Every year, Fall marks a season of change. But it’s more than just back to school, changing leaves, and football season. It’s a signal of excitement that the holiday season is approaching. Or, as it should be called in the food and beverage industry, “LTO (limited-time offering) season”.

But why?

What is it that makes LTOs impact us differently this time of year? More importantly for developers, how can they leverage these temporary treats into longer-term success for their brands and product lines?

The Growing Success & Necessity of Limited-Time Offerings

Before we look at what makes holiday LTOs so special, it’s important to acknowledge that LTOs in general are on the rise.

In recent years, the number of limited-time offers on food service menus has skyrocketed, increasing 157% since 2019.

There are several reasons for this, both for consumers as well as for developers.

The most obvious is how the social media era has turned the trend cycle into a revolving door for products. What’s trending one month might be old news the next.

Furthermore, novelty in taste and experience is currency to today’s consumers, especially younger generations.

Utilizing LTOs as part of a development strategy is an incredible way for brands to continue meeting this demand.

Introducing a new flavor or inclusion to an existing product line is much easier and faster than building products from the ground up, especially when responding to changing fads and trends. It can also come with potentially lower risk and, even more importantly, lower time, resource, and financial investment.

Additionally, with current macro movements like nostalgia, global flavors, and sensory maximalism transforming from simple trends to development platforms, LTOs offer a unique sandbox for innovation and experimentation.

Leveraging Seasonal & Holiday LTOs as Innovation Platforms

One of the primary factors that continue to propel limited-time offers is how they use the familiar to offer something novel.

As a result, with LTOs, brands are able to leverage the loyalty they’ve built up with their product to foster curiosity and encourage trial.

In other words, they already trust and enjoy the product, so it lowers the risk of trying that trending flavor.

This only intensifies with seasonal and holiday LTOs.

Why? Because part of what makes the holidays so special is tradition. And at the heart of most traditions is food.

The feast at Thanksgiving, your favorite trick-or-treating candy at Halloween, the cookies and sweets at Christmas; these flavors make up so many of our memories.

And so, for many of us, this includes holiday LTOs. The leaves start changing, the kids go back to school, and just like that, pumpkin spice lattes are back on the menu.

These seasonal treats are things people look forward to all year. In many ways, they’ve become part of the tradition.

Yet, along with the captive audience craving the classics, people are also open to something new.

LTOs Don’t Limit Innovation

Altogether, 79% of people say they are likely to try new food products (73% for beverages) during the holiday season.

This is where holiday LTOs can become the concept proving ground developers are looking for.

A place to experiment with unique “swavory” or botanical flavor combinations, elevated nostalgic profiles, immersive sensory experiences, and more.

It lets them deliver traditional tastes while testing which trends have the potential for greater mainstream appeal and long-lasting success.

This approach of pairing the traditional tastes of the holidays with rising trends was the inspiration for Ever Fresh’s latest Featured Flavor concepts.

Now, let’s take a closer look at how these six flavors showcase the special role that seasonal LTOs can play for developers.

Ever Fresh’s Featured Flavors

Halloween – “Candy Corn” Pumpkin Cheesecake

Love it or hate it, few things visually scream Halloween like candy corn. It’s this aesthetic that served as the perfect inspiration for this flavor. This “candy corn” pumpkin cheesecake ice cream features a layer of vibrant orange pumpkin ice cream, topped with decadent layers of white and yellow cheesecake ice cream that offers a visual trick along with this delicious treat.

Ice Cream Base: Pumpkin, Cheesecake

Trends: Elevated Visual Aesthetics, Nostalgia, Unique Flavor Combinations

Thanksgiving – Cran-rosemary Cream Cheese Ice Cream

Move over cranberry sauce. Get the full Thanksgiving experience with this holiday treat that’s sweet, tart, slightly herbaceous, and 100% indulgent.  This decadent cream cheese ice cream base is swirled throughout with layers of a rosemary-infused cranberry variegate and white liquid chip for a sensory experience that’s as comfortingly nostalgic as it is boldly on trend.

Ice Cream Base: Cream Cheese

Inclusions/Variegates: Rosemary-infused Cranberry Variegate

Trends: Botanical Flavors, Nostalgia, Swavory Desserts

Thanksgiving – Honey Brown Butter Brown Sugar Bourbon Pecan

Pumpkin pie gets all of the attention, but this Honey Brown Butter Brown Sugar Bourbon Pecan ice cream could change that. This rich honey brown butter ice cream features ribbons of a sweet, caramely, crunchy brown sugar bourbon pecan variegata, offering a sophisticated take on a familiar favorite.

Ice Cream Base: Honey Brown Butter

Inclusions/Variegates: Rosemary-infused Cranberry Variegate

Trends: Sensory Maximalism, Nostalgia, Brown Butter Flavor

Christmas – Stocking Stuffer Chocolate Orange

Finally, a long-overdue twist on the classic stocking stuffer chocolate orange, but with this one you don’t have to crack on the table first to enjoy. Infused with orange flavor and flecks of orange liquid chips, this velvety-smooth chocolate ice cream perfectly captures the childhood excitement of Christmas morning.

Ice Cream Base: Orange Chocolate

Inclusions/Variegates: Orange Liquid Chip

Trends: Nostalgia, Reimagined Retro

Christmas – Honey Malt Gingerbread Cookie

The only thing better than grandma’s gingerbread cookies might be this honey malt gingerbread cookie ice cream.  The depth of a sweet brown honey malt ice cream pairs perfectly with the warm caramel and spice notes of a cookie butter variegate swirl and the pleasant crunch of speculoos cookie pieces throughout.

Ice Cream Base: Malted Honey

Inclusions/Variegates: Cookie Butter Variegate, Speculoos Cookie Pieces

Trends: Nostalgia, Cookie Butter Flavor, Malted Flavors, Sensory Maximalism

New Year’s Ever – Strawberry Champagne Swirl

3! 2! 1! Instead of raising a glass at midnight, why not enjoy the excitement of New Year’s Eve with a scoop of this elevated treat? This luscious vanilla ice cream is swirled with the berry brightness of a strawberry champagne sorbet, offering sophisticated sweetness that’s visually stunning and perfect for ringing in the new year.

Ice Cream Base: Vanilla

Inclusions/Variegates: Strawberry Champagne Sorbet Swirl

Trends: Sophisticated Indulgence, Unique Flavor Combinations, Sensory Maximalism, Elevated Visual Aesthetics