have to get your brand and positioning on point to stand out amidst the same-same products. Here’s a quick recap of what caught our attention—and what we absolutely loved.

Trends we noticed:

Pickle flavored everything – From popcorn to chips and sour gummy candy to pistachios, everything was pickled!
Mystery flavors – Usually wrapped in gray, candy was getting the mystery treatment, sans colorings that may give the flavor away.
Super sour – Candy got the atomic mouth-pucker treatment. Even sour candy flavored dates got into the action.
Freeze dried candy – Prepping for space or not, gummy bears, worms and skittles all got popped into the freeze dryer. And we were introduced to a new-to-us flavor – Tiger’s Blood – which as kind of like a fruit punch.
Swedish gummies – Bubs are making their official US debut, but lots of other brands are in on the action – gummies, marshmallow, licorice. Krissy is particularly excited about it. Three cheers for that Bubs US packaging!
Giant meat sticks – Hoping to take over C-stores everywhere, all the jerky brands were going big with giant sticks.
Lots of popcorn – From influencers Khloe Kardashian and Charli D’Amelio to brands touting avocado oil or gourmet, popcorn was having a moment.
Protein and functional/calming is still happening – Yep.
Dubai Chocolate – With chocolate prices soaring, we were curious to see how chocolate brands were innovating. Seems like lots are going with the viral trend of Dubai chocolate which is pistachio butter and filo strands covered in chocolate.
Patterns – All over the show, patterns caught our eyes. Whether on packaging or in booth designs, patterns helped cut through the noise of the show.

Things we loved:

Yumbo meat sticks
Joon pistachios
Cali Crumbles all box booth
VegoBears using alcohol category conventions to sell candy (case packs and place flavor names)
True Dates (candy flavored dates)
Double spout pouch – two flavors – Slime Lick Double Play
Paper mint container
Rubio potato chip cans
Gut Nuts – fermented nuts
All the mascots!