If you loved swalty — that undeniably enticing combination of salty and sweet that drove the salted caramel craze — brace yourself, because swicy will make your head spin and your mouth water. An addictive mashup of sweet and spicy flavors, swicy is the breakout flavor of the moment. Brands are racing to embrace the intriguing balance of sugar and spice and it’s poised to dominate the food scene in 2025.

The pairing of sweet and spicy flavors isn’t a modern phenomenon. Ancient Roman cuisine featured honey and pepper combinations. Dominique Woolf, founder of The Woolf’s Kitchen, agrees, saying, “Sweet and spicy combos are nothing new — they’re rooted in cuisines like Thai, Korean and Mexican. But now they’re stealing the spotlight in ways we’ve never seen before.”
The enduring appeal of this contrast lies in its ability to enhance and complement other flavors. Gochujang is currently a trendy ingredient that exemplifies the appeal of the spicy-sweet combo. The Korean fermented red chili paste shows up in everything from soups to meat marinades, adding a balanced dose of both sugar and spice.
The Vietnamese dipping sauce nuoc cham combines salty fish sauce with sugar and fresh, hot chili peppers. Thai sweet chili sauce is a thicker, sweeter mix of sugar, rice wine vinegar and hot chilies that’s perfect as a dip for crispy fried appetizers.
“The spicy trend isn’t going anywhere,” said Sally Lyons Wyatt, an advisor to the packaged goods and foodservice industry at market research firm Circana, in an interview with CNN. And with the rise of swicy, it’s clear that consumers are increasingly drawn to bold, dynamic flavors.
Why swicy works
From a scientific standpoint, combining sugar and hot peppers makes perfect sense. Sugar can counteract the burn of capsaicin, the oil in spicy foods that causes the burning sensation in your mouth.
“By coating your tongue, sugars can help tame some of that spiciness, leading to a balancing of flavors, and help people tolerate spicy foods better,” says Chicago-based food scientist Brittany Towers. “The sweetness is there to balance out this spicy flavor.”
The rise of swicy
While sweet and spicy combinations are far from new, the term “swicy” began trending on social media platforms like TikTok in 2023, helping catapult the flavor profile into the mainstream. A March 2024 study by Daymon revealed that 84% of consumers enjoy spicy foods, with Gen Z shoppers showing the most enthusiasm for swicy flavors. According to the Food Institute, this demographic’s adventurous palate has fueled the rapid proliferation of swicy snacks, beverages and meals.
By 2024, major brands had begun rolling out swicy-inspired products to keep up with the growing demand. Tara Lewis, the Washington, D.C.-based trend expert and vice president of community expansion for Yelp, told Better Homes & Gardens that searches for sweet-spicy flavors are on the rise. For instance, searches for “hot honey,” she said, are up 240% on Yelp.
As the United States has become more diverse, it has also seen increasing access to global cuisines and ingredients. “The younger generations, Gen Z and Gen Alpha, are much more global in their outlook than previous generations. To them chili crisp or a salsa macha is as much a regular condiment as, say, mayo or ketchup,” Jennifer Creevy, director of food and drink at trend forecasting and analytics firm WGSN told CNN.
According to Tom Gatehouse, senior trends strategist at food consultants Egg Soldiers, the swicy trend is right on time with what’s happening in the flavor world. “[It] plays nicely to the ongoing consumer movement towards more diverse, exciting taste experiences,” he says, “experiences that often have roots in globally inspired cuisines.”
From snacks to sips
Swicy flavors have found a home across the culinary spectrum. From the popularity of Korean fried chicken, Asian noodle salads with peanut dressing and fried spring rolls with sweet chili dipping sauce, there’s plenty of evidence that people love this flavor combo.
Fast-casual chains like California Pizza Kitchen introduced swicy offerings such as hot honey-pepperoni pizza with a croissant crust. Fast-food chicken sandwiches like Wendy’s and Popeye’s are slathered with sweet and spicy condiments. Even snack aisles saw an influx of swicy options, such as Lay’s Sweet and Spicy Honey Chips and Momofuku’s Sweet & Spicy Ramen Noodles.
In the beverage world, Starbucks continued to push the trend with chili powder-enhanced lemonade and hot honey espresso martinis. These innovations reflect a broader embrace of swicy across categories, offering consumers a fresh twist on classic dishes and drinks.
What’s next for swicy?
The momentum shows no sign of slowing. Tastewise reported a nearly 28% increase in conversations about swicy flavors over the past year. Partnerships like Mike’s Hot Honey are teaming up with brands like Utz and DiGiorno, demonstrating swicy’s versatility and commercial viability.
With consumers continuing to crave bold, layered flavors, the swicy trend isn’t going anywhere soon. As Mike Kurtz, founder of Mike’s Hot Honey, observes, “Sweet and spicy is such a versatile combination — it works across everything from snacks to main courses.” Swicy, it seems, is the flavor trend to watch as it redefines what it means for food to be bold and balanced.
Robin Donovan is the author of more than 40 cookbooks and the founder and creator of All Ways Delicious, a food site loaded with easy recipes for the best dishes from around the world. Her writing and recipes have been featured in major media outlets including Huffington Post, MSN, Associated Press, Buzzfeed, Cooking Light, PopSugar, Chicago Sun-Times, Fitness, Parade, Mercury News and many others.