Cookie dough on trend

On the back of the latest ice cream flavour innovations inspired by cafes, gelaterias and chilled desserts, cookie dough is the ice cream ingredient to watch this year in terms of driving demand – according to inclusions specialist Pecan Deluxe Candy (Europe).
Café inspired flavours have increasingly appeared in both tub and hand held ice creams globally over the past few years, evolving from simple flavours to speciality beverage styles including espresso and mocha – not to mention caramel, which showed 31 per cent growth as a coffee drink flavour between 2010 and 2013. Desserts have also helped to influence ice cream trends with cake and cheesecake pieces and doughs – desserts within desserts – becoming especially popular.

EMEA managing director Graham Kingston says: “The beauty of cookie dough is its versatility and range of flavours. Premium ice cream producers are well known for their cookie dough tub variants – some of the leading lines across Europe and Asia – but cookie dough is also emerging as the ideal mouth-watering filler for hand-held cones, replacing the chocolate or other sauce in the base.”
The European ice cream market is expected to be worth over $28bn by the end of 2016. Pecan Deluxe also supplies a range of inclusions to many global premium ice cream and dessert manufacturers.

Kingston adds: “As well as taking inspiration from external sources such as beverages and cakes or puddings, the ice cream sector is looking to explore hybrid products based on, for example, the cronut or ice cream cup cakes. Aside from flavour diversity, ice cream cone innovation has also moved towards a focus on added value from indulgent cores, fillings and toppings – all of which can be supplied by Pecan Deluxe. We are already working with leading manufacturers on exciting tub and hand held developments, and expect others to come on board as demand for cookie dough increases.”