Junk Banter had the pleasure of attending the Sweets & Snacks Expo held in Chicago on May 22. The Expo, hosted by the National Confectioners Associations, is the largest annual trade show focused exclusively on candy and snacks! Over 18,000 attendees gathered this year to put on weight as fast as they possibly could.
For exhibitors, the Sweets & Snacks Expo is a chance for the new guys to pitch their blossoming snack business and a chance for the big players to promote their newest creations. For most attendees (buyers, merchandisers, and executives), it’s a chance to scout products that could generate profit for them.
For the media? It’s like going to Costco, not buying anything, and eating samples for 72 hours straight.
Guess who counts as media somehow? ?
Summarizing some of the trends and highlights this year, the National Confectioner’s Association notes that mainstays like caramel and coconut are as popular as ever, running concurrently with more daring flavor and ingredient innovations:
Classic flavor profiles like chocolate and caramel are infused with fun and tasty new ingredients like artisanal salts, spices, and textures. We’re also paying attention to bold flavors like habanero, hatch chile, rosemary, and wines – including prosecco and rosé.”
Featured below are tons of my most exciting finds from the Expo. I didn’t get all the info on when these would release because I was too busy shoving my face, but just know that they’re coming!
Nabisco Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie Oreo
Coming early June! Graham cookie with peanut butter & chocolate flavored cremes.
Nabisco Pistachio Oreo Thins
Also coming early June! Chocolate cookie with pistachio flavored creme.
Nabisco Good Humor Strawberry Shortcake Oreo
Coming this summer! Golden cookie with strawberry flavored bits.
Nabisco Rocky Road Trip Oreo
Coming later in the summer! Chocolate cookie with marshmallow bits (in the cookie!) and a rocky road flavored creme with soy nut inclusions.
Nabisco Peppermint Bark Oreos
Coming this holiday season! Peppermint flavored creme with crunchy sugar crystals.
White Chocolate Peanut M&M’s
Available this fall!
Mars Milky Way Fudge
Rolling out now!
Juicy Fruit Collisions
I have no idea when these come out!
Hershey’s Hot Cocoa Kisses
Coming this winter! Milk chocolate with a marshmallow flavored creme.
Hershey’s Waffle Layer Crunch Bars
Coming in August in Strawberry and Dulce de Leche flavors.
Kit Kat Snack Mix
Coming in August 2018, featuring KIT KAT Minis, pretzels, chocolate wafer bites, and honey roasted almonds.
Reese’s Outrageous Stuffed with Pieces!
Available now!
Jelly Belly Candy Cones
Coming very soon! These mellowcreme candies have a cone flavored base and ice cream flavored top (mint, chocolate, strawberry, orange sherbet, vanilla)
Warheads Hotheads
Coming soon! Three products: Extreme Heat Worms, Tropical Extreme Heat Worms, and Scorching Heat Twists
Airheads Gummies
Coming soon!
Sour Punch Wild Bites (Narwhal Shapes)
Coming soon! Available in Arctic flavors: Arctic Avalanche, Frozen Flurry, Polar Plunge, and Green Glacier
Hot Tamales Fire & Ice
Rolling out now! Chewy cinnamon and cool mint flavored candies.
Fruit Gushers Super Sour Berry
Coming soon! Flavors are mixed berry, blueberry grape, ansd raspberry lemonade.
Hostess Cookies ‘n Creme Brownies
Rolling out now!
Hostess Strawberries & Creme Cake Delights
Not sure when these come out!
Hostess Salted Caramel Cake Delights
Who knows!
Churro Bugles
Coming eventually!
Cookie Butter Snappers
Coming this fall or winter! Pretzels + cookie butter + vanilla drizzle
Quest Tortilla Style Protein Chips
Rolling out now! Available in Nacho Cheese and Ranch
Quest Maple Waffle Protein Bar
Release date TBD!
Grenade Carb Killa Protein Brownie
Coming soon!
Snack Pack Unicorn Magic Pudding
No release date yet!
Snack Pack Cinnamon Twist Churro Pudding
Hitting stores now-is!
Cinnabon Moose Munch Popcorn
Sometime this year!
Dunkin Donuts Coffee Thins
Coming soon! Creamy coffee treats available in four flavors: Original Blend, Caramel, Pumpkin Spice, and Peppermint Mocha.
Red Vines Cinnamon Roll Twistettes
Coming this year… gross!
Jolly Time Blazin’ Blast O Fiery Popcorn
This year!
Jolly Time Blazin’ Cheese Fiery Popcorn
Also this year!
Pop! Gourmet Hidden Valley Ranch Popcorn
Soon!
Pop! Gourmet Hidden Valley Ranch Chips
Also soon!
Dr. Pepper Cotton Candy
Available now I think?!
Welch’s Multigrain Fruit Puffs
Coming soon! From Cosmos Creations, available in concord grape, grape, and mixed berry.
Megaload Dippin’ Dots Cookie Dough
Coming soon, available in Chocolate Chip and Birthday Cake
Megaload S’mores Dippin’ Dots Chocolate Bar
Also soon!
Herr’s McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak Chips
Available now!
Herr’s McCormick Grill Mates Roasted Garlic & Herb Chips
Out now with limited distribution
Herr’s McCormick Grill Mates Smokehouse Maple Chips
Out now with limited distribution
Snack Factory Pretzel Crisps (Deli Style Sourdough & Cinnamon Sugar)
Sooooooon (or now)!
Fisher’s Old Bay Caramel Popcorn
Coming… sometime!
ONE Basix Protein Bars
Available now in three flavors: Triple Chocolate Chunk, Cookie Dough Chocolate Chunk, and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk
WELP I hope you enjoyed some of the pictures of food I took with my iPhone at the Sweet & Snacks Expo.
Bye!
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I am hoping to go next year! Going set up my food blog hopefully by end of the summer. I’m envisioning me using American Sign Language to taste the foods and review it. I think it is cool to have that kind of food review. I haven’t seen a deaf food reviewer yet!
Those look good! Airheads could had added mystery flavor in the gummies. Hope they will do that!
Also the facebook comment box is not working for now. All I’m seeing this weird blinking circle
Good luck with your blog Alek! Sounds like a great opportunity! I’m not sure what’s going on with the Facebook comments on this particular post.
Were facebook comments disabled for this post? Anyway, were the oreos behind glass(it looked that way from the photos)–if so, that’s hilarious! Just curious, how do they determine who is qualified to be media. Your blog, by all means, merits you to be media, but it’s not like there’s some sort of overseeing group that certifies legit blogs from lesser ones…or do the snack fair overlords have scouts out scouring the junk food blogosphere?
The Facebook comments aren’t disabled but there is definitely a problem with this particular post. Not a big deal I hope, as long as they’re working on other posts. Haha, Oreos were indeed behind glass as were a lot of the products by the major companies (like White Chocolate M&M’s). And legit, you have to file a media application with your credentials and there is indeed a person (or persons) that approves and rejects!