Top 10 Holiday Flavour Trends

Menu the comfort and joy of sweet and savoury flavours that herald the season

The holidays are a gloriously busy time of year. They’re also a fantastic opportunity to offer seasonal menu items that score big with foodservice guests. Holiday flavours, like pumpkin spice, sage, ginger and peppermint, signal merriment and nostalgia. The challenge is taking these traditional flavours and fitting them into savoury and sweet dishes that express today’s biggest food trends. Read on for ways to package the best of the season into modern, irresistible dishes.

Nearly 60% of Canadian consumers said they would likely order a limited-time offering with flavours associated with a specific time of year.* Consumers age 34 and younger are even more likely to drive traffic for these offerings.*Technomic Consumer Brand Metrics

#1 SAGE

With its fragrant, earthy profile, sage is a classic wintry flavour that is finding its way beyond classic holiday stuffing recipes. Chefs today are adding it wherever they want a clear tie to holiday flavours, using a deft but creative touch for best result.

Kraft Culinary Centre Tip

Kraft Mayo

Make a festive dipping sauce for
holiday house fries by combining
Kraft Mayo Real Mayonnaise with
fresh sage and a touch of puréed cranberries.

Chicken and Habanero Cheeseburgers with Apricot Mayo

Crispy Kale & Roasted Squash Salad

Poached Pear “Crostini”

Spice-Infused Chocolate Pots de Crème

#2 SPICED

Spiced menu mentions have gone up 25.9% since 2011, according to Technomic’s 2015 Canadian MenuMonitor.

#3 GINGERSNAP/GINGERBREAD

With warm, spiced notes, gingerbread is one of those flavours that usually appears only during the holidays. That anticipation helps build excitement around seasonal offerings featuring gingerbread and gingersnap.

Kraft Culinary Centre Tip

Philadelphia

Make a gingerbread cheesecake
by adding ground ginger, cloves
and cinnamon to your cheesecake
batter, made with Philadelphia Cream Cheese.
For the crust, combine gingersnaps with butter.

Gingersnap-Pear Mini Trifles

Lemony Gingerbread Mini Mousse Cakes

Smoked Turkey Sandwich with Arugula Slaw & Cranberry-Jalapeno Spread

Crostini with Cranberry-Raspberry Compote & Cambozola

#4 CRANBERRY

Cranberry is a holiday icon, adding its sweet-tart pop of flavour to beverages, salads, spreads and desserts. The chefs at the Kraft Culinary Centre like contrasting it with a lingering sweetness (marrying it with balsamic dressing or honey, for example).

Cranberry menu mentions have gone up 48.7% since 2011, according to Technomic's 2015 Canadian ManuMonitor

#5 SWEET POTATO

Technically not a flavour, but an ingredient, any list of holiday hits has to include the sweet potato. Technomic calls out a menu opportunity, suggesting using sweet potato in unexpected but welcome places, such as poutine, hash browns, gnocchi and tots.

Kraft Culinary Centre Tip

Philadelphia

Make a sweet potato and parsnip
gratin, adding creaminess with
Philadelphia Cream Cheese and sharpness
with Kraft Grated Parmesan Cheese.

Crab & Sweet Potato Au Gratin

Blue Cheese & Bacon Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Festive Pumpkin Cheesecake

Pumpkin Mousse Tarts with Praline Crunch

#6 PUMPKIN

Pumpkin spice or pumpkin filling, this is probably the hottest seasonal trend and shows no sign of abating. Although pumpkin finds a natural home on the dessert menu, you can surprise and delight fans of this flavour by adding it to your savoury menu, too.

Datassential MenuTrends 2015 shows that pumpkin has almost TRIPLED as seasonal LTOs or new menu items since 2011

#7 EGGNOG

Eggnog has probably the shortest lifespan, adored for a handful of weeks in December. But although it burns out quickly, it shines brightly. A true fan favourite, it’s best saved for holiday party menus or weekend special lists.

Kraft Culinary Centre Tip

JELL-O

Make an eggnog pie by combining
Jell-O Vanilla Pudding Mix, eggnog,
cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour over
a graham cracker crust.

Eggnog Cheesecake Shake

Eggnog-Citrus Cheesecake

Candy Cane Swirled Cheesecake Bars

Peppermint Cheesecake

#8 PEPPERMINT/CANDY CANE

Peppermint and candy cane flavours are whimsical, colourful reminders that the holidays are fleeting and fun. The challenge is adding them in just the right amount.

Peppermint menu mentions have gone up 29.6% since 2011, according to Technomic’s 2015 Canadian MenuMonitor.

#9 CHOCOLATE

Yes, it’s always chocolate season, but the holidays present an opportunity for rich, deep, dark chocolate indulgence.

Kraft Culinary Centre Tip

Philadelphia

Make chocolate peppermints,
which are perfect holiday mini
desserts; combine Philadelphia
Cream Cheese, peppermint extract and
powdered sugar, set, then top with melted
chocolate and a sprinkle of crushed candy cane.

Chocolate Bourbon Layer Cake

Chocolate Stout "Cupcakes" with Philly Buttercream Frosting

Orange Honey Blossom Oatmeal Pancakes with Fresh Fruit

Kale Salad with Beets, Oranges & Hazelnuts

#10 CITRUS

Citrus fruits are one of the bright spots during winter. Oranges, lemons and limes bring zing to both savoury and sweet menus. A new trend is adding a cooking technique to citrus—roasting, caramelizing or grilling it for sweet, rich, developed flavours.

Orange menu mentions have gone up 35% since 2011, according to Technomic’s 2015 Canadian MenuMonitor.

Perfect for holiday brunch, all-day breakfast or snacking menus, cream cheeses spiked with holiday flavours add a festive, delicious touch.

Pumpkin Pie Cream Cheese

Philadelphia Cream Cheese

canned pumpkin

pumpkin pie spice

Holiday Spice Cream Cheese

Philadelphia Cream Cheese

brown sugar

cinnamon

nutmeg

ginger

Gingerbread Cream Cheese

Philadelphia Cream Cheese

brown sugar

molasses

ginger

nutmeg

Salads really are evergreen, always on menus no matter what the season. Small tweaks to the dressings can give them a holiday glow.

Cranberry Vinaigrette

Pure Kraft Creamy Balsamic Dressing

frozen cranberries (thawed)

Sage Vinaigrette

Pure Kraft Sweet Balsamic Vinaigrette

fresh sage

Dijon mustard

Winter Citrus Ranch Dressing

Pure Kraft Ranch Dressing

blood orange juice and zest

Today’s french fry menus demand a craveable, creative dipping sauce. Make it holiday-perfect with fun, seasonal flavours.

Cranberry Aïoli

Kraft Mayo Real Mayonnaise

cranberry sauce

roasted garlic

Dijon mustard

Sage Aïoli

Kraft Mayo Real Mayonnaise

fresh sage

lemon juice

garlic

Pumpkin-Sriracha Aïoli

Kraft Mayo Real Mayonnaise

canned pumpkin

Sriracha sauce

smoked paprika

garlic

Barbecue sauce has found its way onto on-trend shareable and bar bites menus, defying the limits of the summer season. Move your wings, meatballs, sliders and more into the holiday season with just a few easy add-ins.