Consumption of desserts in the U.S. compared by age group 2012
Restaurant desserts - additional information
In 2012, 39 percent of U.S. consumers ate dessert at least once a week. With 45 percent of those between the ages of 18 and 24 years and almost half of those aged 25 to 34 years eating dessert at least once a week, Millennials were the generation most likely to eat dessert this often. Consumers aged 65 and over were the least likely to eat dessert once a week or more often. Pie was a favorite dessert of both men and women in 2012, but cheesecake was the most popular with women – 33 percent of women ordered cheesecake in restaurants at least once per month.
The leading dessert trend on restaurant menus in 2014 was hybrid desserts, such as the “Cronut.” The Cronut, invented by Dominique Ansel Bakery in New York City in 2013, is a combination of a doughnut and a croissant. Other leading trends included savory desserts, deconstructed classics and desserts with bacon. Unsurprisingly, dessert was the meal for which U.S. consumers were least likely to want a healthy option, after snacks.
The total number of menu items in the leading five hundred restaurant chains decreased by 7.1 percent from 40,658 in 2013 to 37,770 in 2014. Desserts had the third largest decrease after entrees and appetizers with 7.5 percent.