Jenny LaPaugh, senior director of regional and artisanal channel marketing for Dawn Foods, points out that today’s consumers love to experiment when it comes to food, a key trend in the marketplace. One secret to success, she says, is to pair something very familiar with something new — “that’s going to take you where you want to go.”

Knowing the influential consumer trends helps inform, inspire, and spark successful ideas.

According to Datassential research presented to Dawn and its retail bakery customers, 28% of consumers are interested in savory flavor in desserts, while 49% of operators either offer or are interested in offering savory in ingredients in their desserts. Olive oil, for example, has seen a 19-times increase in dessert menu penetration over the past decade.

Further, 59% of operators either offer or are interested in offering desserts with “free-from” descriptors while 26% of consumers are very interested or interested in this trend. Vegan desserts, for instance, have grown six-fold on menus in the past 10 years.

In another key trend, 54% of consumers are interested in cookies as ingredients in desserts. Similarly, 57% of operators offer these desserts or are open to offering them. Cookie crumbs and crumbles, for instance, have seen a 33% increase in menu penetration.

Desserts with alcohol pique the interest of 30% of consumers, and 35% of operators offer these desserts or are open to offering them. Over the past decade, whiskey-infused desserts have increased 58% on menus.

Also, 41% of consumers are very interested or interested in global desserts, while 55% of operators offer them or would be interested in offering them. The French macaron, for example, has had a 13-times increase in penetration in the past 10 years. Two ethnic dessert types, the affogato and the pot de crème, are the fastest-growing dishes on American dessert menus.