Snack Trends to Watch in 2025: Key Shifts Reshaping the Industry

Just like the fashion industry with its seasonal collections, the snack world follows its own dynamic trend cycle. Snack trends come and go, shaping consumer preferences and industry practices along the way. Pickle popcorn is going viral on TikTok, while mushroom jerky is so popular that online stores can’t keep it in stock.

Countless factors, both major and minor, influence these snack food industry trends. A celebrity might casually mention their love for seaweed chips on a podcast, or new research could highlight the benefits of ancient grains—voilà, a new must-have snack is born.

These snack trends reach far beyond flavors. They reshape packaging, inspire new ways of distribution, and even raise ethical standards in production. Let’s explore the hottest 2025 trends and reveal how industry-specific ERP software enables manufacturers to navigate the market shifts.

The Evolution of Snacking Trends

A snack is a small amount of food eaten between meals. Throughout history, humans have snacked to satisfy both hunger and cravings. Ancient snacks were simple – dried fruits, nuts, or small pieces of bread that were easy to carry and provided quick energy.

Today’s snack market trends have transformed dramatically. Modern consumers still seek satisfaction, but with additional expectations. They want snacks that are:

• Healthy and nutritious
• Compatible with various dietary needs
• Environmentally friendly
• Delicious and enjoyable
• Affordable and accessible
• And much more

In 2025, the snack food industry trends are responding to these demands by moving toward plant-based ingredients, sustainable packaging for snacks, biohacking and bioengineering, and interactive eating experiences, among other innovations. 

Beyond healthy ingredients and smart packaging, today’s consumers also expect convenience and personalization. They want customizable options and delivery to their preferred location, whether that’s home, office, or elsewhere.

Meeting these growing demands presents significant challenges for snack manufacturers. Here’s how the industry is adapting to meet these growing customer expectations.

Trend 1. The Growing Focus on Functional and Nutrient-Dense Snacks

Consumers are increasingly looking for snacks that provide real health benefits. Let’s look at the key categories dominating shelves in 2025 and recent functional food trends.

Protein-Packed Snacks

The protein snack revolution continues to gain momentum, extending beyond traditional protein bars. Innovative brands are incorporating protein from diverse sources – pea, hemp, cricket flour, and lab-cultivated options – into unexpected formats like chips, popcorn, and cookies. 

For example, the umbrella brand Awakened Foods includes several brands that offer protein-packed snacks — granola, snack mixes, cookies, and more — made from simple natural ingredients. Meanwhile, smaller players like Chirps Chips focus on one category but deliver both environmental benefits and nutritional advantages.

Gut-Healthy Snacks

Scientists are discovering more evidence linking a healthy gut to better health. As a result, consumers are increasingly seeking out gut healthy snacks containing probiotics and prebiotics—ingredients that support digestive wellness. Products like kimchi chips and kombucha are gaining popularity.

Cleveland Kitchen’s Kraut Snacks turn fermented cabbage into high-fiber snacks — crunchy bites packed with live probiotics. Meanwhile, Uplift Food focuses exclusively on prebiotic-rich snacks to nourish beneficial gut bacteria. 

Adaptogenic and Mood-Boosting Ingredients

Perhaps the most fascinating development is the integration of adaptogens and nootropics into everyday snacks. These functional ingredients – traditionally used in supplements and wellness drinks – are now mainstream snacking.

The Good Crisp Company has launched adaptogen-infused chips featuring ashwagandha to combat stress. Four Sigmatic expands its mushroom-powered snack line with mushroom bars designed to enhance focus and cognitive function.

Trend 2. The Accelerated Move Toward Sustainability in Snack Manufacturing

Environmental consciousness has become an essential current trend in packaged snack foods. As a result, large and small companies are implementing innovative approaches to reduce their footprint. But this is just the beginning.

Upcycled Ingredients

The upcycled food trend is growing fast. Brands now turn food waste into delicious, healthy, plant-based snacks, bringing new flavors while reducing environmental impact.

