Bananas, which last caught the consumer imagination during lockdown with viral banana bread, appear to be growing in new directions in 2026. Starting as a social media trend in South Korea where people mixed coffee with banana milk, bananas are now showing up in new formats such as frothy cold milk foam and caramelised bananas. Starbucks, for example, has added banana to its line-up, serving Iced Caramelised Banana Matcha Latte and Iced Caramelised Banana Oat Shaken Espresso in the UK and Iced Banana Bread Matcha and Iced Banana Bread Chai in the US.

Consumers are also combining banana with trending ingredients such as matcha and protein, creating new flavour combinations that bridge indulgence and functionality.

It’s a classic example of a traditional food reinvented, in new and interesting formats, with the advantage that no consumer education is needed – everyone knows what a banana is.

According to Spate’s Popularity Index, a measure of consumer interest in emerging trends across Google, TikTok and Instagram:

• Caramelized bananas are up 179.2% year on year, with TikTok holding 42.8% of the popularity share, demonstrating how a familiar ingredient can be transformed through texture and flavour. With relatively low popularity but rapid growth, it represents an emerging opportunity for brands exploring breakfast, snack and bakery innovation.

• Banana cold foam has grown by more than 1,000%; it’s something that consumers are adding to existing favourites rather than choosing banana as a standalone beverage. With TikTok driving 88.1% of its popularity share, social media is helping to drive discovery and experimentation.

Nostalgia, indulgence, functionality and customisation are giving consumers new ways to experience a familiar flavour. For brands, the opportunity may lie not simply in creating more banana-flavoured products, but in exploring new formats: from toppings to foams, fillings and beverage modifiers. Bananas are familiar. The opportunity lies in making them feel new again.