International Baking Trends

We at Dr. Oetker have been loving baking for more than 130 years – whether it's sweet cakes, fluffy yeast dough pastries, crispy cookies with sprinkles, or fresh bread. We share the passion for baking with many hobby bakers and offer more than 150 Dr. Oetker baking and decorating products with guaranteed success in Germany alone.

And because baking and decorating preferences vary from country to country, there are over 550 baking mixes, more than 1,100 baking ingredients, and over 1,000 decorating products worldwide. The carefully developed baking recipes from our test kitchen enable both beginners and professionals to achieve enjoyable and creative baking results. By the way, our German website is our favorite "cookbook" with delicious sweet and savory pastry and cake recipes from A to Z. The most popular recipes are real classics that many people enjoy: Chocolate Chip Muffins, Philadelphia Cake, Cheesecake, Marble Cake, and Danube Wave.

Dear Nadia, Berndt, and Jens, what do you see as THE international baking trends in 2025?

Nadia: The topics of traditions, rituals and trust are currently on many people's minds. Younger people in particular, such as Gen Z, value traditions as a sense of security. The Newstalgia trend - made up of “new” and “nostalgia” - is based on this. It describes the idea of reinterpreting familiar things, be it a favorite childhood meal or grandma's apple pie recipe. Simple tricks turn the familiar into something new.

This year is also all about combining tradition with innovation: whether brownie cheesecake or cookie croissant – the creative possibilities of trendy crossovers or hybrid baking are endless.

Nadia: This also includes AI-supported flavor creations: Artificial intelligence can be used to
create completely new flavors that have never existed before. 

Berndt: Our everyday lives are becoming faster and faster with more and more tasks. The need for small portions that we can eat or drink flexibly is growing rapidly. This trend is called fast-paced living. Our eating habits have to adapt – but what do we do when time is short? Snackification is the keyword. The need for flexibility and the desire for small, “permissible” rewards are major drivers here – particularly with regard to portion size and the trend towards “permissible indulgence”, i.e. a balance between enjoyment and a “clear conscience”. 

Berndt: The fact that baking in the Airfryer is becoming increasingly popular fits in very well with this, as the air fryer conjures up delicious pastries in just a few minutes.

Jens: There's nothing that doesn't already exist. Or would have existed. The art lies in the combination and that's probably how the Dubai style came about at the end of last year. It's still a trend theme, although successor trends such as Krunchoco and Angel Hair Chocolate have already appeared. The San Sebastian cheesecake has been around for a while, but is still very attractive as a trend. 

Jens: Thanks to the size of the cooking chamber, smaller baked goods such as muffins and cookies, for example, fit in well and, depending on the recipe quantity, can be “fried” several times in succession until the batter is used up. Small baking tins, e.g. a springform pan with a diameter of 18 cm, also fit in most air fryers. We have developed some delicious baking recipes for the hot air fryer with our new Airfryer Backin.

Nadia: What I find very important is the trend that responsible consumption is becoming increasingly important. Recyclable packaging, vegan ingredients and less waste are key trends this year. I particularly love zero waste baking: it's fun to make clever use of leftovers, such as dry bread crumbs for cake bases or overripe bananas for banana bread. It's sustainable and encourages creativity in the kitchen.

Trendy baking recipes from around the world: Which ones are particularly popular?

Nadia: Newstalgia is a big topic all over the world: cinnamon buns with sourdough are very trendy at the moment. Classic, yet innovative and very tasty. In Germany, one example would be our popular Bienenstich, but in vegan form or as a dessert like our Bienenstich Tiramisu.

Berndt: Mango and matcha are trendy flavors - even in baking. How about a delicious matcha cake or this fruity mango lassi tart? Both are irresistible.

Jens: Vanilla is very popular at the moment and also excites me. And the recipe for Brussels waffles springs to mind. Waffles always work and the recipe is very easy to make with a sponge (not yeast dough - that's also possible). With ice cream and sauce, this is my favorite this year.

Thank you Nadia, Berndt and Jens for the insights into the world of (international) baking trends and your recipe tips.

On World Baking Day, we at Dr. Oetker are celebrating all pastries large and small, elaborate cakes and simply delicious cakes, crispy cookies and savory waffles and we wish everyone a lot of fun and bon appétit!

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