There’s a lot of talk about savory nowadays, and it most certainly applies to the future success of the retail bakery sector. Ask almost any bakery owner that offers savory items, in addition to sweet, and they’ll tell you that savory can outpace sweet bakery sales. One reason why is that consumers, particularly younger ones, are looking to the bakery as a place to enjoy delicious foods to go, and snacking has replaced mealtime occasions.

Recent analysis seems to confirm this trend’s growth, as food industry analyst Technavio reports that savory muffins are increasing in popularity in the muffin market.

“In recent times, consumers' tastes and preferences are changing, and many are willing to experiment with the type of food that they take, including bakery and confectionary products. In line with this, muffins, which are traditionally sweet items, are now being offered in savory varieties as well. With innovations in the bakery food processing techniques and flavors, vendors are coming up with muffins that incorporate several varieties of seasoning, garnishing, and additives,” says Atul Kumar, a lead analyst at Technavio for research on food.

At the 2016 International Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE) in Las Vegas, Nevada, examples of savory product ideas were showcased, including malted sorghum muffins and gluten-free spicy cornbread from Bunge and Cajun kolaches from ADM.

Savory muffins contain products like cheese, parsley, meat, and other fillings. Many bakers are experimenting by adding both sweet and savory flavors to muffins to give them a twist of taste. This availability of muffins in distinct flavors will increase their consumption in the coming years.