Move over, pumpkin! Hot cocoa is the hot flavor this holiday season

Perennial flavor favorites pumpkin and pumpkin spice have been dethroned in the battle of the holiday flavors for 2024, with hot cocoa/hot chocolate coming out on top in purchase interest among all generations this season.

Hot cocoa as a flavor appeals to 59% of shoppers, growing by more than 11% in purchase interest since last year, according to the upcoming Holiday 2024 Shopper Study from Daymon, which powers private brand development for Advantage Solutions.

Not that pumpkin or pumpkin spice are going anywhere too far too soon - although there has been some decline in interest among shoppers, the ubiquitous seasonal favorites both still rank in the top 10 of holiday flavor preferences.

That drop in interest can be attributed to some level setting among the pumpkin and pumpkin spice set following the pumpkin-palooza of the past decade, says Chelsey Capps, director of thought leadership for Daymon. In addition, she notes that the younger Gen Z cohort is more interested in newer flavors, while millennials are those most likely to stick with pumpkin.

As for the growing interest among consumers in hot cocoa flavor, Capps says: "Over the last couple of years, we've seen innovation in categories that historically may not have experienced as much flavor innovation. Hot cocoa flavor offers a slightly different take on traditional chocolate flavor, and I think that's exciting to consumers."

This twist on chocolate is now being seen in a wide range of products, including crackers, beverages, creamers, dairy products, health bars and even popcorn.

"The real driver here lies in category innovation in unexpected places," Capps says. "It represents some level of newness to a staple in one of the most enduring and popular flavors of all time: chocolate. But it's new while still delivering on a sense of warmth and nostalgia that emotionally connects to consumers."

Spices continue to be hot

Just as shoppers sought out sweet and spicy - "swicy" - this past summer, some of that interest in bold new flavors is continuing into this fall and winter.

In another surprise, cinnamon is the No. 2 favorite holiday flavor in consumer interest this year, after being long regarded as a polarizing taste sensation. The report attributes the rise in cinnamon's popularity to increased population diversity and the demand for global cuisine, boosting the spice's flavor profile with purchase interest from 54% of shoppers.

"Cinnamon is a very unique spice in that it really can be subtle and sweet or it can be extremely bold and spicy," Capps says. "But it has strong representation with the holidays as a flavor or a scent. It can offer that bolder and spicier flavor some consumers are looking for, or it can make a dynamic pairing with sweeter flavors like vanilla or chocolate."

Right behind the top two flavors, all with more than 50% purchase interest, are caramel or salted caramel, pumpkin, apple and sugar cookie - traditional holiday flavors that continue to resonate with all shoppers. Meanwhile, Gen Z is also boosting demand for flavors like peppermint (up by 20% in purchase interest among these younger consumers) and candy cane, marshmallow/s'mores and maple.

Holiday flavors mean holiday sales

The seasonality and limited-time nature of many of these flavors are exactly what draws shoppers to them - and why retailers and brands are constantly looking for new ways to entice those eager taste buds. That's especially true of private brands, which is where Daymon comes in.

Daymon leverages a wide variety of tools and expertise in order to best facilitate product development opportunities. More specifically, according to Capps, Daymon tailors the approach around each and every product innovation to the individual retailer, tapping into such distinct characteristics as brand strategy, shopper profile, store format and regionality.

"Retailers have really come to understand the value in creating distinct innovation in their brands and they're increasingly leveraging flavor as a tool in order to support that," Capps says. "For seasonal holiday flavors, which have a specific life span, it's even more important to stand out through new and exciting flavors, pairings and even scents. I think this year we're going to see a lot more of that."

Pass the hot-cocoa popcorn, it's going to be an exciting - and tasty - holiday season!

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