# Dessert-Style Candy Bars Mars Tops Twix's Shortbread with Vanilla Crème for 2027 By Adam Harrie | Written with AI assistance | Published 2026-10-05 | Lifestyle Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dessert-style-candy-bars References: [parade](https://parade.com/food/twix-new-frosted-cookie-flavor)  Mars is expanding Twix with 'Frosted Cookie Twix,' a flavor set for 2027 that gives candy-bar fans a sweeter, bakery-leaning take on the familiar format. The new bar keeps the brand in dessert territory with a frosted-cookie profile, offering a different kind of indulgence without straying from the Twix lane. The [vanilla-flavored crème](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dessertinspired-creme-bars) pushes the experience closer to a bakery treat than to a standard chocolate snack. A shortbread base preserves a biscuit crunch, so the bar still feels familiar to people who want a playful twist rather than a total reset. For shoppers, this means a candy-bar option that targets [nostalgic dessert cravings](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/Nostalgic-dessert-mashups) rather than just everyday chocolate. It also points the category toward more [cookie-led riffs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/instore-bakery-treats), where familiar brands borrow cues from baked goods to make line extensions stand out on the shelf. Image Credit: Mars ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 9.2/10 - Popularity: 85% | Activity: 90% | Freshness: 100% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Lifestyle](https://www.trendhunter.com/lifestyle) > [Food](https://www.trendhunter.com/food) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Bakery-inspired Candy:** Candy brands are borrowing cues from cookies, cakes, and frostings to create familiar formats with richer dessert associations and stronger shelf differentiation. - **Nostalgic Flavor Extensions:** Retro dessert profiles give established confectionery products a way to connect with comfort-driven shoppers while preserving recognizable brand identities. - **Hybrid Snack Formats:** Blending candy-bar structures with bakery textures creates room for premium, limited-edition, and cross-category products that feel both novel and accessible. ### Where This Applies - **Confectionery:** Major candy makers can use dessert-style flavor systems to refresh legacy products and compete for attention in crowded impulse-snack aisles. - **Bakery:** Packaged baked-good brands may find new licensing and collaboration potential as candy companies seek cookie, crème, and frosting-inspired taste cues. - **Retail Grocery:** Grocers can benefit from cross-merchandising opportunities as dessert-inspired candy bars blur traditional boundaries between confectionery, cookies, and seasonal treats. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Brownie-Flavored Chocolate Bars](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sharing-bar.md) - [Hazelnut-Flavored Cookie Candy Bars](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/twix-hazelnut.md) - [Bakery-Themed Chocolate Bars](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/galaxy-chocolate-bar.md) - [Chocolate Biscuit Protein Powders](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/myprotein-twix-impact-whey-protein.md) - [Refined Regional Cuisine Chocolates](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/twix-candy-bars.md) - [Salted Candy Bar Coffees](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/biggby-coffee-twix-drinks.md) - [Back-to-Basics Bakery Menus](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/crumbl-chocolate-chip-cookie.md) - [Texture-Driven Cookie Candies](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/reeses-pieces-chocolate-cookie.md) - [Extra-Crispy Cookie Menus](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/crumbl-cookie-thins.md)