Get ready for the saccharine sweetness of brown sugar.
The Food and Beverage Trends Report, published annually for several decades by California-based T. Hasegawa, a flavor development company that has used its chemists to support the food and beverage industry since 1903, has named brown sugar the 2025 Flavor of the Year. In the new report, T. Hasegawa describes brown sugar as versatile as it is nostalgic. And while it has been a culinary staple for centuries, its rich, complex flavor profile allows it to branch out in more novel ways.
So expect to see brown sugar — defined by its color, which comes from the presence of molasses to give it its distinct hue, flavor, and moisture — expand into more baked goods, sweet and savory sauces, and a multitude of specialty drinks.
Already, brown sugar has started to gain a following in cafes with the rise of the brown sugar latte and the brown sugar milk tea. Bartenders have taken note too — as craft cocktails can often rely on brown sugar to deepen flavor profiles. And in the last few years, brown sugar has exploded and become ubiquitous in mainstream meals: Pop-Tarts’ brown sugar cinnamon is one of its most popular flavors; a brown sugar sauce, once available at Yankee Stadium in 2024, has entered the world of chicken wings; and the world of ice cream has seen a brown sugar and cinnamon flavor.
It all adds up to confirm T. Hasegawa’s assertion that the ingredient is “popular among foodies and culinary influencers on social media.”
“Consumer preferences are continually evolving in food and drink categories, and the flavor industry is on the frontline of these trends,” Mark Webster, vice president of sales and marketing at T. Hasegawa U.S.A., said in a statement. “By working with many of the world’s top food and beverage brands, our research and development team have direct insight into the ingredients, culinary trends, and consumer demand that will influence restaurant menus and CPG products well into the future.”
Along with naming brown sugar the 2025 Flavor of the Year, T. Hasegawa’s report predicts other up-and-coming ingredient and flavor trends, along with consumer patterns the company expects to shape the world of food and beverage in 2025.
Key highlights include ingredients — such as nootropics and adaptogens — meant to benefit holistic and mental health; the increased use of fiber, prebiotics, and post-biotics in non-traditional categories as a way to benefit digestive health; a craving for foods and beverages that evoke nostalgia, leading to a retro look at flavor combinations; a focus on nutrition by reducing sugar and balancing flavor and nutrition with weight loss in mind; fun fantasy flavors, such as “rainbow” and “unicorn,” meant to evoke an escape from reality; and brands mining the health benefits of mushrooms.
How it all shakes out in 2025 remains to be fully baked out, but expect brown sugar to be a key flavor.