ReGrained pioneered the concept by creating energy bars from spent brewing grains, while Renewal Mill transforms okara, a byproduct of soymilk production, into nutritious flour for cookies and crackers. 

Sustainable Packaging Snacks

The industry has made remarkable progress in developing alternatives to traditional plastic packaging. Biodegradable, compostable, and even edible options are now entering the market following brand new snack food packaging market trends.

TIPA provides compostable packaging that looks like plastic but breaks down completely. Smaller brand Notpla has developed edible seaweed-based packaging that leaves no waste behind. 

Ethical Sourcing

Beyond environmental impact, consumers increasingly demand organic and non-GMO snacks and transparency around ingredient sourcing and labor practices.

Tony’s Chocolonely continues with its mission to eliminate slavery from chocolate supply chains, while Barnana works directly with farmers to source “imperfect” bananas that would otherwise go to waste. 

Trend 3. The Rapid Integration of Technology & Innovation in the Snack Industry

The role of technology in snack production is expanding. From AI-powered flavor development to consumer experiences, technology is reshaping every aspect of the snack industry trends.

#1. AI and Data-Driven Product Development

Brands use AI to predict emerging flavor trends and optimize recipes, dramatically reducing product development time.

Industry giant PepsiCo utilizes AI through its Taste Predictor technology, which analyzes social media trends and emerging global flavors to identify potential hit products before significant R&D investment.

Meanwhile, smaller innovator Tastewise offers AI food intelligence tools that allow even boutique brands to gain market share. One success story is Moonshot Snacks, which used data analytics to develop climate-friendly crackers with flavors specifically aligned to emerging consumer preferences.

#2. Direct-to-Consumer and Subscription Models

Online orders and personalized snack boxes became a preferred way for consumers to discover new products.

SnackMagic allows clients to build their own snack boxes, creating a personalized experience that traditional gift baskets couldn’t match. MunchPak differentiates itself by sourcing unique international snacks and delivering global flavor exploration directly to consumers’ doors.

Even traditional brands are embracing DTC models – Frito-Lay launched Snacks.com, allowing consumers to create custom variety packs including hard-to-find regional flavors.

#3. Bioengineered Snacks for Longevity & Performance

Biohacking and bioengineering are merging to create next-gen functional snacks that enhance longevity, cognitive function, and metabolic health. This science-backed approach is creating healthy snack innovations.

Lab-Grown Functional Ingredients

Biotechnology enables the development of novel ingredients with functional benefits and reduced environmental impact that shape new healthy snacking trends.

Perfect Day has pioneered animal-free dairy proteins created through fermentation, enabling the production of dairy-identical products without environmental or ethical concerns. Meanwhile, Chicago-based startup Nature’s Fynd has developed a unique protein derived from microbes discovered in Yellowstone’s geothermal springs for alternative protein snacks.

Cognitive-Boosting Snacks

The demand for mental performance support has spawned a generation of snacks designed specifically to enhance brain function. 

Brainiac Foods incorporates brain-healthy omega-3s and choline into kid-friendly low-sugar snack options like yogurt and applesauce. At the same time, TruBrain offers nootropic-enhanced snack bars designed to improve focus and mental clarity.

These products represent the frontier of functional food, blurring the line between nutrition and medical treatment.

#4. The Gamification of Snacking & Interactive Food Experiences

Consumers, especially Gen Z and younger Millennials (starting from the 1990s), crave interactive and experiential food experiences. Brands are experimenting with gamification and digital engagement to make snacking more fun.

Snack-Integrated Digital Challenges & Rewards

Brands are creating digital experiences that extend the engagement with their products beyond consumption, building community and brand loyalty.

Honey-Comb Cereal’s AR-Enabled Packaging featuring actor Terry Crews is a prime example. By scanning a QR code on the box, consumers access motivational videos and play the “HoneyRun” game, where players navigate an obstacle course to collect virtual cereal pieces.

