The Summer Fancy Food Show 2025 lit up New York City’s Javits Center with a vibrant mix of innovation, global flavors and wellness-forward food trends. With more than 2,200 exhibitors from around the world, the show served up a feast for the senses—and this year, walnuts had a major moment showcased through functionality, flavor and newstalgia.
Why do we think the mighty walnut is having its biggest year yet? Let’s take a look at some of our favorite finds from the show floor.
A Trip Around the World
We’d be remiss if we didn’t start out with Doorsa’s Walnut & Dark Chocolate Indian Snack Mix, which led the surge of globally inspired trends. Skinless walnuts, spiced chickpea puffs and creamy dark chocolate are combined, resulting in a powerful snack mix. Lightly toasted walnuts bring a rich, buttery crunch that complements the bold, bittersweet flavor of dark chocolate.
As global flavor exploration continues to influence the specialty food world, SWISSLION’s Laokoum with Walnuts offers a deliciously authentic taste of tradition Inspired by centuries-old confections from the Eastern Mediterranean and Balkans. This jelly candy—often known as lokum or Turkish delight—is reimagined with the richness and crunch of walnuts woven into every soft, delicately sweet bite.
Baking Reimagined
Exhibitors turned to walnut-enhanced treats that reimagined classic recipes for today’s taste buds. Sugar-Free Banana Nut Muffin and Bread Mix is a formula free of sugar, gluten and dairy. Instead, Lakanto has opted to sweeten with monkfruit and added in walnuts and banana flavoring for a familiar feel.
There’s something about the combination of banana and walnut that instantly brings comfort—like warm banana bread straight from the oven or a homemade muffin shared on a slow weekend morning. Joyffles took that nostalgic flavor memory and reimagined it for modern life with the Banana Walnut Oat Powered Waffle. Crafted from a blend of oat and chickpea flours, this gluten-free, dairy-free product feels both familiar and refreshingly new. The natural sweetness of banana pairs perfectly with the earthy crunch of chopped walnuts, creating a soft, satisfying bite that feels indulgent, yet nutritious.
Flavor Crossover Reboot
Walnuts proved flavor versatility yet again, this time when paired with three trending ingredients: coconut, coffee and maple. Coconut continued its meteoric rise in Eden’s Coconut Chia, an innovative reimagination of walnuts, chia, coconut and oats. These minimally processed plant-based wellness snacks offer a tropical mouthfeel in the toasted coconut, and crunchy walnut pieces offer satisfying texture.
The coffee obsession continues, and Struesli’s Cacao + Coffee Granola is a gourmet twist on granola. Each bite starts with walnuts, joined by roasted cacao nibs and ethically sourced artisanal coffee, which bring nuanced bitterness, rich aroma and that coveted caffeine lift. The taste is rounded out by flaxseed meal, hemp hearts, chia seeds and the aforementioned trendy coconut. This plant-based product proves that coffee doesn’t just have to be confined to a cup.
Maple is also bursting out of the pancake box. Martha Stewart said maple syrup isn’t just a winter flavor anymore, and who are we to argue with greatness? The rich aroma of warm maple syrup is paired with the satisfying snap of toasted walnuts in every bite of Lowtide Goods’ Maple Walnut Dainties. Crunchy walnut pieces bring textural depth to Dainties, balancing the maple’s sweetness with wholesome sophistication.
Imagine your next product—rich with the crunch of California walnuts—being sampled by top buyers, trendspotters and media at the Specialty Food Association’s Winter FancyFaire Show! This January in San Diego, the industry’s most influential voices will gather for an intimate, curated showcase of what’s next in specialty food. Email foodinnovation@walnuts.org to get started.
Products mentioned for informational purposes only, and inclusion does not imply an endorsement.
The coffee obsession continues, and Struesli’s Cacao + Coffee Granola is a gourmet twist on granola. Each bite starts with walnuts, joined by roasted cacao nibs and ethically sourced artisanal coffee, which bring nuanced bitterness, rich aroma and that coveted caffeine lift. The taste is rounded out by flaxseed meal, hemp hearts, chia seeds and the aforementioned trendy coconut. This plant-based product proves that coffee doesn’t just have to be confined to a cup.
Maple is also bursting out of the pancake box. Martha Stewart said maple syrup isn’t just a winter flavor anymore, and who are we to argue with greatness? The rich aroma of warm maple syrup is paired with the satisfying snap of toasted walnuts in every bite of Lowtide Goods’ Maple Walnut Dainties. Crunchy walnut pieces bring textural depth to Dainties, balancing the maple’s sweetness with wholesome sophistication.
Imagine your next product—rich with the crunch of California walnuts—being sampled by top buyers, trendspotters and media at the Specialty Food Association’s Winter FancyFaire Show! This January in San Diego, the industry’s most influential voices will gather for an intimate, curated showcase of what’s next in specialty food. Email foodinnovation@walnuts.org to get started.
Products mentioned for informational purposes only, and inclusion does not imply an endorsement.
