In 2025, walnuts are proving they’re more than just a pantry staple. They’re a powerhouse ingredient driving innovation across a wider range of categories than ever before. With their rich flavor, satisfying crunch and nutritional value, walnuts offer a unique combination of taste, functionality and consumer appeal. This year’s lineup of new made-with-walnuts products showcases how brands are leveraging the nut’s versatility in everything from better-for-you snacks to gourmet indulgences. For product developers seeking inspiration—and a competitive edge—a few of our favorites highlight fresh ways to tap into nutrition, sustainability and flavor trends with walnuts at the core.
Food is Personal
Consumers are looking for ingredients that bring personality, whether that is through marketing, ingredients or newstalgic elements. Hey!Hunger Tikka Veggie Patties’ founder wanted to mirror her mother’s cooking with bold, plant-based Indian-inspired cooking. In varieties like Braised French Lentil & Walnut and Roasted Beets & Walnuts, walnuts bring more than crunch—they contribute a rich, buttery flavor that complements spice-forward profiles, while adding plant-based protein. By integrating walnuts, Hey!Hunger meets consumer demand for nutrient-dense, minimally processed, globally inspired foods. The result is a gut-friendly, high-fiber, high-protein patty that’s vegan, gluten-free and entirely made from whole, recognizable ingredients.
The Most Important Meal
Banana Walnut Joyffles are brilliantly engineered oat-powered waffles that blend dietary innovation with everyday joy, whether it’s for breakfast or taken on-the-go. In this banana-walnut version, ripe bananas offer natural sweetness, while oats also keep the formulation clean label and functional. Walnuts introduce a show-stopping crunch and buttery richness, elevating mouthfeel and texture. Joyffles are gluten-, dairy-, soy-, trans fat- and artificial preservative-free.
In a League of Its Own
Doosra’s Walnut & Dark Chocolate Indian Snack Mix is a standout in the rise of globally inspired snacking. This inventive blend combines skinless walnuts, spiced chickpea puffs and creamy dark chocolate for a flavor and texture experience that’s both familiar and adventurous. Lightly toasted walnuts deliver a rich, buttery crunch that enhances the chickpea puffs’ savory heat and the chocolate’s bold, bittersweet notes. A true showcase of how a single ingredient can bridge sweet and savory in one bite.
Marching to the Beet
Love Beets Classic Salad Kit won the NEXTY for best packaged produce, and for a number of reasons! This product exemplifies how walnuts can turn a ready-to-eat salad into a premium, clean-label offering. This kit combines ingredients that deliver a balanced flavor profile and functional benefits: cooked beet wedges, goat cheese, walnuts and balsamic vinaigrette. The inclusion of walnuts not only enhances the salad kit’s sensory appeal, but also supports its positioning as a nutritious, yet indulgent option in the refrigerated salad category.
Raising the Bar
1st Phorm’s Power Pro Bar uses walnuts to enhance this whole food protein bar by adding texture, flavor and nutritional value. These bars deliver 15 grams of protein per serving, sourced from a blend of grass-fed whey and milk protein isolates. The inclusion of walnuts provides a rich, buttery crunch and supports satiety and a clean-label friendly ingredients list, making the bar suitable as a meal replacement or post-workout recovery.
Ready to put walnuts to work? Whether you’re exploring plant-based proteins, globally inspired snacks or functional meal kits, walnuts offer a unique blend of flavor, texture and nutrition that can change your products and delight consumers. Dive deeper into these trends, experiment with bold flavor pairings and see how walnuts can be the secret ingredient that sets your next launch apart. If you have a great product you’d like to share, email foodinnovation@walnuts.org and let us know!
Products mentioned for informational purposes only, and inclusion does not imply an endorsement.
