Puffed and extruded snack producers are getting experimental with new flavors—move along, cheese puffs—as well as formats, such as gluten-free, and catering to consumers’ wants and needs. Pickle-, pizza-, and even meat-flavored puffs and twists are continuing to do well in the category, with manufacturers trying to predict what the next big flavor innovation will be.

Market data
The salty snacks category as a whole mostly stayed flat, according to Circana (Chicago) data from the past 52 weeks, ending on April 20, 2025. The other salted snacks (no nuts) category brought in $8.5 billion of the total $41.9 billion pie, with a slight 1.5% decrease. Frito-Lay led the pack, with $5.3 billion in sales but a 5% decline, and General Mills brought in $5.7 million, with a 1.5% uptick. Quest Nutrition followed, with $336 million in sales and an impressive 37.3% increase.

Source: Circana OmniMarket™ Total Store View | Geography : Total US - Multi Outlet w/ C-Store (Grocery, Drug, Mass Market, Convenience, Military and Select Club & Dollar Retailers) | Time : Latest 52 Weeks Ending 04-20-25

The cheese snacks category nabbed $4 billion in sales during this time period, experiencing a small 3.2% decline, with Frito-Lay responsible for $3.3 billion of the entire share (a -2.2% decline) and Kellanova bringing in $153.4 million, suffering a 14.3% decline. Utz Quality Foods, which recently released two LTO cheese ball flavors, followed, with $138.2 million in sales and a 2.1% increase.

The corn snacks (no tortilla chips) category ($2.8 billion, up 2.7%) experienced a slight uptick, with Frito-Lay branded snacks such as Fritos bringing in a large share of that number ($2.1 billion, 3.6% increase in sales). BFY Brands took in $405.5 million (0.3% increase) and General Mills was responsible for $146.2 million, albeit with a 4% decline in sales.

Finally, in the pork rinds category ($632 million, -0.9% in sales), Frito Lay again took the crown, with $136.7 million in sales to show for it (and a 2.3% uptick), followed by Macs Snacks ($91.4 million, but down 10.2% in sales) and private label, with $89.6 million and a small 2.5% increase.

Looking back
“Puffed snacks are on a significant upward trajectory over the last three years,” notes Jerry Bello, executive chairman, The Original Doughbrik’s Wavers, and co-founder and CEO of Tastemaker Food Co. “Much of this is driven by new, innovative twin screw innovation, and trending and innovative flavors on single-screw shapes. Pellet snacks continue to grow in the U.S. market—the steady growth of pellet snacks was very predictable based on the ability to vary shapes, ingredients, and flavors to create satisfying and interesting snacking experiences.”

Bello says he’s now seeing meat and pickle flavors in the market, and “spicy flavors are very hot right now—no pun intended. Seasonings fortified with protein is another area of growth, as well as the use of non-gluten substrates like chickpeas, beans, and cassava.”

He also notes that good labor has been a constant challenge, but has been amplified in the post-COVID era. “[The] supply chain is currently stressed with any materials/ingredients coming from Europe due to the looming tariffs,” he adds.

Mark Singleton, VP, sales and marketing, Rudolph Foods, agrees, saying he’s got some concerns about tariffs and the pace at which some new food regulations are coming out, but now, after COVID, everything else looks smoother: “There's the normal challenges of business costs of transportation and things like that, but nothing too big.”

The pork rinds subcategory continues to be driven by innovation, Singleton notes: “Sales of pork rinds and chicharrones are really, really robust. We're seeing growth across the country and seeing double-digit growth, [even] in some areas that we wouldn't expect it, like the Northeast.”

Pork rinds sales are being driven by a couple of different things, Singleton posits.

“Number one, being a product of what we've called an educated eater: they've done the research, they know how the food affects them, and it's purposeful eating. People are making a choice to add protein to their diet.” There’s a lot of pork rind consumption right now, and we really think that we're having continued success in the category by introducing new flavors that haven't been seen before, such as Hot Honey and Hatch Chile. As a regional item in Canada, we have an All Dressed flavor and a Maple Syrup pork rind—things that people don't expect to see on a pork rind.”

