Partnering with Bakeries: Expert Flavor Development & Innovation

Properties of Bickford’s Flavors and Extracts for Baking

As a trusted partner to commercial bakeries, artisan producers, and foodservice manufacturers, Bickford’s baking flavors and extracts are crafted to meet the high standards of today’s evolving baking industry. Here’s how our products stand out:

  • Our products are stronger and more concentrated than traditional flavoring methods to ensure consistent, bold flavor profiles - even after baking.
  • Our products are designed to withstand high temperatures and maintain integrity in both water- and oil-based applications.
  • Typically clear, our products add flavor without  compromising the appearance of your final product.
  • Our products are clean and natural - they’re free from additional salt and sugar and our collections offer vegan, kosher, gluten-free, GMO-free options.

Begin Your Baking Flavor Journey With Bickford Flavors

We’ve been flavoring baked goods for over 100 years. Here’s how to collaborate with us:

Browse our baking collection. From indulgent classics to creative combinations, our full line of baking flavors and extracts is crafted to bring your signature recipes to life.

Learn more about our wholesale program, where you can enjoy benefits like preferred pricing, no minimum order requirement after one gallon, and faster-than-normal shipping. 

Explore custom flavor development and let us tailor a flavor solution just for you. Whether you’re replicating a seasonal favorite or launching a limited-edition line, we’re here to help develop the perfect flavor. Our 1 oz. sample sizes are available for purchase directly from our website—perfect for in-house testing and small-batch innovation.

Flavor Solutions for Every Bakery Product

Whether you're crafting fresh-from-the-oven classics or trend-forward treats, our flavors are ideal for:

  • Cakes, Cupcakes & Frostings
  • Cookies, Bars, & Brownies
  • Muffins, Scones & Quickbreads
  • Pastries, Pies & Tarts
  • Breads, Rolls & Bagels
  • Donuts & Specialty Items
  • Fillings, Glazes, Sauces & Icings

Baking Flavor Profiles & Trends: What’s Rising 

The baking industry continues to evolve as consumers seek more than just indulgence—they want nostalgic flavors, better-for-you ingredients, and creative twists on tradition.

Here's how Bickford is staying ahead:

  1. Nostalgia-Driven Flavors with a Modern Twist. Classic favorites like vanilla, chocolate, lemon, and strawberry are being reimagined. Think birthday cake vanilla, strawberry-guava swirl, or bourbon fudge brownie—these blends strike a balance between comfort and innovation.
  2. Natural, Clean-Label Ingredients. Consumers are reading labels more closely. There’s a major shift toward minimal-ingredient, additive-free baked goods. Our clean flavors help meet these standards while maintaining taste and performance.
  3. Plant-Based and Allergen-Free Innovation. Demand for dairy-free, gluten-free, and allergen-friendly baking is skyrocketing. Flavors like maple, coconut, chocolate almond, and banana are helping bakeries deliver indulgence without compromise.
  4. Functional & Wellness-Infused Bakes. Baked goods are getting a health-conscious upgrade. With trends like protein-packed muffins and immune-boosting breakfast bars, bakers are choosing flavors that complement functional ingredients—citrus, ginger and cinnamon spice are top picks.
  5. Botanical & Herbal Notes in Baked Goods. Elevated flavors like lavender, rosemary, and chai spice are gaining traction in scones, cookies, and shortbread. These unique profiles are especially popular in high-end bakeries and wellness-forward brands.
  6. Global & Fusion Flavors. Consumers are craving cultural exploration through baked goods. Flavors such as mango-cardamom and hibiscus-lime are showing up in everything from macarons to donuts.

Let’s bake something incredible together. Whether you’re reinventing a heritage recipe or developing the next big thing in baked goods, Bickford Flavors is your partner in innovation. Explore our full range or work with us to create a custom flavor that captures your brand’s vision and delights your customers.

 

Tried True and Always Trending

Click to expand and view classic flavors that keep bakers coming back. 

Best Vanilla Extract For Baking

When it comes to flavor extracts for baking, there’s one undisputed champ: vanilla extract. It mostly acts as a supporting character behind the scenes—you may not know it’s there, but it works to bring out all the other flavors around it.

Bickford’s best-selling pure vanilla extract is derived from high-quality Madagascar vanilla and never contains any imitation or synthetic derivatives.

If you’re looking for some creative flavor twists on classic vanilla, try options like:

Wondering whether delicious vanilla flavor can fit into your low-carb diet? Learn about some keto-friendly applications featuring vanilla.

For some kitchen inspiration, check out our collection of cookie recipes that put vanilla center stage.

Fruit Baking Flavors and Extracts

Baking with fresh fruit can be a chore. You’ve got to watch for too much moisture, proper browning, and the dreaded soggy bottoms. Bickford’s fruit flavorings for baking deliver a concentrated, all-natural slice of fruit flavor and let you keep your batter or dough’s consistency!

Here are some of our fruit flavoring options:

Stone Fruit Flavors

Stone fruits, or “drupes,” are characterized by a pit in the middle and a thin skin. They can deliver a slight almond flavor and are great in a whole range of recipes.

Berry Flavors

Berries deliver a tart burst of goodness like no other fruit can. Bickford’s berry flavors are made from all-natural sources and never contain any undesirable filler ingredients.

Citrus Flavors

Citrus fruits deliver a sweet and sour one-two punch that is irresistible in products like shortbreads, cupcakes, and candies. Bickford’s flavors let you capture their goodness without all the annoying juicing or zesting.

Check out our delicious recipe for lemon pound cake.

If you’re looking for something more tropical, we offer both pineapple extract for baking and passion fruit flavor.

Nut Extracts For Baking

Nuts and baking go hand-in-hand for good reason—they add a delicious flavor and aroma that can’t be mistaken or replaced. But sourcing, peeling, and chopping good quality nuts takes a lot of time and effort.

Bickford’s all-natural flavors and extracts let you incorporate all that nutty goodness, minus the work.

Try out these baking nut favorites in your next batch:

To see what we mean, check out our recipe for banana nut mango muffins.

Seasonal Favorites

Looking to transport your customers to a specific time and place? Some flavors are must-haves when it comes to evoking culinary nostalgia.

Our marshmallow extract takes you right back to those summer campfires when you were young. Looking to evoke the carnival? Look to our delectable cotton candy flavoring.

For your candy canes, cookies, and holiday bark, try our peppermint extract—and check out our gingerbread flavor to double down on holiday goodness.

Looking to incorporate unmistakable Fall vibes into cakes, muffins, pies, and anything else? Pumpkin extract is the perfect choice for baking!

Have another nostalgia-fueled application in mind? Get in touch with us today and our flavor experts will be more than happy to understand what you’re looking to make and recommend a type of flavor that would work well.

Learn more about custom flavor creation.

Cake Flavoring Extracts

Whether it’s a test kitchen showstopper for a big wedding or a birthday cake for a loved one, cake baking is undoubtedly a labor of love. And that’s exactly why you should use-top quality flavors—to show all who consume your product that you care!

Here are a few of our favorite cake flavorings:

For some options with the cake flavor baked right in, check out:

To see a Bickford cake flavor in action, check out our recipe for pomegranate butter cake.

Cookie Flavoring Extracts

Is there anyone who doesn’t love a fresh-baked cookie? Macarons, shortbread, gingerbread, sugar cookies, snickerdoodles….the list goes on and on. But if you’re going to deliver a quality product, your flavors have got to be on point.

Here are some flavors we love for the best cookies:

For two recipes that won’t let you down, check out our gluten-free peanut butter and jelly cookies and our iced Italian anise cookies.