13 New Foods To Get Excited About In December

"Here come new foods, here come new foods, right down New Menu Laaaane." Okay, so maybe the jingle doesn't completely work, but aside from snowy nights and Hallmark holiday films, there are some exciting new foods hitting menus in December 2023.

From peppermint treats to melty cheese, December is filled with ways to satisfy your sweet tooth and share some edible holiday cheer. Here are the most exciting foods to close out the year with.

As the new year approaches, even the most stalwart food brands are ready to try something new. Goldfish is debuting its answer to a potato chip with the all-new baked Goldfish Crisps. These come in a slightly bigger format than the usual Goldfish crackers to better appeal to adults. You can try each of the three flavors beginning December 15 for $4.79 each.

Amidst the parade of chocolate, cinnamon, and peppermint holiday flavors, Smoothie King is taking things in a slightly different direction. The latest app exclusive holiday blend is the all-new Tart Cherry smoothie, featuring cherries, dates, almond butter, a dairy whey blend, grains, turbinado sugar, and cinnamon. Also returning this year is the seasonal Snickerdoodle Smoothie, made with banana, protein, almond milk, almonds, and cinnamon.

What better way to get through the cold winter months than with a sweet little snack? From now until March 2024, customers can find Little Bites Cinnamon Buns Muffins at most retailers nationwide. These little mini muffins are baked soft and moist using real cinnamon, and the 1.65-oz. pouches pack well in a lunchbox.

As part of its cozy winter menu, which also includes a Gyro Sub and a Mint Shake, Cousins Subs is adding Pretzel Bread as an option for all sub sandwiches from now until January 28. Swapping out the usual white or wheat bread for this pretzel roll is an instant upgrade; Cousins notes its "soft texture and slightly salty taste," both of which sound pretty irresistible. (Only downside: it's a $1-$2 upcharge, depending on which size sub you order.)

In celebration of the season, Dairy Queen is adding two festive flavors to the menu: the Frosted Sugar Cookie Blizzard and Candy Cane Chill Blizzard. The former features soft sugar cookies, icing, and sprinkles blended into the soft serve, while the latter includes peppermint candy cane pieces and chunks of chocolate. Neither one is an all-new offering, but you can only get them for a brief period each year.

It may be prime baking season, but why dirty up your kitchen when Baskin-Robbins has a new Happy Holly-days Cake? The ice cream shop's new cake features a caramel praline topping and a frosted wreath of icing pine branches, eucalyptus leaves, and holly berries. It's available in-store at Baskin-Robbins locations throughout the month of December, but be sure to preorder, as they might run out fast.

In December you can warm up with melty cheese at Burger King, because the brand is bringing back BK Melts (loved by some but ripped apart by others) as well as Cheesy Tots. The Classic Melt, the Bacon Melt, the brand-new Shroom n' Swiss Melt, and the Cheesy Tots will all be available starting December 7 for a limited time. The newest Melt is made of two slices of toasted bread, layered with two Whopper Jr. Patties, Swiss cheese, sautéed mushrooms, and Stacker Sauce, while the tots are filled with melty cheese and cooked until crispy golden brown.

In the spirit of the holiday season, The Cheesecake Factory has added a brand-new cheesecake flavor to its menu: Peppermint Stick Chocolate Swirl. The new flavor features peppermint swirled with white and dark chocolate cheesecake atop a mint chocolate brownie base. This dessert has already hit the menu, available to order at Cheesecake Factory locations nationwide.

Capitalizing on the success of last year's Frozen Cocoa Concrete Mixer, Culver's has introduced a new Frozen Cocoa Shake, which features frozen custard combined with milk to create a smooth, drinkable beverage; the concrete mixer, meanwhile, is thick, creamy, and best enjoyed with a spoon. Both frozen treats will be available now until February 4, 2024, or while supplies last.

Bringing a little spice to this usually sweet season are the two new hummus offerings from Fresh Cravings: Tajín Chili Lime Hummus and Dill Pickle Hummus. The former is infused with Tajín's Clásico Seasoning blend of chili peppers, lime, and sea salt, while the latter features classic hummus ingredients topped with a tangy dill pickle flavor plus garlic. Both varieties are available at Walmart stores nationwide.

For a limited time, Jimmy John's is bringing wintry flavor to its dessert offerings with a Peppermint Chocolate Cookie. The new treat features a chocolate and peppermint swirl cookie loaded with crunchy candy cane pieces for "holiday joy in every bite." It will be available on the Jimmy John's menu until December 22.

For the first time ever, The Kraft Heinz Not Company—a partnership between Kraft and rising food tech company NotCo—is launching plant-based Kraft Mac & Cheese, or Kraft NotMac & Cheese. The new dairy-free item will be available in both Original and White Cheddar flavors, and boxes of the NotMac have already started hitting shelves; it will be fully available by early 2024 wherever Kraft products are sold.

After the massive success of its National Cookie Day promotion in 2022, Subway has decided to make footlong cookies a permanent menu item. Beginning in December, after an initial popup at just four locations, customers can get their hands on a footlong chocolate chip cookie at Subway locations nationwide.