The Biggest Snack Trends You’ll See on Grocery Store Shelves in 2026

More than 1,000 food brands arrived at the Sweets and Snacks Expo in Las Vegas this May to connect with retailers, pitch new products, and show off what they’re launching in 2026. At the three-day event, Sour Patch Kids and Uncrustables mascots roamed the floor, oversized Hi-Chew candies and Oreos swung from the venue’s ceilings, and exhibitors passed out samples by the handful. Small startups set their displays up next to industry giants like Hershey and Nabisco, all competing for attention — and shelf space.

The annual trade show serves as a barometer for what American consumers will be snacking on next. Last year, Dubai chocolate and protein-packed bites dominated the conversation. This spring, playful candy, pickle-flavored everything, and foods promising functional benefits stole the spotlight.

"Candy and snacks ultimately set trends for the rest of the rest of the food industry," says Carly Schildhaus, a spokesperson for the expo and the senior director of public affairs and communications at the National Confectioners Association. "I've started to see Dubai chocolate on restaurant menus. You start to see it in other areas of culture, and it starts here."

Based on the lineup from this year’s Sweets and Snacks Expo, you can expect to see these six trends on grocery store shelves in 2026.

Contrasting textures make candy more exciting

Fruit-shaped candies that can be “peeled” went viral on social media last summer, and more brands are learning from their success. The 2026 Sweets and Snacks Expo highlighted several new interactive candies, often featuring unexpected textural contrasts, that encourage you to peel, pop, crack, or otherwise play with your food. 

Aura Gems markets its product as an ASMR candy, with each bite-sized piece delivering a satisfying crunch when you bite into its outer shell before giving way to a soft center. Peelerz, the name behind the internet-beloved peelable mango candy, recently introduced a new 4D Crème Brûlée Gummy with a crackly shell that shatters to reveal a soft and creamy gummy filling. Later this summer, Hi-Chew will launch its Retro Remix line, a selection of candies inspired by other iconic treats — one of the chewy confections sports the colors of a classic Rocket Pop and is filled with crunchy candy pieces.

Pickles maintain their hold over the snack aisle

"Pickles have been a trend for the past five years," says Ean Mangum, business development coordinator at Wisconsin-based brand Van Holten's. That fad doesn’t show any signs of slowing, with briny, tart flavors appearing in everything from potato chips and popcorn to peanuts and candy. Van Holten's recently launched its line of shelf-stable pickled eggs in a packet, appropriately titled Unapologetically Pickled Eggs. 

On the sweeter side of things, candy company Zesty Snackz released a pickle-flavored sour candy that it describes as “bold, juicy, and packing that signature Zesty sour punch.” More chip brands are adding to the slew of savory snacks that have already been infused with pickle flavor, like Late July, a company that’s bringing a dill-pickle- and lemonade-flavored tortilla chip to stores soon.

Snacks are incorporating functional ingredients

While protein still ruled the show floor at the trade show, it became clear that brands are also focused on adding probiotics, collagen, and other supplements to sweet and savory snacks alike. Belle's Popcorn earned the expo's Trailblazer Award for the second year in a row thanks to its Raspberry Rose popcorn, which offers collagen peptides, biotin, and vitamin E in each serving. Already available at major retailers like Costco, Mallow Pop Dehydrated Rainbow Mini Marshmallows are like the best bits of Lucky Charms cereal, but with one notable addition: probiotics.

Coffee and caffeine are for more than just morning beverages

Coffee is spilling into the snack aisle. Across the expo, brands showcased chocolates and candies that were either inspired by coffee-shop favorites or contain caffeine. Snak Club is tapping into the popularity of an iconic cocktail with its Espresso Martini Mix, a sweet-and-salty blend of roasted almonds, mini cookies, yogurt chips, chocolate-covered almonds, and espresso beans. 

Snack giant Hershey's is releasing its new Affogato bar this month, a chocolate confection filled with espresso-flavored caramel and smooth vanilla creme. Even when they don’t feature coffee flavors, some bite-sized snacks are being infused with caffeine, like the sugar-free lollipops from Alert Pop that boast between 35 and 42.5 mg per serving. 

Limited-edition items are dropping more frequently

Packaged food brands have been selling pumpkin-shaped chocolates for Halloween and sweets that look like trees at Christmas for decades. Now, they’re starting to introduce even more seasonal and limited-edition items, with or without an associated holiday. Nerds is releasing a new strawberry and peach version of its gummy rope just for the summer, while Miss Hannah's Gourmet Popcorn is one of many brands that made a themed snack — a popcorn mix with vanilla, sour cherry, and blue raspberry flavors — to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States. 

Increasing their number of limited-time drops makes it easier for brands to test products without committing to them long-term. "Seasonality makes it novel and lets us see how consumers respond. It builds in a sell-through for a retailer rather than being something they've seen before," explains Hannah Jodoin, the president and chief executive officer of Miss Hannah's popcorn.

Confectioners are searching for the next Dubai chocolate

Dubai chocolate isn't disappearing anytime soon, but brands are already looking forward to the next big thing. "Dubai chocolate is going to lose interest," notes Grant Kassemos, senior sales manager of chocolate distributor Galerie Au Chocolate. Moving forward, Kassemos says, "We're predicting that matcha is next and then ube." 

Galerie Au Chocolate already has matcha white chocolate bars among its lineup, and the company plans to launch ube-flavored bars filled with crispy rice, coconut, and mango this August. Neither flavor is new on the global stage — far from it — but you may soon be seeing both more frequently on American supermarket shelves.