British Bakels has identified five ways bakers can build on familiar festive favourites this Christmas, after consumer research found shoppers remain drawn to traditional products and flavours.

In the company’s study, respondents were asked to name the Christmas products and flavours they were looking forward to this year.

Mince pies were mentioned by 35% of respondents, while festive spice was the most popular flavour grouping, cited by 41%. Fruit was mentioned by 27%, chocolate by 25% and caramel, toffee or fudge by 13%.

Smaller formats, including cookies, brownies, cupcakes and muffins, were mentioned by 19%.

Dan Jones, marketing manager at British Bakels, said:

“Christmas is an occasion where familiarity really matters. From our work with bakers and what consumers are telling us, we know people still want the products and flavours they know and love, but that does not mean bakers cannot be creative.”

According to Jones, the opportunity lies in richer flavour combinations, added texture and distinctive finishes, rather than reinventing the Christmas range completely.

The first of the company’s recommendations is to back traditional formats, making them feel more special through flavour, filling and finish rather than replacing the products consumers already look forward to.

The second is to make familiar flavours work harder.

British Bakels suggested combining warming spice, chocolate, fruit and caramel in more indulgent ways across different formats, such as chocolate and cherry for Black Forest-inspired profiles, or caramel paired with spice or used as a filling.

The company pointed to its Dark Cherry Fruit Filling and Creamy Injectable Caramel as options for both approaches.

Third, texture and finish can create a point of difference without changing the core bake.

British Bakels cited its Speculoos Crumb for warming spice and added texture, and its Ready-to-Use Mallow for toppings and finishes across sweet bakery applications.

Fourth, smaller formats should not be overlooked, with the research pointing to demand for individual and snackable festive treats.

The company named its Fudgy Brownie Mix and Chocolate Mud Cake Mix as versatile bases for seasonal formats of different sizes.

Fifth, production should stay simple when demand peaks.

According to British Bakels, versatile mixes and ready-to-use components can help bakers streamline preparation, maintain consistency and create several seasonal variants from a manageable number of core products.

The company highlighted its Multimix Cake Base for festive cake applications.

Jones added that the strongest Christmas ranges do not have to be the most complicated, with versatile bases and variation through flavour, texture and finish helping bakers keep production practical.

British Bakels’ technical team works with customers on festive product development and production requirements.