3 Seasonal Tips for Boosting Dessert Sales
3 Seasonal Tips for Boosting Dessert Sales
From mint chocolate and pumpkin spice flavors in the winter to fruit-forward options in warmer months, desserts on menus are increasingly incorporating seasonal flavors to elevate their appeal and encourage trial. And that’s for good reason: “What used to be a way to be trendy is now table stakes,” states the market research firm Datassential in its 2024 report The World of Desserts. “Dessert menus should include a nod to something of the season.”1
Forty-eight percent of total consumers and sixty-two percent of Gen Z look forward to a seasonal/limited-time offer dessert from a specific restaurant each year.2
No surprise, then, that 48% of foodservice operators sweeten sales by promoting dessert after the meal as a way of upselling customers for a higher check average.3 Fifty-three percent highlight seasonal flavors like maple in the fall and berries in the spring.4
For foodservice operators considering seasonal options, striking a balance between items that are indulgent and delicious with better-for-you options can be challenging but rewarding. Here are some tips to find that balance and boost seasonal sales.
Pair indulgent ingredients with lighter seasonal flavors
Incorporating springtime flavors and produce, such as strawberry, rhubarb and cherry, into desserts that also feature indulgent chocolate varieties is an easy way to elevate the appeal of seasonal desserts. Datassential research determined that diners are head over heels for chocolate — over 70% of consumers surveyed favor it as a dessert flavor, making it the most popular.1 Favorite desserts like brownies, fudge, chocolate ice cream, chocolate cream pie, chocolate cake and chocolate chip cookies hit the sweet spot for chocolate lovers. By combining such treats with fresh fruits, foodservice operators can give them a flavorful twist and create signature seasonal additions to the dessert menu.
Max Brenner, for instance, a casual dining restaurant with locations in Boston, New York City and Philadelphia, has featured Key Lime Pie in a Jar, made with a graham cracker crust, white chocolate ganache and key lime mousse.
Pecan Pie Shake made with M&M’S®
Cake takes the cake as the most popular dessert variety1 — and it also may be the most versatile, especially when it comes to incorporating seasonal fruits. Consider Strawberry Cheesecake Bars made with M&M’S® Red, White and Blue Chocolate Candies — a scrumptious and shareable dessert that’s perfect as a limited-time offer for the July Fourth holiday.
The importance of branded ingredients in seasonal desserts
Consumers also say recognizable brands are important to them, according to Datassential.1 Popular brand ingredients can boost consumer confidence in the quality, value and desirability of desserts tailored to seasonal tastes.
M&M’S® Milk Chocolate Candies and SNICKERS® are among the most popular brand-name dessert ingredients1 and give operators the versatility to create fresh seasonal concepts and limited-time items. The market research firm Technomic recommends using popular brands in desserts and beverages as a way to leverage LTOs.4
Topped with a scoop of ice cream, S'mores Cookie Skillet made with SNICKERS® turns a classic summer staple into an LTO with a flavor-packed boost. Or try offering Peanut Butter Brownies made with M&M’S® Pastel Peanut Chocolate Candies and DOVE® Dark Chocolate — a familiar flavor profile, featuring diners’ favorite brand-name ingredients and pastel colors that are perfect for springtime.
The retro fast-casual restaurant chain Johnny Rockets has made a lot of green with its Extreme Irish Cream Shake. Colorful, Instagrammable and perfect for St. Patrick’s Day, the luscious limited-time concoction of vanilla ice cream, vanilla frosting, gummy bites and whipped topping includes a generous helping of M&M’S® Dark Chocolate Mint Candies.
A big deal: smaller portions and tasting flights
“The easiest way to take a beloved favorite and make it a bit different is to make it mini (so people can try several) or jumbo (so they can share),” Datassential reports.1
Consider menuing smaller portions, such as shareable flights or dessert “shooters,” for diners who are hungering for dessert but committed to better-for-you options. Such offerings are easily adaptable to include seasonal flavors, as well as branded ingredients.
At the Seasons 52 restaurant and wine bar chain, mini indulgences flights — small portions of desserts such as Key Lime Pie, Peanut Butter Torte, Raspberry Chocolate Chip Cannoli and Caramel Pineapple Upside-Down Cake — allow diners to indulge without abandoning their diets. In noncommercial foodservice, this format is even easier to execute — and can be offered in grab-and-go formats.
To keep diners interested in dessert, operators should consider incorporating seasonal flavors and branded ingredients, as well as cutting back on portion sizes and including shareable samplers. Learn how chefs are persuading their guests to say “yes” to dessert — and drive incremental sales in the process.
1 Datassential, The World of Desserts, January 2024
2 Datassential, Keynote Report: Dessert, February 2023
3 Technomic, LTO Trends to Watch, 2024
4 Datassential, Keynote Report: Menu Development, April 2024