Operators Lean Into Nostalgia as Spring Dessert LTOs Hit 9-Year High

Dessert LTO activity shot to its highest spring level in nearly a decade, as operators rolled out a mix of classic seasonal flavors and trend-driven builds.

Datassential’s Launches & Ratings platform captured 191 dessert LTOs from March through May, the most for any comparable period since 2016, with quick-service chains accounting for more than half the volume and frozen formats dominating the field.

Familiar Flavors Anchor

The season leaned heavily on comfort. Strawberry was an anchor fruit, appearing across 34 items and multiple formats. That’s consistent with the fruit’s standing as one of the most broadly menued dessert flavors, appearing on nearly 25% of dessert menus nationally, according to Datasential One. Burgerville USA revived its annual Fresh Strawberry offerings with four returning items, while Eat’n Park offered a Strawberry Shortcake, Strawberry Milkshake, Strawberry Smiley Cookies, and Strawberry Pie. 

Banana pudding also made a notable run, appearing at Whataburger, Zaxby’s, Honeygrow, and Slim Chickens, lining up with the flavor’s growing menu momentum. Banana pudding currently appears on 3% of U.S. dessert menus and is expected to rise by 16% over the next four years. S’mores, meanwhile, showed up in both a Shake Shack shake and a Cracker Barrel brownie skillet, and lemon-citrus builds cropped up at chains from Portillo’s to Potbelly.

Dubai Chocolate Trends Higher

One of the season’s biggest trends was Dubai-style chocolate, which shifted from being just a viral social concept into mainstream dessert menus. Baskin-Robbins launched a Dubai Chocolate Shake and Sundae, Cold Stone Creamery debuted an “Our Dubai Chocolate” ice cream, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse brought back its Dubai Chocolate Pizookie, and Nothing Bundt Cakes introduced a Dubai Chocolate Bundtlet. 

The continued expansion comes even as social engagement around Dubai chocolate began to cool earlier this year, as noted in Datassential’s recent Trend Watch: Flavor Issue report.

Meanwhile, pistachio — a key component of Dubai chocolate — saw a notable uptick in spring dessert LTOs. The ingredient appeared across 10 items overall including at Starbucks, Tous Les Jours, and Panera Bread. 

The introductions largely mirror a broader trend: Datassential’s Desserts Keynote report found that 60% of dessert-eating consumers are interested in nostalgic desserts, a figure that rises to 66% among Gen Z. At the same time, 44% of operators who reported increased dessert sales attributed the gains to adding new items (the top-noted reason for increased dessert sales). “Together, those two figures showcase how new items with nostalgic flavors could be the recipe for success for dessert launches, Datassential Trendologist Emily Murawski said.