The food and drink industry never fails to amaze me with its new creations, unexpected flavour combinations, and gadgets that quickly become obsessions. But this environment of ever-evolving tastebuds can make it difficult for brands to stay relevant. Getting ahead of the culinary trends that will be feasted on in 2025 is therefore key to success.
Every December, Pinterest reveals the trends that are set to take off the following year, based on what we’re seeing on our platform. And it’s not guesswork: over the past five years, 80% of our trend predictions have come true.
So what’s going to be popular in the food and drink industry in 2025? We predict it will be all about experimentation, playfulness and expression. Whether dining out or staying in, people are looking for escapism through food, and nothing is too wacky.
Crossover trends
External influences from fashion, beauty, and home industries will be influencing our food and drink choices in 2025. First up, Cherry Coded is a cross-category trend we expect to be a showstopper. People will be infusing cherries into not only their makeup and moodboards, but menus, too – cherry martini, anyone?
Another crossover trend we’ll be celebrating is Surreal Soirées, where fantastical tablescaping will see ‘cake bouquet flowers’ and ‘strawberry centrepieces’ take centre stage.
Pickle mania
We’re also expecting interesting ingredient-first trends. Earlier this year, Dua Lipa went viral with her addition of pickle juice to Diet Coke, putting a tangy twist on the popular drink. Next year, expect to see pickles go mainstream as people look to get their ‘pickle fix’.
From sweet treats to tangy cocktails, Gen X and millennials are heading to Pinterest to see how they can incorporate the in-vogue ingredient into their recipes. Searches for ‘pickle fries’, ‘fried pickle dip’ and ‘pickle de gallo’ are all on the rise. Cocktail fans are also creating pickle margaritas for a delicious balance of sweet, salty and sour flavours. And it doesn’t stop there: even searches for ‘pickle cakes’ are increasing.
Chaos cakes
Speaking of cakes, it’s time to say goodbye to picture-perfect bakes. Cake decoration is expected to take a chaotic twist, led by boomers and Gen X. In a trend we’ve coined Chaos Cakes, nothing is too out there as searches for ‘funny cakes for friends’, ‘silly cakes’ and even ‘rat cakes’ are gaining popularity.
This trend may remind you of the ‘hear me out’ cakes that went viral on social media this year – cakes that people dedicated to their crushes, placing cutout photos on sticks on top of the bakes.
‘Newstalgia’
Nostalgic food is another area that’s having a resurgence and ‘newstalgia’ is expected to take over. It’s all about reinventing timeless favourites with a modern spin, exemplified by our Rebel Floats trend. People are exploring their creativity at the soda fountain, driving the return of the ‘cream soda aesthetic’ by giving old-school soda pops radical makeovers. This comes as searches for ‘fruit soda’, ‘homemade soda,’ and ‘soda drink recipes’ are increasing on Pinterest.
For alcohol brands, why not capitalise on this trend by placing a rebellious twist on the class soda float? I personally love root beer floats with a kick of vanilla rum.
Our Pinterest Predicts report shows 2025 will be the year of exploration and creativity for food and drink, as people put unique twists on traditional recipes. By infusing adventurous elements into campaigns and offerings, brands can tap into people’s desires for escapism in their dining experiences to ultimately resonate with their customer base and positively influence sales.
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