Healthy Option

The Simply Good Foods Company, Denver, extended its Quest nutrition line with Quest Cheese Crackers in a Cheddar Blast flavor. The crackers offer 10g of protein and 5g of net carbs per 30g bagged serving. "Quest is all about supporting consumers by delivering on taste, while also offering the macros they are seeking,” said Linda Zink, Simply Good Foods chief marketing officer. “We are excited to launch Quest Cheese Crackers, a cheesy option that satisfies this appetite for snacking, while providing a protein boost without a ton of net carbs." Quest Cheese Crackers are available in four-count multi-packs online at QuestNutrition.com and in-store at retailers including Amazon, Target, and Walmart.

Bakery Aisle Hero

After launching online retail sales last April, Hero Labs Inc., San Francisco, is going to brick-and-mortar retail with its line of Hero Bread breads and baked goods with little to no net carbs, 0g sugar, fewer calories and more protein and fiber per serving. Its retail launch involved all Market District stores across three states and Dom's Kitchen & Market in Chicago. Products include Hero Sliced White Bread, Tortillas, Burger Buns and Hot Dog Buns, all of which have 0g net carbs per serving and high fiber. "I started Hero to create delicious bread and baked goods that give people the freedom to eat what they want," said Hero CEO and Founder Cole Glass.

Grab and Go Minis

Dewey’s Bakery Inc., Winston-Salem, N.C., took two of its biggest selling thin cookies—Meyer Lemon and Brownie Crisp—and made them small (as in miniature) for on-the-go snack occasions. The company now offers Dewey’s Grab and Go pouches for bulk sale, where a box of eight 1.25oz pouches retails for $19.99 in select retail stores. Each cookie is made without artificial ingredients, preservatives or synthetic colors.   

Upcycled Appeal

Upcycled spent grains specialist Brewer's Foods, Somerville, Mass., added Chocolate Chip Sea Salt Brewer’s Cookies to its growing line, which already features pita chips and flatbread crackers. Officials note the cookies feature Callebaut chocolate (ethically sourced, sustainably grown), Cabot butter from sustainable farms, and King Arthur flour with wheat grown without pesticides or herbicides. The cookie also features natural sweetening from honey and maple syrup. New Brewer's Cookies can be found in Whole Foods Market’s North Atlantic Region and in Uncle Guiseppe's Marketplace locations.

Organic—with Real Cheese, Veggies

Kellogg Company, Battle Creek, Mich., extended its Pure Organic line—known for layered fruit bars—into Pure Organic Baked Crackers featuring 100% real cheese, plus added veggies. They offer a good source of vitamin D and come in three flavors: Double Cheddar, Parmesan Garlic and Garden Ranch. Pure Organic Baked Crackers' are sold at Kroger's nationwide with an SRP of $4.49. "We're redefining the norm of snacking–first with our popular layered fruit bars and now with baked crackers–with a mission of creating treats that pay homage to old-school snacks while using quality ingredients for exceptional taste that the whole family can enjoy," said Janice Spurgeon, Pure Organic brand manager.

Kid Friendly, Allergy-Friendly

Raised Gluten Free, Bayside, Calif., introduced three kid-friendly cookie mixes. They come in Chocolate Chip, Double Chocolate, and Confetti flavors and each package features illustrated instructions that kids can easily follow. Directions show how to simply mash vegan butter and applesauce together, stir in the mix until it is a light and fluffy dough, refrigerate for 15 minutes, and pop the tray in the oven. Mixes are 100% vegan, kosher, Non-GMO Project Verified, and free of the top nine allergens, including dairy, eggs, soy, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and sesame. Raised Gluten Free’s Cookie Mixes, bake up to 12 cookies per 11oz pouch. They’re available at Kroger locations nationwide for a SRP of $7.99.

New Low-Cal Options

This January saw Wells Enterprises Inc., Le Mars, Iowa, take its popular Halo Top low-calorie ice cream brand into the baking aisle. It partnered with General Mills to for a new line of Halo Top Desserts—all with one-third fewer calories than competitors. New Halo Top Light Cake Mix Single-Serve Cups come in three flavors: Chocolate, Strawberry and Birthday Cake. With only 170 calories per single-serve cup, the microwaveable cake mixes have one-third fewer calories than the average of the five leading prepared cake mixes. Halo Top Light Brownie Mix creates Fudge Brownies with only 90 calories per brownie. Halo Top Light Cookie Mix creates Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip cookies with only 80 calories per cookie.

Suggested retail prices are $2.89 for the light cake mix single-serve cups and $4.99 for the brownie and cookie light baking mixes.

Epic Taste Appeal

Conagra Brands, Inc., Chicago, greeted this new year with a host of new offerings including two co-branded mixes involving its Duncan Hines and Mrs. Butterworth’s brands with Cinnabon (Focus Brands). Conagra extended its EPIC baking kit line with a Duncan Hines EPIC Cinnabon Muffin kit. Its “over-the-top” muffins are filled with Cinnabon’s cinnamon sugar and are topped with streusel and cream cheese icing. There’s also a Mrs. Butterworth's EPIC Cinnabon Pancake Kit including cinnamon roll pancake mix, cream cheese flavored icing and cinnamon and brown sugar swirl.