Aunt Millie’s launched two new breakfast breads in November: French Toast Swirl and Cranberry-Apple Swirl.

CHICAGO – The first meal of the day may be a struggle for some people, but bakers have plenty of opportunity for growth in this day part.

In fact, Chicago-based Technomic discovered in its “The Breakfast Consumer Trend Report” that 48% of consumers strongly agree they enjoy breakfast at non-traditional times. Breakfast food can find a place outside the typical 7-9 a.m. time slot whether pulled from a home pantry or picked up at a quick-service restaurant or c-store.

While current data suggest people are obsessed with the convenience aspect first, then health, when it comes to breakfast, there is still plenty of room for indulgent sweet goods. Portable, nutritious options may reign during the busy work week, but on the weekends, consumers want something indulgent and fun that they can sit down and enjoy with the whole family. In these indulgent items, including donuts, which continue to dominate as a breakfast food, bakers can experiment with seasonal flavors and more wild pairings to grab attention, taste buds and dollars.

“Millennials are especially interested in unique flavors,” said Melissa Dunning, senior director of marketing, Aunt Millie’s Bakeries, Fort Wayne, Ind.

To appeal to such desires, Aunt Millie’s launched two new breakfast breads in November: French Toast Swirl and Cranberry-Apple Swirl. The latter is a holiday seasonal item, but in February, the bakery introduced another winter-only item, Coffee Cake Swirl Bread. With such indulgent, nostalgic flavors available for only a limited time, bakeries can stir up interest in a product line.