11 Food Trends We're Predicting Now For 2025

As we look ahead to 2025, it seems like our society oscillates between wishing to live in the picturesque past or the glorious future. There's plenty of food trends we can feel both excited and nervous about in 2025, but one thing is for sure: in the year ahead, the food landscape is set to evolve in exciting ways. From innovative dining experiences to nostalgic comebacks, we are all in for some interesting changes. 

We've scoured the internet, analyzed current trends, industry reports, and consumer behavior reports to predict 11 food trends that could shape our eating habits in the coming year. Some of these are brand new and up-and-coming fads, while others have started appearing in the last year and are expected to kick into overdrive in 2025. Our food trend predictions range from tech-enhanced dining to cozy foods, feral gardening, and the resurgence of classic beverages. We'll explore how sustainability and health consciousness are influencing our food choices, as well as the growing interest in diverse global flavors. 

Be warned: you may have some strong opinions about our choices, and that's perfectly okay. We'd love to know what you think about genetically engineered potatoes, or how excited you are about chili and chamoy-flavored desserts. This list offers an educated glimpse into what might be on our plates and in our glasses by 2025, so check out these food trends and see what the future of eating might hold.

It may sound like a moment from Back to the Future, but the main trend that is set to revolutionize the restaurant experience in 2025 is tech-enhanced dining. According to Canadian Restaurant and Foodservice News, AI-powered personalization in menus, apps and even restaurant experiences and immersive augmented reality will be the trends to watch in the year ahead. We already know that drive-thru AI voices can make you spend more money, but that is only the beginning. With restaurant visits declining every year and customers increasingly tired of tipping 20% for middling service, many restaurants chains are trying to get the diners back by exploring AI systems that can analyze customer preferences and dining history to provide tailored menu recommendations and customized experiences.

You may have seen robots in your favorite sushi place, and those are just the beginning. As reported by Hospitality Technology, tabletop tablets and smartphone integration will allow diners to place orders, make customizations, and pay seamlessly without waiting for servers. Behind the scenes, AI and robotics will optimize kitchen operations, with automated systems handling repetitive tasks to improve efficiency and consistency. Some particularly innovative concept restaurants are even incorporating augmented reality to bring dishes to life with 3D visuals or provide nutritional information through interactive displays. 

But don't immediately assume your favorite barista is going to be replaced by a robot — human interaction will remain important. However, industry experts suggest that strategic use of technology can enhance service and free up staff to focus on hospitality.

The cottagecore aesthetic that took the world by storm during the pandemic is evolving in fascinating ways as we head into 2025. The aesthetic of exposed wood beams and cozy-looking kitchens is not going anywhere, and the evolution of cottagecore in food reflects a growing desire for comforting, natural flavors, blending nostalgia with innovation on our plates. While the days of Instagram-perfect sourdough loaves may be behind us, the fermentation trend is far from over. If TikTok is any indication, plenty of bakers are into making colorful treats out of sourdough. And commercial sourdough is branching out beyond traditional bread, making appearances in grocery aisles as pasta, crackers, and even pizza crusts. For those with a sweet tooth, sourdough pancake and waffle mixes are bringing some of the tanginess to the breakfast table.

But it's not just about sourdough. Food & Wine reports that honey and seeds are at the forefront of this cottagecore 2.0 movement. Hot honey will pop up everywhere in 2025, while specialty honeys and honey-infused products are also a growing trend, from Clark and Hopkins' Ethiopian curry, ginger, and honey-infused hot sauce, to Tillamook's sea salt & honeycomb toffee flavor. We may not be into urban bee-keeping, but it looks like city dwellers still definitely want to feel like they live in the quaint countryside.

Move over espresso martinis — there's a new cocktail trend ready to take center stage in 2025. According to Pinterest Predicts, dark red flavors are set to dominate this year, with cherries leading the charge. The platform reports a staggering 325% increase in searches for "cherry vibe" over the last year, while "cherry martinis" specifically have seen an 80% surge in interest.

This fruity, dark variation of the classic martini is a hit among of Millennials and Gen Z, who are embracing cherries as more than just a garnish. The appeal of cherry martinis and cherry drinks lies in their beautiful burgundy color, along with the sweet and tart flavor, coupled with the sophisticated allure of a traditional martini. As we head into 2025, expect to see these ruby-red concoctions prominently featured on cocktail menus and social media.

But the cherry trend isn't stopping at the bar. Pinterest's data suggests we'll be seeing more cherry-coded clothing and even cherry-flavored condiments in the coming year. Whether you're sipping a cherry martini, sporting a cherry-red outfit, or spreading some cherry jam, it seems 2025 will be the year to immerse yourself in this fruit's dark and sweet allure.

The Internet's love for baking continues with the next trend that began arising in 2024 and will soar to new heights in 2025: the dump cake. Because apparently, in 2025, we've collectively decided that even lifting a whisk is too much effort. This culinary "innovation" — and I use that term loosely — is the latest trend for those who believe baking should be as intellectually challenging as watching paint dry.

