With new options hitting the sweets category, brownies are what’s hot on menus as we head into the spring. Snacking and convenience are a hit with consumers, and portable treats such as brownies meet this rising demand.

That’s reflected in General Mills Foodservice’s latest trends report for April, which allows operators to choose their own brownie adventures with three indulgent dessert recipes: Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches, Brownie Tiramisu and Bananas Foster Fried Brownie Sundae. All three utilize Pillsbury™ Frozen Thaw & Serve Baked Brownie Deluxe Half Sheet. These deluxe frozen brownies with rich, chocolate flavor and moist texture are pre-baked and easy to prepare in a convenient, thaw and serve format.

Another innovator in the brownie category is Killer Brownie. These treats feature high-quality ingredients like hormone-free butter, unbleached flour and sustainably sourced cocoa. New products include dessert options for special dietary needs. For example, Killer Brownies now features the Plant Based Salted Fudge, a rich and fudgy plant-based brownie, made with creamy oat milk, that's finished with semi-sweet chocolate chips and a hint of sea salt.

Some of the company’s best sellers include:

• Cookie Dough Killer Brownie – Golden chocolate chip Killer Cookie™ dough and rich chocolate brownie are baked together with a layer of creamy caramel and extra chocolate chips.
• Kitchen Sink – Rich blonde brownie mixed with rainbow sprinkles and topped with M&M's® and mini chocolate chips is baked atop a decadent fudge brownie.
• Confetti Killer Brownie – Layers of rich vanilla blonde brownie, mixed with a custom blend of rainbow sprinkles, are nestled with creamy caramel and white chocolate chips in the center.

Entenmann’s recently released its newest innovation: Brownie Drizzle Drops. Available at select retailers in two flavors, Triple Chocolate and Creamy Caramel, these bite-sized brownies are made with a smooth, silky center of either rich chocolate or velvety caramel, then finished with a chocolate drizzle.

Brownie Drizzle Drops are individually-wrapped in sharable boxes of eight brownies, perfect for freshness and convenience for sweet snacking on the go and at home.

Some companies are even using brownies as a topping to bolster their limited time offers (LTOs). Krispy Kreme Doughnuts recently announced a partnership with HERSHEY’s on four doughnuts coated, filled and drizzled with HERSHEY’S chocolate. One of the doughnuts, HERSHEY'S Galaxy Brownie, was filled with HERSHEY’S Special Dark Fudge KREME dipped in HERSHEY'S chocolate icing and topped with crunchy brownie pieces and colorful rainbow sprinkles.