Today’s consumer is looking for familiar favorites with bigger flavor including globally inspired menu additions that alleviate boredom from stagnant staples. As global cuisine continues to influence U.S. menus, NRA’s What’s Hot 2022 Culinary Forecast indicates that Southeast Asian, South American, Caribbean, and both North African and Western African cuisines are the top 5 global trends for 2022 menus¹. 

Global culinary influences impact your menu across all dayparts and eating occasions, including desserts. In fact, a recent Technomic study indicated that 69% of all consumers and 76% of consumers aged 18 to 34 years find globally inspired desserts “very appealing” or “somewhat appealing”². Making small shifts on your menu by adding global flavors to existing items or crafting monthly or seasonal LTO menus can satisfy more consumers, entice repeat visitors, and increase off-site orders. 

Menu Inspiration Goes Global

Bananas and coconut are common ingredients in Southeast Asian and Caribbean desserts. You can easily diversify your menu by adding these global influences on your existing dessert offerings. Try topping Banana Cream pie with fried bananas or Maduros – fried sweet plantains – for an easy, ethnic twist. Add texture and extra flavor to Coconut Meringue pie by plating a slice on top of creamy buko – a custard made from cooked coconut flesh, condensed milk, cream, and sugar – then topping with crunchy toasted coconut shavings. 

For North African-infused desserts, create your own date-filled semolina cookies, called Makroud, and garnish on a slice of Pre-Baked Dutch Apple Pie for a culturally pleasing flavor combination. Single-serve dessert portions are also popular with today’s consumers. Pair this trend with African flavor influences and craft a shareable dessert flight that includes Spicy Dark Chocolate Cheesecake Pops, house-made Botokoin (African Beignets), and single-serve Premium Carrot Cake. 

For more dessert menu inspiration, try these simple, low labor recipes to add global influences in your operation:

• Mini Baklava Cheesecake Bites featuring honey and chopped pistachios
• Add a sweet, spicy, tangy kick to your LTOs with Tajin Lemon Meringue Pie
• For a boozy dessert option, try Coconut Cream Pie with Raspberry Margarita Coulis

Delivery Friendly is in Demand

With off-premise dining still an important contributor to consumer dining occasions, desserts that travel well can set your operation up for success and drive repeat orders. Maintaining food integrity for take-home and delivery is a must. Not only do pre-baked, pre-sliced desserts save valuable prep time for busy staff, they can stand up to the rigors of delivery and takeout. Offering a variety of premade, single-serve desserts on takeout menus will build incremental profits with minimal labor required. 

As sustainable packaging and packaging that retains food quality and temperature are noted as the top three packaging trends in 2022³, prioritizing packaging remains high for off-premise traffic. Pre-packaged, individually wrapped desserts satisfy consumer demand for safe, sealed desserts and provide convenient, low-labor ready-to-eat dessert options for guests on the go. 

Find additional operator resources such as culinary ideas, tools, and to-go solutions to bring more delicious, inspiring desserts to your menu, and make take-home and delivery orders worth repeating. 

Content courtesy of Sara Lee Frozen Bakery 

^1,3 What’s Hot 2022 Culinary Forecast, National Restaurant Association

² 2021 Dessert Consumer Trend Report, Technomic