The concept is devastatingly simple: take a few cans of fruit, sprinkle on some cake mix, drown it in butter, and voilà — you've got yourself a "homemade" dessert. They were popularized by Middle America icons like the Pioneer Woman, and the Food Network is heralding them as one of the easiest desserts possible. It's the gastronomic equivalent of assembling flat-pack furniture, only with more sugar and marginally less frustration. Recipe developer Tiffany Page calls dump cakes "the ultimate lazy baker's dream," and she's not wrong. This trend caters perfectly to a world where instant gratification isn't quite instant enough. 

The variations on dump cakes are endless, and the trends of cherry and dump cakes were already starring on TikTok together during Christmas this year. Other trendy flavors include lemon and condensed milk, Nutella-strawberry for the chocoholics, and banana-Rolo for those who've given up entirely on nutritional value.

It looks like in 2025, culinary excellence will be measured not by skill or creativity, but by how quickly you can empty your pantry into a baking dish. Nigella Lawson must be so proud.

It seems 2025 is set to be the year of soda with a healthy dash of nostalgia. First, Pinterest Predicts reports that Gen Z and Millennials are giving old-school soda pop a fresh makeover, blending nostalgia with contemporary tastes in their search terms and their TikTok videos.

Cream soda is making a comeback, with searches for "cream soda aesthetic" up 105%. Fruit sodas are also seeing a surge in interest, jumping 185% in searches. For those who prefer a hands-on approach, homemade soda searches have increased by 40%. Water-based kefir drinks are also gaining traction among consumers, according to Spoon University, while Honey B's sparkling honey drink offers a natural alternative to sodas.

Riding this wave of soda enthusiasm, A&W is introducing their ice cream sundae root beer in 2025, promising to deliver all the nostalgia of a root beer float without the hassle of actually combining root beer and ice cream. How wonderfully convenient. Not to be left behind, PepsiCo is launching a whole line of "Floats" sodas. They're reimagining classics like Mug Root Beer and Pepsi, and even venturing into unexplored territory with a Mountain Dew float variant. Because nothing says "sophisticated palate" quite like carbonated Mountain Dew ice cream.

Whether it's a hit of nostalgia or a novel flavor experience, 2025's soda landscape is shaping up to be anything but boring. It'll be interesting to see how these new offerings are received in the competitive beverage market — and which sodas you love best in a float in place of a root beer.

If potager gardening and cottagecore had a baby, it would be chaos gardening — and it's set to be all the rage among the homesteading or hobby porch farmer crowd in 2025. Chaos gardening, the latest trend taking root in both social media and professional horticultural circles, is breathing new life into food cultivation. According to Better Homes & Gardens, this carefree approach to growing produce involves scattering a variety of vegetable and herb seeds randomly throughout a garden space, eschewing traditional neat rows and careful planning.

Popularized on TikTok with over 13 billion views, chaos gardening has now caught the attention of seasoned gardeners and novices alike. Its appeal lies in its simplicity and low-maintenance nature, allowing gardeners to bypass the often stressful planning phase and jump straight into growing. TikTok user Meg Grows Plants demonstrates the method's success with carrots, reporting more bountiful harvests than when meticulously sowing. While chaos reigns in seed distribution, some considerations remain important for success. Choosing a sunny location, ensuring good soil quality, and selecting compatible plants are key. Native species often thrive with minimal intervention, while unique tropical plants may not thrive on your Minnesota winter porch. 

As sustainability considerations continue taking center stage in 2025, this approach will gain popularity not only because it is beautifully lazy, but that it also promotes biodiversity and creates a more natural, evolving food garden. As the method gains traction, it'll challenge traditional notions of food cultivation and encourage a more intuitive, nature-led approach to growing one's own produce.

As we approach 2025, hibachi dining is set to sizzle to the forefront of food trends, offering a bit of culinary theater for those who find regular restaurants just too stationary. If you're not familiar with this trend, it's a Japanese cooking style where "hi" translates to fire and "bachi" to a bowl, which essentially means cooking food in a hot bowl or long circular tray. In North America, the traditional hibachi dinner is often synonymous with teppanyaki, a spectacle in which Asian-style chefs perform culinary acrobatics at tableside grills over a solid griddle. 

In 2025, Cozymeal, the website for food experiences, predicts that hibachi's popularity will continue to rise, even making its way into catering and food trucks. It's a bit hard to imagine how this is going to look, but this mobile turn is expected to allow talented cooks serve up convenient, high-quality Japanese dishes at a carnival or birthday party near you with all the flair of a sit-down restaurant.

While hibachi represents a specific type of Asian grilling, it's also part of a broader trend towards international barbecue styles. There are specific reasons why steak cooked on a hibachi grill is just so much better, but there's more to this trend than science. As noted by Foodservice and Hospitality, global barbecue techniques are gaining traction all over the world, with Korean barbecue flavors becoming increasingly mainstream in 2024. Because a rising tide lifts all boats, this global barbecue trend will help propel hibachi's growing popularity even further.

