Interest in Plant-Based Desserts Rises in 2024

By Tara Gerner | Wealth of Geeks undefined

Although classic desserts such as chocolate chip cookies and ice cream never go out of style, interest in vegan desserts continues to rise in 2024. In fact, the latest numbers show The global vegan dessert market is estimated to reach $3.75 billion this year, and it won't be stopping anytime soon.

Global Growth Insights reports vegan frozen desserts, cakes and pastries, and cookies and biscuits were the most popular plant-based sweet treats last year. While interest grows in other areas, North America remains the dominant region for vegan desserts, despite still be dominated by love for traditional desserts.

Dessert popularity is affected by local traditions, customs, and preferences. Many regions in the United States have a favorite or signature dessert built into their culinary legacy.

“I'm in Maine, which is known for its whoopie pies and pretty much anything blueberry,” says Tiffany McCauley, Gracious Pantry. “The claim is that whoopie pies were invented here. As for blueberries, Maine produces much of the blueberry supply for the country, so they are popular here. Blueberry pie is my favorite.”

“St. Louis is famous for gooey butter cake,” insists Alex Caspero, a registered dietitian at Delish Knowledge. “It's a flat, dense cake made with plenty of butter and covered in powdered sugar. It's exactly as the name says — rich, sweet, and gooey!”

Plant-Based Desserts Aren't Just for Vegans

According to a 2019 study by Grand View Research, plant-based desserts were among the most rapidly growing, with projections looking positive into 2027 and beyond. Although many pastries, cakes, and pies used to require butter and eggs, innovative restaurants and bakeries are figuring out how to use plant-based ingredients without sacrificing flavor.

Plant-based desserts are of interest not just to vegans but also to eco-friendly consumers. A report released by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations stated that, overall, meat production and consumption has a “marked impact on a general global scale on water, soils, extinction of plants and animals, and consumption of natural resources…” 0The ingredients in vegan desserts are almost always more environmentally friendly and sustainable than the animal products used to make traditional baked goods.

According to a 2023 report by DataM Intelligence Analysis, the COVID-19 pandemic influenced vegan desserts in several ways. Supply-chain problems made obtaining certain ingredients challenging, which led to increased prices and shortages. The closure of restaurants during the pandemic also reduced the demand for vegan desserts in those eateries. On the other hand, the pandemic encouraged more people to try baking at home. The public's increased awareness of health and wellness led many of these new home bakers to try more plant-based recipes, including those for desserts.

“I bake vegan recipes all of the time,” says Caspero. “Especially with the rise of dairy-free alternatives, it allows me to serve the same delicious treats to my family members with allergies without compromising on flavor. I've made my vegan chocolate cake for so many events – and even catered dinner parties – and no one knows it's vegan! With so many various dietary requests these days, I find it's easier to bring a vegan dessert to a party so more people can enjoy it.”

Presenting a Platter of Plant-Based Desserts

Dessert boards remain popular because people prefer an assortment of choices, and there's plenty of room to sneak in plant-based options. Dessert boards combine candy, miniature cakes, fudge, cookies, no-bake tarts, macarons, and other bite-size treats on a single platter. Restaurants use dessert boards to show off a selection of their dessert offerings, including plant-based and gluten-free options, but the platters are also popular at weddings, baby showers, and holiday soirees.

When putting together a dessert board, first consider your guests' allergies or special requirements. If you know guests with peanut allergies are attending, you don't want a bunch of peanut-laden sweets on a tray touching other desserts. Then, consider what plant-based desserts are visually appealing. As some can look dry or unlike their standard counterparts, it's best to consider what options read most like a dessert.

Bringing Creativity to Vegan Baking

Is it a cake, a sculpted work of art, or both? Stiff Italian meringue buttercream, moldable fondant, and tempered chocolate allow pastry chefs to create eye-popping, edible works of art that add an extra dimension to desserts for an event, holiday, or celebration. With a few ingredient swaps, you can also make these fun creations vegan. Molding materials like fondant can be made vegan by substituting in agar-agar powder for gelatin.

Remember when animated movies evolved from flat drawings into 3D, CG-enhanced movies such as Toy Story and Inside Out? In much the same way, themed 3D cakes make drawing pictures with icing on the top of cakes seem like a throwback to a bygone era.

This article was produced by Media Decision and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.