Brown Sugar Is 2025s Flavor of the Year [Video]

Get ready for the saccharine sweetness of brown sugar.

The Food and Beverage Trends Report, published annually for several decades by California-based T. Hasegawa, a flavor development company that has used its chemists to support the food and beverage industry since 1903, has named brown sugar the 2025 Flavor of the Year. In the new report, T. Hasegawa describes brown sugar as versatile as it is nostalgic. And while it has been a culinary staple for centuries, its rich, complex flavor profile allows it to branch out in more novel ways. 

So expect to see brown sugar — defined by its color, which comes from the presence of molasses to give it its distinct hue, flavor, and moisture — expand into more baked goods, sweet and savory sauces, and a multitude of specialty drinks. 

Already, brown sugar has started to gain a following in cafes with the rise of the brown sugar latte and the brown sugar milk tea. Bartenders have taken note too …