Asian flavors in general have been rising in popularity in 2024 and will continue in 2025, but Asian sweets are poised to make the biggest splash yet this year. As Asian grocery stores have spread across U.S. cities, Asian sweets like Hi-Chew and Japanese Cororo gummy candies are becoming more and more accessible on supermarket shelves. Conventional domestic stores have also moved into the scene, with hits like Walgreens' Nice! banana gummy candies going viral and introducing Americans to Korean products on their grocery shelves. 

Then, along came TikTok, seeing a surge in homemade versions of international Asian sweet treats like peelable mango gummies, Korean fruit punch Hwachae, and tanghulu, a traditional Chinese snack of fresh fruit on a skewer, encased in a glass-like transparent sugar shell. The upcoming year is expected to continue these trends, bringing ever more versions of Korean candy to phone screens and supermarkets near you. 

For a trend that should come with its own heat warning, look no further than the rise of spicy desserts. "Swicy," the flavor combination of sweet and spicy, has been making headway in North America since 2023, but it's about to move into a whole other level on the Scoville scale. 

According to Food & Wine, from ghost pepper-infused chocolates to habanero-spiked ice creams, dessert menus are getting a fiery makeover. Products like Pocas' hot and spicy gummy bears offer a playful take on the classic candy. For those who prefer their heat with a raised pinky, options like Blake Hill Preserves' mango pineapple habanero jam help bridge the gap between preserves and condiments. Whole Foods is expecting chamoy candy to be a market trend in 2025, alongside chili crunch oil. Foodservice and Hospitality magazine notes that this trend is particularly appealing to younger generations, who are more likely to venture beyond traditional dessert formats and flavors. According to Mintel's U.S. dessert industry trend report, spicy baked goods in particular are now all the rage on bakery shelves. In mainstream recognition, the Callebaut Chocolate Academy highlighted the continued evolution of "sweet & spicy" as a key trend in bakery and pastry for the coming years. This suggests we might soon see an influx of desserts featuring unexpected spice blends, such as Tajín Clásico, in our local bakeries and cafés.

As the "swicy" trend continues to heat up, dessert lovers with a taste for adventure have a lot to look forward to. Just remember to keep a glass of milk handy — you might need it!

Low and no-alcohol wine continues to gain momentum as we move into 2025, riding the wave of the "sober-curious" movement. According to Spoon University, younger consumers are increasingly opting for alcohol-free and reduced alcohol offerings beyond just Dry January, with a growing emphasis on the mental benefits of drinking less. This trend aligns with a broader shift towards "new sobriety," which focuses on intentionality in drinking habits.

National Geographic reports that the trend for lower alcohol drinks is growing stronger across various categories, especially wine. Recent changes in U.K. duty regulations have made it more financially attractive to produce wines with lower alcohol by volume (ABV), providing an economic incentive for winemakers to explore lower alcohol options. And luckily, we've already sampled 10 of the best non-alcoholic wines to try in the United States.

While low alcohol spirits were all the rage in 2024, they are ceding their market share to wine this year. IWSR forecasts predict a significant shift in the U.S. market, with low-alcohol wine volumes expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 14% between 2023 and 2027. In contrast, low-alcohol spirits are projected to decline by 9% annually over the same period. This trend suggests that wine lovers are embracing lower ABV options with particular enthusiasm, potentially reshaping wine lists and retail offerings in the coming years as the world grows to embrace sober curious as more than just a fad. 

Plant-based proteins continue to evolve and define the food landscape in 2025, with innovations pushing the boundaries of what we thought possible in meat alternatives. Sustainability is the word on everyone's lips in 2025 as plant-based foods become increasingly sophisticated, moving beyond simple meat substitutes to create unique culinary experiences out of fermented nuts, sea moss, water lentils, and other sea vegetables. As the new proposed U.S. dietary guidelines emphasize increased consumption of plant-based foods, consumers are becoming more health-conscious and environmentally aware, and the plant-based protein market is expected to continue its rapid growth and innovation with dozens of new plant-based products.

One of the most exciting developments is the emergence of PoLoPo's technology, which allows for the growth of real egg proteins in potatoes. This approach blurs the line between plant and animal proteins, offering a sustainable solution to egg production that could revolutionize the food industry — but also draw the ire of many towards these "franken-potatoes."

Mushrooms, which gained popularity as "steaks" in 2024, have cemented their place in the plant-based protein world. The trend has expanded, with chefs and food manufacturers exploring various fungi species to create diverse textures and flavors in meat alternatives. The book "Mushroom Gastronomy," which we chose as one of our top vegetarian cookbooks in 2024, helped draw global attention to this diverse ingredient. They will continue to dominate the plant-based landscape in 2025.