Consumers Flock to Frozen

Easily customizable, do-it-yourself make-and-bake basics, a new generation of globally inspired fare, and truly innovative products like Trashy Gourmet Air Fryer Cookies and chunky, layered Ben & Jerry’s Sundaes are sending shoppers scurrying to the frozen food aisle.

Nearly 99% of households buy frozen foods, and last year, shoppers bought even more of them than in prior years on an average of 50 grocery trips per capita, according to Circana data.

For the year ended Feb. 23, 2025, baby food was the fastest-growing frozen category, with unit sales up 44.7%. Unit sales of frozen cookies climbed by 26.6%, and frozen fruit sales were up by 9.9%, according to SPINS data.

With sales of $13.8 billion for the year ended Feb. 23, 2025, frozen dinners/entrées were the largest frozen food category, per Circana, followed by novelties at $11.8 billion; ice cream/sorbet, $8.7 billion; seafood, $8.2 billion; pizza, $7.5 billion; processed poultry, $7.4 billion; breakfast foods, $5.8 billion; and appetizers/snacks, $4.4 billion.

Among globally inspired frozen meals, Indian, Cajun, and Japanese products have the fastest sales growth, according to Conagra data. Saffron Road introduced Chicken Chili Crisp Noodles, Ptashka Crepes offers handmade Ukrainian-style crepes, and Day-Lee Foods serves up Shrimp Shumai Premium Dumplings.

SPINS reports that unit sales of frozen fish bites shot up by 53.8% for the year ending Feb. 23, 2025, unit sales of frozen chicken nuggets jumped 11.6%,and sales of crinkle-cut fries climbed by 12.4%. White Castle introduced frozen breaded Chicken Rings at retail, and quick-serve restaurant chain Checkers & Rally’s partnered with Lamb Weston on sales of its signature fries and onion rings.

Bao buns were the fastest-growing frozen street food, up 56% in unit sales for the year ending Feb. 23, 2025, per SPINS. Unit sales of frozen dumplings and egg rolls were up by 26.5% and 20.6%, respectively, for the same time period.

Unit sales of frozen sandwiches were up by 24.8% for that time period, per SPINS, and sales of frozen bread topped $1.1 billion. The frozen breakfast bite category is booming, with unit sales soaring by nearly 395% over the past year, SPINS reports.

Guest-Worthy Options

The average U.S. consumer has 18 special occasions each year, which translates to about six billion consumer occasions annually, according to Circana. Cakes, pies, pizza, ice cream, potatoes, global foods, mixed cuisines, and seafood are among the items that those entertaining at home serve most frequently. There’s a clear market opportunity for guest-worthy food and beverage options that are easy to prepare.

Unit sales of frozen hors d’oeuvres, such as mini quiches, grew by 9.8%, and unit sales of bite-sized sweet tartlets were up by 8.9% for the year ending Feb. 23, 2025, per SPINS.

Snack-size Athens Phyllo Bites in varieties including Tex-Mex Beef & Cheese and Hot Honey Pepperoni are perfect for entertaining. Mrs. T’s Snack Pierogies come in packages of 50 and can be prepared in an air fryer. For dessert, Lotus Biscoff ice cream novelties and Häagen-Dazs sorbet in exotic varieties like Passion Fruit & Sweet Pear are attention-getters.

What qualities are frozen food buyers seeking? Half look for “real ingredient” confirmation, one in five want to see a high-protein claim, and one in 10 are seeking vegan or vegetarian products, according to the American Frozen Food Institute.

For the year ended Feb. 23, 2025, unit sales of frozen smoothie kits rose by 22.8% and sales of premade smoothies/shakes were up by close to the same amount—22.3%, per SPINS.

Bumpin Blends offers pre-blended frozen cubes that make it simple to whip up a nutritious smoothie; the Cherry Dreams variety targets those seeking to improve their sleep, the company says. The Daily Harvest smoothie lineup is gluten-free, and Seal the Seasons offers a Blue Spirulina Tropical Blend Smoothie Kit.ft