There are few flavor profiles that elicit broad nostalgia, but many people — especially in America — have some memory of trail mix. Whether your first experience eating it was on a hike, a family road trip, or the sidelines of a sporting match, the comforting combination of sweet fruit, nutty, and buttery brings a smile to the faces of people young and old.
As one of my favorite snacks, I was excited when I had the opportunity to support a project seeking a trail mix inspired profile for a bakery application. I started with my preferred trail mix recipe in mind which includes cherries, nuts and of course chocolate. To capture the essence of trail mix that consumers would recognize in a liquid flavor form, I combined the flavors of the sweet stone fruit, almond and butter. I also blended chocolate with creamy coconut notes. The taste experience starts with a fresh fruity cherry flavor and prominent almond, then ends with a savory buttery flavor background. The mix of these profiles that release at different times achieves the full trail mix experience.
Taking the profile of trail mix beyond the snack bag seems like a rather novel idea! Perfect for family-friendly applications, this flavor would work well in bars, cereal, bakery snacks and bakery mixes. The almond notes in the flavor would even make it a great compliment to almond milk. The possibilities are endless; to brainstorm more uses, reach out to your McCormick account manager or contact us today.
