7 Food Trends That Will Be Everywhere in 2025—Including 1 You Should Definitely Not Eat

Whole Foods called it first, naming alternative takes on tea as one of the biggest food trends its team was seeing in 2025. They reported a rise in everything from the use of new steeping formats (like using tea strips or powders instead of tea bags) to tea-infused products hitting shelves (such as mochi and cake).

However, the trend may be even more niche—Google searches for Earl Grey tea are at an all-time high this January, with queries for learning to make a London fog, Earl Grey hot chocolate and Earl Grey scones on the up and up. Its timeliness may be due to a few factors: Bridgerton sparking renewed interest in tea in general, paired with more people getting into the citrusy taste of bergamot, which gives Earl Grey its distinct flavor. Since the tea packets can be easier to source than the sour fruit, it’s an easy way to infuse baked goods.

When Pinterest unveils its annual predictions, I take note—largely because the platform has called the next “it” topics with 80 percent accuracy over the years. And after years of coquettish, ultra-frilly Lambeth cakes taking over the dessert scene, the image search platform is seeing the pendulum swing in the other direction, where mess is best. “Chaos cakes,” as they’ve dubbed them, are cheeky, wacky and favor imperfections over pristine piping. These include “funny cakes for friends” (with searches on Pinterest up 45 percent), “silly cake” (up 115 percent) and, most interestingly, “rat cake” (up a whopping 170 percent). And yes, the latter is exactly what you think—a cake decorated to look like a rodent.

Oh, you thought we left sourdough starters back in the pandemic? Nah, we just found all new ways to infuse that tangy flavor into everything. These days, you don’t have to painstakingly make it yourself; grocery stores are lining their shelves with everything from pizza crusts and frozen Texas toast to pancake mix and pasta.

Dinner parties have been making a comeback in general, but none quite as intensely as the humble potluck. The event experts at Giggster analyzed dinner party searches and found the old everyone-brings-a-dish practice was the most popular theme, with a 319 percent increase in searches for ‘em year over year. It’s easy to see why: Amid rising food costs, it’s a low-stress way to gather that doesn’t place the entire burden of cooking (and affording said food) on the host. Plus, it’s a fun way for everyone to share their fave dishes. (To that end, we’ve got 70 ideas to inspire your next potluck.)

If 2024 was the year of the pop culture collab (I see you, Spongebob x Wendy’s, Paris and Nicole for Sonic and Wednesday Addams at Burger King), 2025 is all about…saving cash. Less flashy, sure, but arguably even more appealing, as we’re all looking to save a few bucks. (Yelp reported interest in Applebee’s 2 for $20 deal was up 7.053 percent among users last year.) It seems several brands are following suit, with increased value meals in the new year:

• Subway: The brand’s launching a Meal of the Day, where you can score a 6-inch sub and two cookies (or chips and a drink) for $7—$10 if you upgrade to a footlong. Each day’s sandwich offering differs—cold cut combos are Mondays, and Baja Chipotle Chicken is the deal on Thursdays, for example—so you’ll have to check online before hitting up the store.
• Dunkin’: For a limited time, you can order a $5 Meal Deal, scoring two Wake-Up Wraps (a tortilla filled with eggs, cheese and an optional protein) and a medium hot or iced coffee.
• McDonald’s: The chain’s extending its $5 Meal Deal (a McDouble or McChicken sandwich, small fries, four-piece McNuggets and small drink) through this summer, and it’s introducing a “Buy One, Add One for $1” to its McValue lineup. During breakfast, for example, you could order a sausage McMuffin and pay $1 more for a side of hash browns or a breakfast burrito.
• Taco Bell: Starting Jan. 16, the chain’s offering a $5 Classic Luxe Box, $7 Supreme Luxe Box and $9 Discovery Luxe Box, featuring a rotating range of menu options. (Note: Customizing these boxes is my go-to way to order, since it’s often half the price of ordering all that food a la carte.)

So long, sad communal bowl of nuts at the end of a soggy bar table. According to Resy, the buzziest bars in New York and California are starting to serve snacktails, AKA a cocktail that comes with a single-serve appetizer to nosh on, either in the form of a garnish or side plate. Martinis are a popular choice, since they pair so nicely with salty and savory foods, though some places are serving up a lil’ treat with any cocktail on the menu. (The martini at El Pingüino in NYC, for example, comes with a skewer loaded with anchovies, olives and pickled Guindilla peppers, whereas The Benjamin in LA serves its signature martini with a plate of homemade potato chips.)

You’re lookin’ like a snack, so why not smell like one, too? At least that seems to be the ethos behind the rise of bakery-inspired body washes and deodorants. Native has become renowned for its sweet scents and collabs, and its latest will leave you smelling like you bathed in Dunkin’s strawberry frosting. Not to be outdone, Dove has teamed up with Crumbl cookies, so your pits can remind you of your favorite confetti cookie. If you prefer something a little less branded, you can always trade in your overnight lip mask for a s’mores-scented one, courtesy of Laneige.