Leftovers: Hostess gets sweet on 2 of its popular treats | Wonderful takes a crack at new pistachio line

Hostess gets sweet on two of its popular treats

Just two days after Valentine’s, Hostess is marrying a pair of its most popular snack offerings. 

The brand, which was purchased last year by J.M. Smucker for $5.6 billion, is launching shareable Hostess HoneyBun Donettes that offer a delicious twist for consumers who can’t decide on what to eat to start their morning.

HoneyBun Donettes have the warm cinnamon and sweet vanilla glaze flavor of Hostess HoneyBuns with the soft, fluffy texture of Hostess Donettes. The new breakfast snack is made without high-fructose corn syrup, artificial colors or artificial flavors.

“We know that snack lovers are increasingly seeking new flavor combinations, and the melding of distinct tastes and textures offers a unique snacking experience,” Chris Balach, vice president of marketing for sweet baked snacks at Smucker, said in a statement.

HoneyBun Donettes will appear at grocery retailers and convenience stores nationwide next month.

This new mashup is only the second of its kind in recent Hostess snacking history, according to the Smucker. The HoneyBun Donettes taste combination comes off the success of last year’s Hostess Ding Dongs x Twinkies Mashups. The combination featured the spongy cake and signature crème filling Twinkies covered in Ding Dongs fudgy chocolate frosting.

Bringing two products together like the HoneyBun Donettes is hardly a new concept in the food space – especially when a company combines two of its own brands. 

The new product not only taps into the popularity of the two brands, but it gives the offering immediate recognition on the marketplace. At the same time, the unique combination instantly draws the interest of the consumer looking to try the new and sometimes novel concept.

Clorox, for example, recently combined Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing with Burt’s Bees to create lip balm. Mondelēz International created a RitzxOreo mashup in 2022 that combined the signature cookie and its creme filling with a Ritz Peanut Butter cracker. And Hershey previously embedded Reese’s Pieces inside a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.

 

Wonderful takes a crack at new pistachios

A leading nut brand is leaning into consumer demand for spicy, tangy flavors, and better-for-you snack alternatives, with its latest offering.

Wonderful is debuting a new flavor of its No Shells pistachios, Jalapeño Lime, available in 11, 5.5 and 2.25-ounce bags.

“In consumer taste tests, Jalapeño Lime had strong flavor appeal and purchase intent on par with our highest performing flavors, and we can’t wait to serve brand loyalists and attract new buyers with these bold pistachios,” Diana Salsa, Wonderful’s vice president of marketing, said in a statement.

The new offering joins the company’s shell-free pistachio varieties that it first launched in 2019. The line also includes Chili Roasted, Sea Salt & Vinegar, Sea Salt & Pepper, Honey Roasted, and Smoky Barbecue.

As Gen Z consumers are the first generation to list Mexican as their favorite cuisine, snacks makers are leaning heavily towards spicier flavors. Takis, best known for their hot chips, have expanded their product lineup significantly over the past two years. PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay is capitalizing on the popularity of its Flamin’ Hot line with its new expansion of Doritos Dinamita sticks which launched last month.

The nut category has benefitted from the desire from many consumers for a more nutritious snack with added benefits like protein. 

Pistachios are projected to be worth $5.8 billion by 2029, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 4.47% according to Mordor Intelligence. In 2022, Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds was the best-selling name brand in the snack nut category — ahead of Kraft Heinz and Blue Diamond — with $975 million in sales, according to Statista data.

— Chris Casey

My/Mochi takes a bite at breakfast

After reimagining the ice cream space, My/Mochi has set sights on waffles. 

The company’s Waffle Bites are the first-ever frozen waffles made with the sweet rice flour used in traditional mochi. After being thawed or placed in the microwave, the bites can be enjoyed as a breakfast food or on-the-go snack, the company said.

The treats are available in Original, Blueberry and Cinnamon. The Waffle Bites are being sold in select Harris Teeter, Meijer, Shoprite and Smart & Final stores in the northeastern U.S.

“My/Mochi has been at the forefront of merging Japanese heritage with snacking culture,” Brigette Wolf, My/Mochi’s chief marketing officer, said in a statement. “My/Mochi fans are always looking for more ways to snack on mochi and using it to put a fun twist on everyday food like waffles enables us to introduce even more people to the unique mochi experience.”

My/Mochi started in 2017 and since then has moved the ice cream product into categories such as non-dairy, and vegan. 

Last February, the company hired Wolf — a former Mondelēz International marketing and innovation executive — to focus on new lines of products beyond ice cream. My/Mochi in March 2023 a smoothie product in strawberry banana and mixed berry.

– Elizabeth Flood