Lay’s “Smile with Lay’s” campaign invited consumers to scan specially marked packages to unlock donations to Operation Smile, gamifying philanthropy while building brand affinity.

Multisensory & Hybrid Snacking Experiences

A blend of tech and food science creates new textures, temperature-changing snacks, or flavor-shifting experiences that surprise and delight consumers.

Ice Breakers Flavor Shifters Gum by Hershey changes flavors as you chew, shifting from Wild Berry to Coolmint, creating an element of surprise in an otherwise familiar product.

MSCHF created limited-edition “Astro Pops” – lollipops with layers that taste like different planets based on what scientists believe their atmospheric composition would taste like, supported by an augmented reality app.

#5. Automated Production and Smart Inventory Management

Snack manufacturers are implementing ERP systems to improve efficiency, increase revenue, and reduce waste. Advanced manufacturing technologies like IoT-connected equipment and AI-powered predictive maintenance systems are helping snack producers minimize downtime and waste. 

Wyandot Snacks, a midsize contract manufacturer, implemented smart sensors throughout their production facility, reducing energy usage by 18%. 

“Even with the challenges in today’s market, having the right software system and a knowledgeable implementation team makes scaling up your business,” says Stephen Lingenfelter, implementation specialist, FlexiBake ERP, in his Snack and Bakery magazine comment.

How ERP Software Supports Snack Manufacturers

Manufacturers are adopting ERP solutions to stay ahead in the competitive snack industry and address the unique challenges of snack manufacturing.

Optimized Production Scheduling

Efficient batch processing and demand forecasting ensure products are produced in optimal quantities, reducing waste and maintaining freshness. This capability is crucial for snack manufacturers with seasonally popular products to meet demand spikes without overproduction.

Inventory & Lot Tracking

Preventing recalls and ensuring traceability are essential in an era of heightened food safety concerns. Modern ERP systems provide granular tracking capabilities that allow manufacturers to identify contaminated lots in case of a food safety incident, minimizing the scope and cost of recalls.

Supply Chain Visibility

Manufacturers maintain profit margins by improving logistics planning and managing ingredient sourcing with the help of ERP programs. This level of visibility has become a competitive advantage as global supply chains continue to face disruptions.

Compliance & Labeling

Strict food safety and nutritional labeling regulations require ongoing adjustments. ERP systems with built-in compliance features help manufacturers navigate this complex landscape – particularly valuable for small and medium-sized producers.

All-in-One Systems

The ordering and invoicing side of ERP programs is a key advantage, particularly for growing manufacturers who need seamless integration between production and finance. Eliminating manual data transfer between systems reduces errors and administrative overhead.

Multiple Facilities and Remote Warehousing

Many snack manufacturers produce long-shelf-life items that are well-suited for remote warehouses or multiple facilities, unlike perishable products like fresh bread. Modern ERP systems provide the coordination capabilities needed to optimize this distributed approach.

Beyond these core functions, advanced ERP solutions like FlexiBake offer enhanced capabilities specifically designed for snack manufacturers:

• Costing and Margin Analysis – Essential for maintaining profitability amid fluctuating ingredient costs.
• Nutritional Analysis – Ensuring accurate labeling and regulatory compliance.
• Sales and Order Management – Streamlining customer relationships and minimizing errors.
• Direct Store Delivery (DSD) with Driver App – Increasing visibility and improving invoice management in the field.

As competition among snack manufacturers intensifies and margins tighten, FlexiBake has become necessary for the companies’ growth in the snack industry.

The Future of Snacking Trends

The latest snack trends emerge at the intersection of culinary creativity, technological innovation, and conscious consumption. For manufacturers, success requires balancing creativity with operational excellence. Modern ERP systems provide the foundation that enables innovation while maintaining efficiency and compliance—essential factors as consumer expectations and regulations become more complex.

Whether you’re a startup or an established manufacturer, investing in the proper technological infrastructure is crucial for success. The future belongs to brands that deliver exciting products with the transparency and consistency that well-implemented systems provide.