Ali Shaikh, senior brand manager, salty snacks, General Mills, says that sales in the puffed and extruded snack segment remained strong, particularly among brands that leaned into bold flavor-forward launches and partnerships. The company’s Bugles brand saw momentum through targeted innovation and expanded availability in impulse and value channels, with a few key drivers standing out, he notes:

• Nostalgia and novelty: Consumers gravitated toward familiar brands offering new flavor twists—like Hidden Valley Ranch Bugles and Tabasco Bugles—which created both recognition and excitement.
• Bigger, bolder flavor: Heat, tangy, and umami-forward profiles continue to dominate, especially among younger consumers.
• "Me time" snacking: General Mills saw strong resonance for Bugles as a solo snack with big flavor payoffs—fitting into moments of indulgence or mood-boosting breaks.
  

Shaikh comments that some of the biggest challenges over the past year included:

• Value-seeking consumer behavior and an overall decline in c-store traffic impacted the growth of extruded snacks in the past year.
• Complex flavor sourcing in co-branded products like Hidden Valley Ranch and Tabasco, ensuring authentic flavor while maintaining shelf stability.
• Operational constraints tied to scaling innovation for broad distribution—balancing speed to shelf with product integrity.
• Channel navigation, especially in optimizing pack formats across club, C-store, and traditional retail.

As for Bugles’ newest launches, “Both have exceeded expectations in initial retail velocities. Hidden Valley Ranch Bugles, in particular, have seen high repeat rates, and Tabasco Bugles have driven trial among spice-seeking shoppers. We've seen especially strong performance in convenience and mass channels where impulse purchase plays a key role,” he shares.

Looking forward
Consumers are going to continue to pursue protein snacks, Singleton predicts: “I saw protein cereal in the aisle the other day. I'm seeing ‘protein’ everything and it’s going to be a trend that will continue.”

He says that Rudolph Foods has been cooking up some new products recently. “We've got a great crew that are working on new flavors—there [are] things that you don't expect to see on a pork rind. We'll continue to innovate shapes and cooking techniques on the rinds,” he shares.

“I'm really excited about some real good R&D we've been doing over the last year and last several decades, and we think we've come up with our best air-fried pork rind, ever. It launches in Q1 of 2026 with some fun flavors that I think consumers are really going to like. Not only are pork rinds being driven by trends, but they're also being driven by an increased awareness of the products out there. We're seeing it served in ballparks, stadiums, restaurants, and more! More people [are] eating more pork rinds in more places. We think it'll continue to drive sales on shelf,” Singleton finishes.

Bello says he foresees [puffed and extruded] snacks to continue to take market share from the dominant potato chip market.

“Consumers are looking for more interesting and healthful items when they indulge in snacking. Spicy, pickle, and international flavor profiles, like Asian, [will continue to grow in the next year],” he adds. “Consumers like an adventure when they indulge in snacking … this can be in flavors, shapes, texture, or bite. The snack market is where consumers like to take chances and try new items. It is because of this that I love innovating in this category. We will continue to develop interesting and healthier items for U.S. consumers that are inspired by successful global products and flavors.”

Shaikh says he anticipates continued strength for co-branded flavor innovation, especially where it blends nostalgia, indulgence, and fun: “Puffed and extruded snacks like Bugles are well-positioned to lead in the space where consumers look for both new experiences and familiar favorites.”

Shaikh adds that spicy and savory mashups—flavors like hot honey, smoky chipotle, and cheesy heat—

will gain momentum over the next year, as well as collaboration culture (such as flavor partnerships) and snacking as a ritual, as consumers are treating snacks like Bugles as small daily indulgences: “a reward moment that needs to feel worth it. We’ll need to navigate flavor fatigue—making sure innovation stays exciting but not overwhelming; shelf space pressure, particularly as new products fight for limited in-store real estate; and continued attention to supply continuity for co-branded ingredients.”

Shaikh finishes, “The puffed and extruded category still has plenty of room to grow when anchored in great partnerships and great taste.” SF&WB

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