To succeed, a new snack or bakery product needs to engage consumers on a number of levels. Is the product truly original and innovative? Does the packaging grab attention and interest from its place on the retail shelf? Does the product itself look tantalizing and taste great? Once a producer has confidently answered all those questions about a potential new product, the company gets ready to launch it into the marketplace and hope for the best.

One of the best parts of being a snack and bakery journalist is enjoying the privilege of hearing about all the innovative new products (often before they hit the market) and sharing the news of their arrival on the scene. Every year, the editors of Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery shares with its readers hundreds of such new product launches. Picking the best of all these fascinating, appealing new items is a formidable challenge, which is why the SF&WB team enlisted the help of online voters to determine which products.

Here’s how the tough selection process worked this year:

• Our editors combed through all the new products shared on snackandbakery.com in 2022 and sorted out those that had most viewed by our audience.
• Earlier this year, we put a poll up on the SF&WB website and asked our viewers to review the products and pick one snack product, and one bakery product, they determined to be the best
• The SF&WB team tallied up the votes from the public and determined which product would reign at the top of the field in each category.

⁴ Based on exchange rates dated August 31, 2021

⁵ Based on exchange rates dated February 21, 2022

⁶ Based on exchange rates dated February 23, 2022

⁷ Based on exchange rates dated April 10, 2021

* Estimated, privately held company

¹ Based on exchange rates dated February 17, 2022

² Based on exchange rates dated February 7, 2022

³ Based on exchange rates dated February 22, 2022

It’s an honor to announce the Best New Snack and Bakery Products of 2022. Leaders from the winning companies were kind enough to share insights into their product launches. SF&WB

Conagra Brands // Duncan Hines Dolly Parton baking mixes

The sweet combination of Duncan Hines and Dolly has been a huge hit with consumers! Our 2022 launch of Duncan Hines Dolly Parton’s Cake & Frosting was a big success with national distribution. The Dolly Parton platform was the #1 velocity Innovation for 2022 Baking Mixes & Frostings, and our Classic Buttercream frosting was the #1 Innovation item in Dollar and Unit Sales. Given the strong performance of our first launch, we knew the public would want more Duncan Hines Dolly Parton Baking items, which is why we’re excited for our next lineup of Biscuits, Cornbread & Brownies.

Dolly is an icon and has a love for cooking and baking, so what better way to bring Dolly’s favorite recipes to consumers across the US than to give them baking mixes they can create in their own kitchens. The duo is perfect, the love of Dolly Parton combined with high quality baking expertise from Duncan Hines.

The readers of SF&WB are some of the most influential people in the food industry who are seek news on breakthrough innovation. To be selected by this group speaks to the outstanding appeal of what Duncan Hines and Dolly Parton have brought to the baking category. We’re honored to be considered “best of the best.”

⏤ Sarah Monson, senior brand manager, Duncan Hines

HONORABLE MENTIONS // BAKED GOODS

General Mills // Totino’s x FaZe Clan Buffalo Style Chicken Pizza Snacks

We have a loyal fan base who loves trying new flavors, so we’ve been thrilled to see a ton of love and excitement for the Totino’s Buffalo Chicken Pizza Rolls from our fans, particularly on social media.

Buffalo chicken is one of fans’ top-requested Totino’s Pizza Roll flavors, and one they’ve been asking us to create for a while. Together with FaZe Clan we were able to develop this perfectly poppable mess-free snack, ideal for gaming and beyond.

As SF&WB is a leading trade publication, it’s an honor to be a favorite by our peers in the industry. We’re proud of this innovation and can’t wait to see what your readers think of upcoming innovations we have cooking.

⏤ Totino’s brand spokesperson

HONORABLE MENTIONS // SNACK FOODS

• Originality—product format, ingredients, notable traits
• Branding—on-pack messaging
• Packaging—design, sustainability, convenience, user-friendliness
• Organoleptics—aroma, flavor, bite, texture, mouthfeel