What are some ingredient trends that have excited you recently?

Chef Carmisha Ramsey: I’m seeing more and more people get excited about innovative snacks being released internationally, and they’re wondering why the snack or flavor hasn’t been released in the States. Operators are trying different licensing opportunities and different innovation in food or flavor combos, and I believe consumers want to see more coming out of the U.S. operations. I hope we can see more trends pushing flavor and format here! Additionally, sourdough is still having a big moment, which really started in 2020. We are now seeing sourdough pancakes, biscuits, waffles, pizza crust, cookies, brownies … you name it. I hope to see more of it in the snacking space in the next year or so.

Chef Joel Minkoff: I’m seeing the use of more fruits beyond citrus. Calamansi, pear, guava and passion fruit are seeing more broad-based appeal. The combination of passion fruit, orange and guava is a trifecta of tart, citrus and sweet. The flavor combination stems from Hawaiian cultures and is making its way across a variety of food and beverage categories, including drinks, sauces, ice cream and bakery.

How do you develop recipes using ingredients in unexpected ways?

Chef Ramsey: This really is about trial and error, and having the willingness to get it wrong … and things can go wrong quickly! When brainstorming with partners and discussing the purpose of an ingredient, I may have a light-bulb moment and say, “Ooh, have you ever tried it this way?” If their answer is no, my next thought is, “Hmm, what can I do to make it work that way?” Growing up, my mom would always tell me that I was from the Show Me State … I guess she was right!

Chef Minkoff: It’s fun creating recipes that deliver layers of flavor, texture and have visual appeal. For instance, in a sweet baked item, like a traditional Cinnamon Roll, adding OREO Base Cake into the dough, having small OREO Cookie pieces rolled into the center and then adding larger OREO Cookie pieces as a topping helps to deliver multisensory appeal.

What are examples of ingredients that have multiple applications in different recipes?

Chef Minkoff: There are many ingredients that have both sweet and savory applications. In the past, bacon was widely used in sweet baked goods. Today, the global palette has expanded that reach. Ingredients like miso add a savory punch and umami to sweet sauces. A touch of white miso can take a traditional caramel to the next level. Brown butter, used mostly in savory sauces, adds depth of flavor and nuttiness to sweet goods. I have seen brown butter used in ice cream and some baked goods. Also, including a cooking technique like smoking, toasting, roasting or brûléeing can add complexity to the flavor profiles of sweet desserts.

How do you balance creativity and customer demand when creating new desserts?

Chef Minkoff: There is a balance to delivering on a customer concept that uses our branded foodservice ingredients in creative ways. The customer has menu slots, price points and margins to consider. To deliver, we collaborate with our operators to ensure we are listening to their specific needs and unique menu opportunities. We can also support our creative efforts with analytics and data to be sure we are working toward a concept that is a proper fit that resonates with each operator’s specific customers.

How do you manage to balance high-quality desserts with operational efficiency, especially in high-volume settings?

Chef Minkoff: When creating recipes, we work with full-scratch cooking, speed-scratch cooking or using fully prepared items on menus. Depending on the level of the back-of-house setup, staffing and skill levels, we can offer recipes or products that work within each customer’s parameters. In high-volume settings, we can work with our network of third-party manufacturers that deliver custom products that are high quality, consistent across markets and offer ease of execution.

What should operators consider when plating desserts in a social-media-driven world?

Chef Ramsey: Complexity. Sometimes operators want to go above and beyond and create something that is so amazing and beautiful, but then becomes difficult to execute across hundreds or thousands of locations with perfection and consistency. The moment someone gets something that doesn’t look anything like the advertisement, that becomes the viral buzz — not how beautiful it looks on a plate in the well-manicured picture.

Chef Minkoff: The use of social media and the ease of posting high-quality pictures with cell phones has taken the plating of desserts to the next level. The visual appeal of height, color and adding textural components has become more important.

How do you develop unique concepts and recipes using Mondelēz Foodservice products?

Chef Minkoff: Staying up to date with flavor and ingredient trends and weaving them into new, interesting concepts is key to grabbing both the foodservice operators’ and their customers’ attention. I enjoy taking traditional ingredients and seeing how we can reinvent them.

For more on the top foodservice trends and recipes using Mondelēz products, visit our insights page.