HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. – The hottest snack trend this season is in your cup. Hot cocoa has emerged as the must-add flavor to a wide array of products, Food Business News reports.

“We have seen indulgence-inspired flavors such as hot chocolate in a variety of applications like ice cream, chap sticks, cookies, candies and other snacks,” said Tina Rzeha, marketing associate of beverage flavors North America for Sensient Flavors. “While hot chocolate falls under the umbrella of chocolate, it definitely is its own flavor category — it is creamier, more ‘marshmallowy’ and can contain a hint of vanilla.”

She pointed to the convergence of food and beverage categories as driving trends that blend drink flavors with food products, such as coffee-flavored ice cream. “Traditional beverage flavors have made their way into sweets, dairy and even savory products and vice versa,” said Rzeha. “There are no longer hard lines drawn between these categories, because consumers, especially millennials and the ‘i-generation,’ are increasingly looking for new flavor experiences and trends.”

Dessert flavors also have seen crossover appeal as food makers marry different food and beverage tastes. “Cookies and cream, Christmas cookie and donut-flavored coffee are no longer deemed as exotic in coffee shops around the country,” she said. “The same applies to ice cream and yogurts. Consumers are looking to combine products they consume on a daily basis with indulgence, allowing them to treat themselves without necessarily feeling guilty.”

New products with hot cocoa flavors include Chips Ahoy! cookies, Clif energy bars, Hubba Bubba bubblegum and M&M’s chocolate candies.