The future of chocolate in summary:
- The future of chocolate is being shaped by Mondelēz, Lindt and Barry Callebaut through fillings, inclusions and multisensorial experiences rather than radical recipe changes
- Belgium is resisting cocoa alternatives, with chocolatiers prioritising heritage, authentic taste and premium quality over cocoa-free formulations
- Cocoa price volatility is driving smarter NPD, including brand extensions, upcycled ingredients and flexible product portfolios
- Global chocolate innovation is focusing on flavour mashups, functional benefits and global inspirations such as matcha and pistachio
- Despite experimentation with cocoa alternatives, taste remains the top purchase driver as the global chocolate market approaches $147bn
While many chocolate manufacturers across the world are factoring cocoa alternatives into their NPD, there’s one country that refuses to join in.
And it is easy to guess which country that might be…
It is, of course, Belgium. Guy Gallet, secretary general at the Belgian chocolate association Choprabisco, argues: “Matching the authentic taste of real chocolate remains a major challenge. Consumers who are accustomed to enjoying delicious Belgian chocolate will not easily switch to an alternative.”
However, some Belgian companies are using upcycled ingredients such as cocoa pulp in their products. Using the white pulp that surrounds cocoa beans, means chocolatiers get the most out of the cocoa fruit while the cocoa farmers can earn more.
But why is Belgium saying “nee”, “non” and “nein” to the cocoa technology that is helping global manufacturers deliver on taste, quality and cost?
Belgian chocolatiers are the guardians of heritage and quality, Gallet says. “The hundreds of chocolatiers in Belgium often pass on their craft within the family. The next generation is often inspired by international gastronomy from all corners of the world. Travelling to faraway places combines inspiration and innovation with knowledge and authentic tradition in Belgium.”
Norb Chaclin, chief R&D officer at Mondelēz International, says the price of cocoa is a factor in NPD but not necessarily a barrier.
“Much of our recent innovation is a combination of chocolate with other components such as indulgent fillings or inclusions such as biscuits, nuts and fruits. The cost of all these raw materials changes over time so the key is to have a portfolio that balances costs over time and elevates the value experience of our products for consumers.”
One of the easier routes for NPD is the brand extension – launching a new flavour of a tried-and-tested product. Chaclin says that whether consumers are happy to accept a brand extension instead of something completely new is hard to answer as consumers don’t always know what they want until they see it.
“At the moment we know consumers are very keen to see their favourite brands executed to the highest quality from a flavour, ingredient and overall value proposition especially given the affordability pressures.
However, there’s also a rising need state for more protein and fibre, even in chocolate, “as more elevated multi-sensorial experiences such as Dubai Chocolate”, continues Chaclin.
“Our challenge is always to ensure our innovations make sense to consumers and fit with the brand proposition. You can’t just add any new benefit to any brand as the proposition may no longer make sense to consumers.”
Mondelēz chocolate innovation
Last year Mondelēz launched a very successful chocolate collaboration with Biscoff biscuits in the UK and across several European markets. “This is an example of an elevated experience that fit perfectly with both our chocolate brands as well as Biscoff biscuits,” explains Chaclin. “We are expanding this new product range from chocolate tablets to inclusions and filled chocolate shells.”
Of course the aforementioned Dubai Chocolate was a massive global sensation, thanks to TikTok. It went on to spawn many other pistachio products.
Now the flavour is mainstream and no longer as popular, because consumers are focused on the next big thing. Some say that will be Angel Hair, which is based around a traditional Turkish sweet called pişmaniye, often compared to candy floss or cotton candy. But it’s already almost mainstream, so perhaps not.
Swiss chocolatier Lindt & Sprungli has turned to Japan for its latest creation – Tokyo Style Chocolade. Created for a limited run at the tail end of 2025, it is made from ceremonial-grade Chamei Minami matcha, strawberry pieces and crispy Genmai rice, roasted using traditional Japanese techniques to produce a delicate, nutty aroma. Lindt says it taps into “the global matcha movement” which has evolved from a social media trend into a “genuine appetite for authentic, premium taste experiences”.
It’s not just the exotic lines that excite chocolate consumers. In the UK, whenever shoppers see an unusual flavour of chocolate staple KitKat, especially in one of the discount chains, it prompts photos and sharing on social media with over-the-top reactions from other users. And such stories often make the news, whipping up even more demand.
As such, demand for chocolate is huge with Statista saying this year the global market will amount to US$146.76bn. And it is expected to grow annually by 5% (CAGR 2026-2031).
