How Pantone’s Color of the Year creates a buzz in the pastry world

Pantone helps businesses to communicate color choices, and control the consistency of color across various surfaces, materials and textures. They see color as a powerful tool for communication. It’s a visual language that everyone understands, across all generations and geographies.

With their Color of the Year, Pantone wants to demonstrate that color is a major part of a consumer’s decision to buy something or not. “The goal of the program isn’t to promote one particular color”, says Laurie Pressman, Vice President of the Pantone Color Institute. “The goal of the program is to help companies and consumers better understand the power color can have. We want to highlight color’s role as a silent language to teach them how to leverage color’s power and expressiveness to influence perception.”

Pantone’s 2024 Color of the Year, PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz, symbolized warmth, comfort and a return to togetherness, resonating deeply with a world craving connection. It expressed how we are recalibrating our priorities and focusing on health and well-being. The color captured the zeitgeist and reshaped the visual landscapes. It was used for phones, tooth brushes, nail polish, cookware and more, proving the color is a powerful driver of consumer interest.

“Inspiring thoughts of sweet and delicate tastes and scents, PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz tempts the taste buds with thoughts of sweet and delicate scents and treats”, Pantone wrote. And indeed, peach also took over the food and beverage industry by storm. Especially in the drinks category, we spotted new soft drinks and teas that adopted the flavor. Monster released a Peaches n’ Crème energy drink that used the peach fuzz color in the packaging and Clipper came with a floral and fruity Chamomile & Peach tea that combines ‘refreshment and relaxation’. 

The trendy high-end supermarket Erewhon did a smoothie collaboration with model Kendall Jenner in May. The flavor? Peaches and Cream, with peach kombucha, plant-based peach yoghurt, real peaches, vanilla collagen, goji berries and aloe vera. The limited edition Peach Paradise drink retailed for $23. In Japan, Starbucks released the sweet pink Love and Peach Frappuccino: fruity peach puree and ice layered with sweet peach pulp, topped with whipped cream. 

Food producers jumped on the peachy new trend as well, coming up with dairy products, candies, sweet bakery snacks and treats that incorporate the tangy stone fruit. Trader Joe’s debuted its Peaches + Cream Cream Cheese Spread that can be used as a spread for sweet and savory bagels. Restaurants menus presented grilled peach salads, peach and prosciutto pizzas or peach salsas that tapped into the sweet and savory or swicy trend. 

In sweet applications, there were a few applications of peach flavor that stood out. These are the trending taste combinations in patisserie:

Pantone selects PANTONE 17-1230 Mocha Mousse as Color of the Year for 2025. A rich and warm brown tone that both in name and appearance hints towards chocolate and coffee. The color is meant to capture a global mood of connection, comfort and harmony. “Underpinned by our desire for everyday pleasures, PANTONE 17-1230 Mocha Mousse expresses a level of thoughtful indulgence”, says Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director Pantone Color Institute. “Sophisticated and lush, yet at the same time an unpretentious classic, PANTONE 17-1230 Mocha Mousse extends our perceptions of the browns from being humble and grounded to embrace aspirational and luxe.”

This new Color of the Year provides countless starting points for new products and campaigns in the bakery, patisserie and chocolate world. The color itself refers to sweet indulgence, as Mocha Mousse was specifically selected to reflect the importance of the current ‘little treat culture’. But we also find references to food in the additional color palette ‘Relaxed Elegance’ that encompasses the colors cannoli cream, chanterelle and chocolate martini.

Make sure you’re perfectly on trend and in tune with the zeitgeist. Tap into 2025’s color Mocha Mousse in one of these ways:

• Mocha Mousse flavor: Develop recipes that highlight the Mocha Mousse flavor. Think of cakes and parfaits, specialty coffee drinks, caramel and creamy chocolate applications featuring Mocha Mousse-colored fillings and layers.
• Soft textures: Fill chocolates and pastry with ganache or cream centers or develop luscious and airy baked goods and pastries. Velvety smooth textures that resembles Mocha Mousse is what people want.
• Fusion desserts: Experiment with fusion desserts that blend traditional flavors with Mocha Mousse. For example, a Mocha Mousse tiramisu or a Mocha Mousse matcha cake.

TIP: Use the new whippable Ambiante chocolate topping/filling by Puratos. A sustainable and 100% plant-based chocolate filling, decoration and toppings for patisserie and desserts.

More and more pastry chefs are embracing the title of ‘pastry artist’ — and for good reason. Today, pastry creation goes far beyond satisfying a sweet tooth. It has become a canvas for bold experimentation and artistic expression. Curious what the most trendy pastry looks like? Discover 8 trailblazing pastry chefs who are not just following trends but creating them.