What Just Dropped at the 2026 Sweets & Snacks Expo (And Why Candy Lovers Should Care)

Every year, the confectionery world descends on one city to show off its wildest, most ambitious new products. This year, the 2026 Sweets & Snacks Expo made its Las Vegas debut — and honestly, Vegas was the right call. Because some of these drops are absolutely unhinged in the best way.

With nearly 500 products entered for the Most Innovative New Product Awards (a record), here's what took home top honors and what's coming to a shelf near you.

The Winners

WARHEADS Loud Mouth Bites — took home the Powerhouse Candy award. WARHEADS finding new ways to make your face do things it shouldn't. We respect it.

Dot's Snack Mix by Hershey — won Powerhouse Snack. Yes, the same Dot's you know from the pretzel aisle, now in a full snack mix format. Hershey bought Dot's a few years back and clearly they've been busy.

Mochi Gummies – Dark Chocolate Covered Cherry — took the Trailblazer Candy award. Mochi meets gummy meets chocolate. The texture crossover nobody asked for but everyone needs to try.

Nutella Ice Cream Cones by Ferrero — won Sweet Snacks. Nutella. In a cone. That's it. That's the tweet.

Squashies Sours – Cherry & Apple by Smarties — Gummy Candy winner. Squashies have been huge in the UK for years and are finally making serious noise stateside.

Bubblicious Gummy Gum – Strawberry Orange by Perfetti Van Melle — Gum & Mints winner. Gummy candy AND gum in one? The 8-year-old in all of us is very excited.

Frozen Fresh Bananas in Greek Yogurt with White Chocolate + Granola by Tru Fru — Gourmet/Premium winner. Tru Fru has been quietly building a cult following with their freeze-coated fruit and this one looks like their most ambitious drop yet.

What This Means for Snack Lovers

The trends coming out of the show are clear: texture mashups, nostalgic brands getting reinvented, and functional ingredients sneaking into the candy aisle. If you've been sleeping on some of these brands, 2026 is the year they go mainstream. We'll be watching closely — and when these hit retail, you know we'll be building bundles around the best of them.