You know I love my snacks and sweets. I had the opportunity to attend the National Confectioners Association (NCA) Sweets & Snacks Expo again. This was my ninth year attending. Sadly, this is Sweets & Snacks’ last year in Chicago so next year I may have to trek to Indy again and won’t be able to pair it with the National Restaurant Show (reel recap).
Since 2014, the percentage of healthy snacks and candies with organic ingredients has grown exponentially. There are still many traditional candies, but snacks are big and the healthy trends were very visible. In terms of trends, lower/no sugar added is still big, keto is still prevalent but less in your face and all natural/sustainable is becoming dominant. I was excited to see a lot of pretzels and popcorn and yummy chocolate with naturally low sugar (and no weird stuff). [Check out my Instagram recap of faves here and see my story highlights under Sweets/Snacks ’23.]
The show is three days. I went for the media preview and half of Day 1 and most of Day 2. The show is back to full capacity (pre-pandemic levels). They had the “Start Up Street” highlighting small brands less than 3 years old and an expanded “Specialty Market” focusing on transparency, “free from,” organic, premium, fair trade, gourmet, etc. This is my jam! I also love to get some nostalgic treats and see what the big companies are doing. In addition to traditional candy, many of the big players have lower sugar options and partner with healthy brands.
There was a ton of innovation in the space this year. Trend spotters called out lots of brand collaborations (think Cinnamon Toast Crunch Stuffed Puffed Marshmallows), flavor combos – lots of sour/sweet/spicy and global mixes and products in all sizes from family size to singles.
Day 1
I started with Start Up Street and checked out many smaller and new brands first. Right off the bat, I met the team from UK Imports and tried some delish treats making their US debuts – YummyComb and Poppets. Then, I grabbed some Chomi’s Gomi’s – spicy gummies – which were part of a big trend. I saw Angelica from Fueled by AF and met Amie from Carolyn’s Krisps at the Hatchery booth. I grabbed some new Hazel Nuts! dark chocolate and other goodies from from Tcho.
I chatted with more new brands on Start Up Street. I met the team from Purely Sprouted. They make flavored sprouted almonds and trail mixes in Ojai, CA (where I was the weekend before for the marathon!) I checked out the new popcorn from Tamalitoz (YUM), grabbed some snacks and caught up with my friends from Brave Good Kind and tried some new CauliPuffs.
I saw a bunch of my faves and grabbed some new flavors. I stopped in to say hi to OBA Snacks, Unite Bars (the new Baklava is to die for!), Every Body Eat (get 15% off with code ERICAFINDS15) and grabbed some of the new Thunderbird Bar flavors. I met the award winners from Henrietta.Said (they make chicken wing inspired flavored nuts) and Pop Crunch (Peanut Butter Caramel and Almond Butter Caramel coated popcorns). I grabbed Wella cereals and all of the Ginger People Gin-Gins to try.
Then, I met Sapna and we did a very quick run around in the large hall. We chatted with our friends from Frooze Balls (they have a nut free set coming soon), Ritter Sport (new vegan line), Chocolove and Pecan Nation (one of my fave new finds last year). We grabbed some photos and old time treats along the way.
Day 1 Haul
I spent the second day in the main hall. I started with innovations from Hershey’s and grabbed some faves like Goetze’s Cow Tails. I stopped by to check out all the new innovations at Ferrara and got a fun kit to try them all! These bring back good memories (and have some fun “twists.”). I then went to get The Husband his annual Twinkie and to take a photo with Twinkie the Kid.
With that out of the way, I went to the Specialty Market and covered as much of the hall as I could. I stopped to see my friends from Dewey’s Bakery and grabbed some mini cookie thins to share. I met the team from We are Nuts and got some toffee peanuts. I admired Orchard Valley Harvest’s new look and grabbed some yummy trail mixes. I met Selim from BonBon – a Swedish Candy Co and discussed my upcoming vacation while scoring all the treats.
I checked out the new options from Tony’s Chocolonely. BOLO for Ben & Jerry’s collabs and new Lil’ Bits. I tried Pop Daddy’s new globally inspired pretzel flavors – loved the Mexican Street Corn! I grabbed a couple of Ritter Sport’s new vegan chocolate bars. I also tried TruFru’s Parfait Poppers (yogurt granola and fruit) and watched them giveaway money in their booth!
I headed over to the Specialty Market and chatted with many of my faves. I chatted with Matt and Gabby from Rind Snacks and got the 411 on the Remix line (heading to CA Costcos first!). I stopped by Unbound Snacks and grabbed some of these yummy walnuts to share. My friends from Chum Fruit Bites gave me some extras for superfan Henry and to share. I “found” Root Foods. They make delicious veggie snacks with minimal ingredients from small, sustainable farms. Stay tuned for a review! Speaking of veggies, I tried Rhythm Foods new Shishito Pepper snacks – YUM! No sweets show is complete without Undercover Snacks. Grabbed some for the road!
I grabbed some of my fave freeze-dried sweets from SOW Good. Then I saw Cindy from Supernola and tried some of the new products she’s been working on. I really liked new GardenBars – they’re adult fruit bars that kids will enjoy, too! I tried some new products from Bobo’s (handheld PB & J will be great for biking and hiking!) and Lebby Snacks (new chocolate covered pistachios). I chatted with my friends from Endangered Species Chocolate and grabbed the ’23 flavors to try and share. I got a pro-tip from gimMe Seaweed – mix the cheddar and chili line seaweed snack for a healthy “Dorito.”
On the way out, I stopped back at the Hatchery booth. I grabbed some Pistachio Butter from Fueled by AF and tried Tubby’s Taste’s delicious Jamaican inspired cookies.
I said goodbye to my friends and then headed out. It was really fun to catch up with so many people that I know in the natural space and to try some new sweet treats, too!
Day 2 Haul:
Stay tuned for some great giveaways in the weeks to come! I promise I will share the majority of this haul.
What do you want to try most? What is your favorite candy or snack?
Please note: I was provided with samples at no cost in exchange for an honest review/mention. I was not otherwise compensated for this post. I received a free entry to the Sweets and Snacks show as a member of the “media.” All opinions are my own. This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you use these links, I’ll receive a small commission.