Montmorency tart cherries are a beloved and iconic ingredient for sweet treats. Based on a Datassential report[1], 75% of consumers seek out desserts created with this U.S.-grown fruit – making it the ultimate ingredient for pre-packaged bake goods due to their sweet-tart flavor.

This sought-after fruit is available in a variety of forms – dried, frozen, canned, juice and juice concentrate – making it ideal to create innovative items meeting consumer demand. From cookies to pie bars and decadent cakes, sour cherries are a red-hot ingredient across new dessert innovations.

According to Datassential[2], 22% of consumers would be willing to pay more for sweets featuring tart cherries given their premium nature. As locally grown produce is associated with better quality compared to imported foods, 92% of consumers prefer a U.S. grown tart cherry[3] – the ultimate ingredient for all baked goods.

With consumers seeking mash-ups of familiar foods and unconventional flavor pairings, tart cherries evoke a deep sense of nostalgia associated with classic flavors. As product developers tap into the mash-up trend, tart cherries can serve as the recipe base to bringing together unique flavors.

As an iconic dessert ingredient, this U.S. fruit has an appealing sour-sweet flavor that is more in demand today as consumers prefer less sweet foods. Their tart punch gives a wonderful balance to a variety of flavor pairings including ginger, matcha, nutmeg, pistachio and more.

Colorful ingredients evoke that sense of adventure consumers crave and tart cherries meets this demand by offering a bright ruby-red color to your next comforting dessert.