New Sweet Snacks Enter the Grocery Channel

Packaged sweet snacks picked up speed in late spring with several brand innovations, including activity from Little Debbie, Entenmann’s Bakery and Hostess.

Entenmann’s (Bimbo Bakeries USA) added bandwidth to the Entenmann’s Minis line with the debut of Entenmann’s Baker’s Delights, a permanent addition to its portfolio.

Grounded in consumer insights, the transition to Baker’s Delight’s was implemented to meet the needs of consumers within the sweet baked good snacking category and to ensure the name, branding and positioning reinforce the equity and heritage of the Entenmann's brand to a new generation of consumers, according to Catherine Danielowich, senior brand manager at Entenmann’s.

“As a brand founded by an authentic baker who took joy in baking for others, we wanted to ensure the new look and feel of Baker’s Delights remained true to the brand’s roots while allowing us to authentically connect with and be present in the everyday lives of our consumers,” said Danielowich. “The use of ‘baker’ in the name reinforces the brand’s heritage and high-quality products made with care, while ‘delights’ emulates a positive taste experience and appreciation for those everyday moments where consumers are looking for a delicious, fresh and convenient snack.”

In addition to these innovations, Entenmann’s integrated NaviLens Technology on retail boxes to helps visually impaired people find products by hearing their name, nutrition and allergen information. Users can download the NaviLens GO App from the App Store or Google Play.

Click ahead for seven recent sweet snack launches packing grocery sets.

Little Debbie Big Pack Cookies & Creme Brownies combine the rich and fudgy texture of the brand’s brownies with the crunchy, creamy sweetness of cookies and cream. Each carton (available for an SRP of $4.99) includes 12 large and individually wrapped brownies topped with white icing and chocolate cookie crumbles. It joins the brand’s Big Pack line of products.

Second Nature Brands collaborated with Mars Inc. to create Brownie Brittle x M&M’s Minis, Brownie Brittle Blondie M&M’s and Brownie Brittle M&M’s Minis Gluten Free. All three varieties are available for an SRP of $3.99 per 4-ounce bag and contain a range of 120 to 130 calories per 1-ounce serving.

Back for a limited time, Little Bites Chocolate Party Cake Muffins contain no high-fructose corn syrup or trans-fat and are baked with colorful rainbow sprinkles and real cocoa. The limited-edition muffins are the latest addition to the brand’s line of easy, pre-portioned pouches. Snacks contain 180 calories per pouch.

Consisting of chocolate cake rolled around strawberry flavored cream and encased with fudge coating, Little Debbie Strawberry Swiss Rolls come in cartons of 12 twin-wrapped cake rolls and are available for an SRP of $2.59. The debut represents the first time the supplier has introduced a year-round flavor extension to the classic Swiss Roll.

Hostess rolled out two breakfast snacks, Hostess Donettes Old Fashioned mini donuts and Hostess Chocolate Drizzle Baby Bundts, both extensions of its most popular product lines. Donettes Old Fashioned features a moist texture and a sweet glaze. Baked with real cocoa, Chocolate Drizzle Baby Bundts feature rich chocolate cake topped with a drizzle. Donettes Old Fashioned mini donuts come in 10.5-ounce packages and Chocolate Drizzle Baby Bundts in 10-ounce multipacks, containing eight individually wrapped bundts.

McKee Foods launched Little Debbie Big Pack Zebra Cakes, larger cakes that provide more cream than the flagship offering. The Big Pack version of the classic variety includes six large, individually wrapped yellow cakes layered with cream, covered in white icing and decorated with fudge stripes. They are available for an SRP of $4.49 per pack.

Entenmann’s expanded its Minis line with the debut of Entenmann’s Baker’s Delights, a permanent addition to its portfolio. Baker’s Delights is available in a variety of classic flavors ranging from Crumb Cake and Brownie Chocolate Chip to Apple Snack Pies.