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 eleventh year attending. The show moved to Indianapolis and Sapna and I decided to head down together for two days.
Since my first show in 2014, the percentage of healthy snacks and candies with organic ingredients has grown exponentially. There are still tons of traditional candies, but snacks are bigger and the healthy trends are very visible.
In terms of trends, it felt like there was less of a focus on no sugar/low sugar or low carb and snacks are back! There are definitely many healthy options and better for you versions of old favorites. 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 Swts & Snks ’25.]
The show halls are open for three days. We went for days 1 and two. 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.
There was a lot of innovation in the space this year. Trend spotters called new twists on old favorites – like lemonade potato chips from Utz, better for you options – like Zack’s Mighty spicy rolled tortillas (think Taki’s but better for you), freeze dried candies and multi-sensory experiences like gummies with a juicy center and brand partnerships and tie ins. Traditional snacks are making a comeback like popcorn and pretzels. Most popular flavors were Dubai chocolate (chocolate and pistachio), dill pickle and spicy dill pickle. There were very few products labeled keto (yay!) and low sugar products are using less sugar alcohols or other “sugar alternatives.” I’m very happy for this one
Day 1
We started in the Press Room and then hit the main hall for a bit. Our very first stop was to check out some Dubai chocolate from Dubai! We tried some new Candy Dates from Smood Foods – these are candy coated dates from Sweden and they are super delish and better for you. I found a new clean energy bar made by runners – Timbar (stay tuned for a review!).
We grabbed all of the flavors of Hi-Chew (a ton!) and got a fun mascot pic! Then I grabbed some of my favorite chocolate almonds from Sconza and some Haribo. We stopped by Katjes (pronounced Cat-yes if you were wondering) for vegan gummies and met the team from Harken to try their dairy free, date sweetened chocolate bars (another awesome better for you option.)
Another one of my favorite finds of the day was Cedar Valley pita crisps. BOLO in Costco for these! I grabbed some PopCrunch peanut butter popcorn (my fave find in 2023) and tried Pop Zup truffle butter popcorn. Delish! I tried new pretzel crisps from Every Body Eat and Lychee drinkable konjac jelly from Tastelli – 2 local faves. We also tried Nutella Peanut which is coming out in 2026. It’s really good!
I stopped by Power Up to grab trail mix and tried their new Antioxidant Trail Bites. Think all natural dark chocolate bark. Yum! We tried El Nacho tortilla chips. The flavor combos were unique and amazing. I stopped by to see my friends from Undercover Snacks and Octonuts. Octonuts has some amazing new flavors in their cashew line. A new healthy find was NUI Snacks hemp based savory snacks. Very good!
I saw my friends from South 40 Snacks who I met last year. They shared their nut and fruit bars and sunflower seeds with me. We stopped by to chat with Jason from The Only Bean [Get 15% of your order with code ERICA15] and grabbed some edamame snacks. As usual vibes were high at their booth. I never miss an opportunity to grab some TCHO chocolate for the road. We also grabbed some faves and new products from Skinny Dipped.
My favorite sweet of the day was True Dates candy flavored dates in Sour Cola. This was similar to the one we tried earlier but this flavor blew me away. (I’ve already ordered a six pack from Amazon to try them all. I swung by to see my friends from UK Imports to check out what’s new and to grab some of my faves. (Stay tuned for more from them!)
Day 1 Haul
Day 2
We went to the Women’s Leadership Breakfast on Wednesday. It started with a chat with Mel Raines, the CEO of Pacers Sports & Entertainment. She shared some great advice for women in business. She reminded us to stay informed – not only to be a subject matter expert in our areas but to be aware of how what’s happening in the world impacts our company. She also discussed how her mentors – men and women – have shaped her career and the importance of cultivating mentoring relationships.
We also had break out sessions. I chose “Build Your Personal Brand.” My table was led by Dr. Rasheda Jackson and she had some great tips. I’m going to ask her if I can share them as a “Friday Five” post. I met some Chicago folks and some other interesting women. What a great way to start the day!
We finished up the Specialty Market and Main Hall on Day 2. Of course there were more mascot pics. I can’t resist.
I professed my love for Sweetish and all of my fave Swedish candies and they gave me a ton to try! I swung by to see what was new at Vermont Smoke & Cure and tried all of the new flavors – all spot on as usual. I chatted with my friends at Candy Pop and grabbed some PB & J Pop. Wonderful Pistachios was on point with a yummy new Dill Pickle flavor. I met Evie from Evie’s Pecans and grabbed some of my fave – Brown Butter.
I stopped by to see Clara from Unite Foods and grabbed my fave bars. I grabbed some Rev Gum’s electrolyte gum and caffeinated gum just in time for warm weather miles. I tried my hand at Tony’s Chocolonely’s claw game (not a winner) and won $5 and a bunch of yummy superfood chocolate from The 72 Chocolate Collection. Alter Eco shared samples of their new filled chocolate flavors and a lot of truffles to take home!
I grabbed some Hormbles Chormbles Protein Chocolate. We asked about the name and it’s just a fun, frivolous choice. Excited to try this one as they’re from Chicago and were recommended to me by a friend. We swung by to try That’s It’s new Fruit Crunchables and tried the new truffle flavors. I grabbed some original fruit bars for the road.
I stopped by to see Lexie and to grab my fave freeze dried treats from SOW Good. We chatted with Pipcorn and heard about some fun changes that are coming. Stay tuned. One of our last stops was with the team from Deux and grabbed some of my fave vegan, gluten free BFY donut holes.
I said goodbye to my friends and we 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! There were a ton of nostalgic candies that brought me a lot of joy, 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.