NPD is not just about seasonal flavours or novelty formats. It is about building flexibility and resilience into portfolios so brands can preserve the sensory experience consumers expect while managing cost exposure and supply risk
Anne Mertens-Hoyng, Cargill
Barry Callebaut reports that the biggest chocolate trends for 2026 and beyond focus on ‘minorstone’ moments instead of big milestone occasions, global flavour inspiration, health-forward choices, functional benefits and multisensorial experiences. “Consumers are looking for chocolate that delivers emotion, taste and purpose,” its latest trends report states.
“Consumers are moving beyond visual appeal and are seeking richer sensory experiences. Texture contrasts, layering, chewiness, crunch, and unexpected mouthfeels are becoming key drivers of chocolate confectionery indulgence,” says the report.
Different markets have various demands and according to Innova Market Insights, US consumers look to bitter and sweet flavours in milk chocolate. Therefore, the largest opportunity within the US market lies with milk chocolate. Consumers in the States prefer smooth, velvet textures and the research company says inclusions and fillings are an opportunity for extra texture and an enhanced sensorial experience.
Chaclin says Mondelēz’s main focus in innovation is to develop successful product chassis that can travel across markets and be adapted across different brands. “As you may know we have different chocolate brands in different markets so the best way for us to scale is to find Innovation ideas that can be leveraged across a range of brands.”
Barry Callebaut’s says consumers are generally prioritising nutrition-rich confectionery, seeking lower sugar, added benefits or functional ingredients without compromising on taste. “Health and taste are no longer seen as opposites,” it states.
Botanical chocolate
Funga Chocos have recently been launched in London. Created by Milana Abensperg und Traun, they are made from an all-natural blend of Kanna, Cordyceps and Cacao, so-called ‘adaptogenic’ ingredients which can help consumers with issues such as high anxiety and low energy.
Abensperg und Traun describes the Funga Chocos’ botanical chocolate bars as “delicious little gateways to emotional, physical and spiritual wellbeing. Infused with heart-opening, energy-boosting and nervous-system-soothing mushrooms and plants, each bar is a playful nod to ancient rituals, a modern way to bring intention and magic back into the mundane”.
They are marketed as “Plant power chocolates for feel-good moments”, but they don’t come cheap, retailing at £32 per box, each of which contains eight servings.
New fillings and inclusions will continue to drive NPD in chocolate, but cocoa replacements and alternatives will undoubtedly be the stories that make the headlines.
Anne Mertens-Hoyng, bakery category senior director at US multinational food company Cargill, says strong emotional attachment to indulgence alongside heightened price sensitivity makes innovation more strategic than ever.
“NPD is not just about seasonal flavours or novelty formats. It is about building flexibility and resilience into portfolios so brands can preserve the sensory experience consumers expect while managing cost exposure and supply risk. Increasingly, manufacturers are looking for optionality – multiple pathways that allow them to adapt without compromising taste or trust.”
Major Japanese supermarket chain, Aeon is selling biscuits made with chocolate that is created without cacao. Called Chococa? (which translates to Is it Chocolate?), it is made with sunflower seeds rather than cocoa beans. Aeon says it’s good enough to fool chocoholics as it looks, smells and tastes just like chocolate.
The cocoa-free chocolate alternative is called ChoViva. It is supplied by Planet A Foods, which is working with Barry Callebaut to scale the product.
A Barry Callebaut spokesperson says: “Cocoa remains at the heart of our business, but alternatives offer customers more choice while supporting sustainability and supply resilience.”
Meanwhile, researchers at Brazil’s State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in São Paulo, have created a new product that uses honey from native bees combined with cocoa bean shells, a by-product of chocolate manufacturing. Early research has found that the resultant product has a strong chocolate flavour depending on the ratio of honey to cocoa bean shells.
Mertens-Hoyng believes cocoa price volatility has not stopped innovation: “It has made it more disciplined. Instead of reacting to price spikes, manufacturers are designing portfolios that actively manage exposure. That means thinking beyond a single chocolate recipe and building flexibility into systems from the outset.”
She says this is where Cargill’s Cost-Effective Delights approach comes in. “Rather than promoting one substitute, we offer a spectrum of solutions: cocoa-optimised chocolate systems, cocoa butter equivalents that reduce exposure to the most expensive part of the recipe, compound coatings that maintain familiar snap and melt, and confectionery alternatives to chocolate such as NextCoa for defined applications where flexibility and predictability are priorities.”
Whatever manufacturers are using to develop new chocolate treats, ultimately chocolate is all about indulgence and taste. Indeed Barry Callebaut’s research found that taste remains the number one driver for consumers, with 84% of its customers ranking it as their top priority. “This underscores why every new development must elevate indulgence in taste, texture, aroma, and multisensory appeal,” the company’s spokesperson says.