10 texture trends that will define bakery & snacks in 2026

Key takeaways:

• As portions shrink and reformulation pressures rise, texture has become the fastest and most reliable way for bakery and snack brands to deliver indulgence and satisfaction.
• Consumers increasingly favor products with contrasting and interactive textures, where crunch, softness, creaminess and chew work together to create a more engaging eating experience.
• In a cautious innovation climate, texture failures are more likely than flavor misses to trigger ‘silent quitting’, making mouthfeel a critical factor in repeat purchase.

If appetite was reset in 2026, texture is how brands get it back. When consumers eat less, try fewer new products and abandon disappointments faster, mouthfeel becomes the fastest route to satisfaction. It’s not just what something tastes like – it’s how it breaks, pulls, melts, snaps or lingers.

Across data from Puratos, Nestlé USA, Circana, Innova and Datassential, one point keeps resurfacing: texture is no longer a secondary attribute. For younger consumers especially, it’s as important as flavor, sometimes more so. That’s forcing bakery and snack brands to rethink structure, layering, inclusions and even the language they use to sell indulgence.

This isn’t about novelty for novelty’s sake. Texture is doing real work in 2026 – compensating for smaller portions, lower sugar, higher protein and reformulation compromises. When flavor has constraints, texture carries the emotional load.

The result is a category-wide shift. Bakery and snacks are moving from single-note eating experiences to engineered, multi-sensory ones. And the brands that get texture right will feel indulgent even when everything else is under pressure.

Texture becomes as important as flavor

According to Datassential, nearly half of consumers who ordered from restaurants say texture is just as important as flavor. Nestlé USA’s 2026 trends sharpen that point further: 75% of Gen Z and 80% of Millennials say texture directly influences their snack cravings.

For bakery and snacks, this elevates texture from a technical consideration to a primary purchase driver. Consumers aren’t just choosing chocolate cookies – they’re choosing chewy centers, crisp edges, crackle, crumble and bite resistance.

In 2026, texture isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s a deciding factor.

Contrast textures outperform uniform ones

Puratos’ Taste Tomorrow research shows that 67% of consumers actively seek novelty through unexpected mouthfeel. The strongest signal isn’t one texture done well, but two or more textures working together.

Soft meets crunchy. Creamy meets flaky. Chewy meets crisp. Layered cakes, filled pastries, topped cookies and hybrid formats are winning because every bite changes slightly as you eat.

This contrast-driven indulgence keeps consumers engaged longer – especially important when portion sizes are shrinking.

Candy becomes the texture R&D lab

Candy is leading the texture arms race. Circana data shows that texture ranks just behind flavor and brand in non-chocolate candy purchases, while Innova reports that more than a quarter of North American consumers say flavor combinations and texture are what make food experiences impressive.

Brands are experimenting with peelable gummies, freeze-dried candy, swicy-sour coatings and interactive formats that invite play. Bakery and snacks are watching closely – and borrowing fast.

Candy proves that texture doesn’t just enhance indulgence. It creates it.

Crunch evolves from trend to baseline expectation

Crunch was the gateway drug. The explosion of #CrunchTok, which amassed more than 1.5 billion views, made crispness aspirational again. But in 2026, crunch alone won’t differentiate.

Consumers now expect crunch to be precise – light but not stale, loud but not hard, clean-breaking rather than tooth-testing. And they expect it to coexist with softer elements.

Crunch becomes the foundation, not the headline.

Soft, creamy and velvety textures surge

As crunch normalizes, softer textures are rising. Nestlé USA notes that “creamy” appears on nearly half of menus, while social media usage of “velvety” is up sharply quarter over quarter.

In bakery, this shows up as gooey centers, mousse-like fillings, whipped toppings and laminated doughs that pull apart rather than snap. These textures also help offset sugar reduction and protein fortification by delivering perceived indulgence without added sweetness.

Softness, in 2026, signals comfort and care.

Multi-layered formats become the indulgence shortcut

Layering is doing heavy lifting. Puratos points to renewed interest in seven-layer cakes and crinkle cookies as evidence that consumers crave variety within a single item.

Layered products create a sense of generosity even when portion sizes are controlled. They also photograph well, share easily and justify premium pricing.

In a crowded aisle, layers communicate value faster than claims ever could.

Texture language becomes a selling tool

As texture importance rises, so does the vocabulary around it. Brands are leaning into descriptors like ‘crackle’, ‘gooey’, ‘pillowy’, ‘crispy-soft’ and ‘melty’ to cue expectation before the first bite.

This language does more than decorate packaging – it manages disappointment risk. When consumers know what texture to expect, they’re less likely to feel misled.

In 2026, selling texture clearly is part of product performance.

Texture compensates for reformulation trade-offs

Protein fortification, fiber addition and sugar reduction often compromise mouthfeel. That’s where texture engineering becomes strategic rather than decorative.

Creaminess can mask bitterness. Crunch can distract from reduced sweetness. Chew can add satiety cues. As functional expectations rise, texture increasingly carries the indulgence burden.

The brands that succeed won’t fight reformulation – they’ll design around it.

Interactive textures drive shareability

Peel, pull, dip, crack, snap. Interactive textures create moments, not just bites. They invite participation, filming and sharing – especially among Gen Z.

Nestlé USA highlights growing interest in tactile eating experiences, while Puratos notes that memorable, multi-sensory moments drive emotional connection and loyalty.

In 2026, texture is content.

Poor texture triggers silent rejection

Circana’s warning about ‘silent quitting’ applies sharply here. Consumers may forgive a flavor they don’t love. They’re far less forgiving of texture that feels wrong – stale, dry, gummy or incoherent.

Texture failures don’t generate complaints. They generate absence.

In a cautious innovation climate, texture is often the difference between a one-time trial and a repeat purchase.