Manufacturers across chocolate, gummies and frozen snacking are targeting younger shoppers with new textures, spicy‑sweet combinations and playful gifting concepts.
Established seasonal categories such as Easter continue to see renewed investment, while newer entrants look to extend traditionally summer‑led indulgences into the ambient aisle.
Seasonal demand is a key engine of growth for confectionery, prompting brands to diversify their portfolios with concepts that deliver novelty, flavour impact and clear shopper missions.
Across categories, manufacturers are introducing products that blend traditional cues with modern twists designed to reach younger and more digitally engaged consumers. This includes new textures, global flavour influences and formats that intersect with broader snacking trends.
More and more, consumers continue to seek, affordable indulgences that offer fun, sensory variety and convenience. This has opened opportunities for newcomers and innovators to reimagine familiar treats in ambient formats or reinterpret existing flavour equities for new occasions.
With texture‑forward releases, limited‑edition drops and extended seasonal ranges, confectionery continues to evolve in response to shifting expectations around enjoyment, gifting and day‑to‑day snacking.
Read on to see the hottest new launches in confectionery…
Master of marzipan
Anthon Berg has expanded its marzipan chocolate line with a new pistachio variant, reflecting rising consumer interest in globally inspired flavours and greater variety in traditional confectionery.
The launch introduces a combination of classic marzipan, pistachio flavour, dark chocolate, milk chocolate and roasted almond pieces. It arrives as pistachio gains traction across the category, supported by a 154% rise in value over the past year and a 60% increase in Google searches fuelled by TikTok‑driven visibility.
The brand is positioning the new product as part of a wider strategy to maintain relevance in a mature category by aligning heritage formats with modern consumption behaviours.
Trü Frü hots up for V-Day
Trü Frü is introducing a limited‑time Valentine’s Day activation designed to drive trial of its frozen chocolate‑coated fruit range and boost brand visibility among younger consumers.
The Trü Love Hotline will operate nationwide in the UK from February 9 to 10, allowing users to arrange a surprise delivery of the brand’s Strawberries in White and Milk Chocolate. The initiative positions the brand as a playful alternative to traditional gifting and aims to broaden penetration ahead of the key seasonal occasion.
Consumers can request a delivery by messaging the dedicated WhatsApp number and selecting one of four recipient types, with the option to add a personalised note. Trü Frü will handle fulfilment, delivering the frozen snacks to recipients’ doors on 13 February.
Ambient ice cream
Langtins has introduced Coneys, a new ambient snack brand designed to bring one of ice cream’s most familiar components into the all‑year snacking aisle.
Inspired by the chocolate‑filled tip of an ice cream cone, the range aims to extend ice‑cream‑led appeal beyond peak summer months by pairing a crisp wafer shell with a smooth chocolate or fruit centre. The launch arrives as retailers continue to look for novel formats that bridge the gap between confectionery and biscuits while tapping into demand for smaller indulgent treats.
The initial line-up spans vanilla, chocolate and strawberry, with additional variants in coconut, double chocolate and double chocolate with strawberry.
Positioned as an ambient alternative to frozen treats, Coneys reflects an opportunity identified by founder Ibrahim Sidat, who noted the seasonality of ice cream and the strong consumer affinity for the final chocolate‑filled cone segment.
Hotter Jolly Ranchers
Jolly Rancher is moving into spicy candy with the launch of Heat Wave Gummies, a sweet‑and‑spicy line positioned to tap into rising consumer interest in multisensory snacking.
The product blends the brand’s established fruit flavours with chili‑coated heat, offering one of the first national spicy gummy ranges in the US market. The launch reflects a broader trend in confectionery where flavour complexity and novelty are driving purchase among younger audiences seeking heightened sensory impact.
To support the rollout, the brand has partnered with VeeFriends on a limited‑edition Heat Wave Collector’s Box. The collaboration extends Jolly Rancher beyond the core candy aisle and into the collector and live‑commerce space. Each box contains Heat Wave Gummies alongside classic Jolly Rancher Hard Candy and Gummies, plus two Super Stickers that offer the chance to find a 1/1 autograph version from VeeFriends creator Gary Vaynerchuk. A limited‑edition comic card signed by artist DJ Coffman is also included, with four designs forming a full poster when assembled.
Terry’s Easter range
Terry’s is expanding its presence in the Easter confectionery market with two new products and the return of key seasonal favourites.
The move follows strong performance last year, when the brand recorded value sales growth of 28.5% during the Easter period, four times higher than the overall market. The line-up is positioned to replicate the brand’s Christmas success by extending the appeal of Chocolate Orange into new gifting and treating formats.
The new Terry’s Chocolate Orange Marble Egg features an extra thick 425g shell, marbled with chocolate orange and includes a full‑sized Chocolate Orange inside. Aimed at the UK’s growing giant shell egg segment, it brings premium cues at an accessible price point.
The Chocolate Orange Cream Filled Egg, which went viral on TikTok and sold out ahead of Easter in 2025, also returns, supported by a new 170g multi-pack designed for shoppers seeking small treats for themselves or their families.
Additional returning products include the Exploding Candy Egg and Chocolate Orange Egg with Mini Eggs, as well as the extra‑large Mint Shell Egg and Ball, exclusive to UK retailer, Tesco. Terry’s will also bring back Chocolate Orange Mini Eggs and the Mini Egg Tablet as it targets further growth in the £65m mini eggs and £21m Easter tablets categories.
Hershey Easter range
The Hershey Company is expanding its seasonal line-up with a new Jolly Rancher Gummies Fruity Mix alongside returning products from Reese’s, Cadbury and Hershey’s Kisses.
The US launch signals the start of the Easter period for the category, where Hershey maintains a multi‑year lead. The new fruit mix introduces five shapes and a refreshed flavour selection that includes peach and pineapple alongside familiar Jolly Rancher fruit variants, available in both standard bags and share‑size stand‑up pouches.
Reese’s is broadening availability of its unwrapped Peanut Butter Mini Eggs with a new King Size format, supporting continued demand for pop-able mini shapes. Cadbury is adding stand‑up pouches for its Mini Creme Egg and Mini Caramel Egg, extending the franchise’s shareable options. Hershey’s Kisses Harry Potter Butterbeer flavour also moves into a stand‑up format following strong consumer interest in its initial release.
Retailers will additionally see a range of assorted bags spanning chocolate and non‑chocolate options. These include Reese’s Seasonal Shapes, a Reese’s and Kit Kat Seasonal Shapes assortment, and new Hershey Sweets Assortments that integrate Airheads, Twizzlers and Jolly Rancher products through the company’s partnership with Perfetti Van Melle. The selection is positioned to support basket building, egg hunts and broader family‑led Easter occasions.
