Consumers increasingly sweet on honey as snack bar ingredient

An expert from the National Honey Board shares several successful recent launches.

Courtesy of Kate's Real Food

Snack bars and honey are proving to be the ultimate power duo. Snack bars proved a sweet treat during this year’s new product launches, and a wave of made-with-honey product releases mirrored three key trends in the snack bar category.

Flavor is still king

Honey adds a touch of sweetness to snack bars and provides the perfect balance for products with nut butters, fruit and chocolate.

Cherry Chocolate Handcrafted Peanut Butter Bar, Big Spoon Roasters: Wildflower honey is blended with small batch dark chocolate, gluten-free whole grains, non-GMO pea protein, tart dried cherries and peanut and pecan nut butter for a balanced blend of flavor.
Crispy Peanut Butter & Berry, Perfect Bar Layers: A homage to a classic, this snack bar is a combination of honey, peanut butter and 100% fruit spread. Consumers will enjoy this familiar, indulgent taste that provides 9 grams of whole food protein per bar.

Plant-based nutrition is a valuable selling point

Yes, plant-based sells even in snack bars, and this one delivers plant-based ingredients wrapped in a convenient package that delivers sweetness, protein and fiber.

Honey Cinnamon Peanut Butter, RXBAR A.M.: RXBAR expanded its made-with-honey snack bar lineup with a protein powerhouse. 10 grams of protein lead the way with this yummy blend of soft rolled oats, crispy brown rice and creamy nut butters. Honey Cinnamon Peanut Butter joins other sweetened-with-honey A.M. varieties: Chocolate, Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate, and Blueberry.

Increased demand for all-natural ingredients

Consumers aren’t willing to compromise with this key trend, especially in snack bars. Honey is an all-natural sweetener made by one of Mother Nature’s powerhouse pollinators: the honey bee. Consumers are drawn to the notion of all-natural, clean-label ingredients, and honey certainly fits the bill.

Gourmet White Chocolate & Macadamia, Kate’s Real Food: This gluten-free, premium snack bar is made with whole food, all-natural ingredients for a guilt-free indulgence. The honey-sweetened bar also includes creamy white chocolate and buttery macadamia nuts for a luxurious artisanal taste.

Product developers looking to formulate the next great made-with-honey snack bar can email ingredient@honey.com for more information.

Catherine Barry is director of marketing at the National Honey Board. She began working at the Board in 2008 and brings more than 10 years of experience in the honey industry to her role in overseeing the Board's branding, marketing, public relations, advertising and market research efforts. Prior to joining the Board, Barry worked in sports marketing, where she managed community relations programs and organized charity events for five Denver professional sports teams.