Simple Mills Expanding Baking Line Into Frostings

This week, baking mix and cracker brand Simple Mills launched two organic frostings, made with monk fruit, palm oil and coconut oil. The new line was given a sneak peak at the Summer Fancy Foods Show this past July, but is making its official debut in time for fall.

simplemills_970_cLike Simple Mill’s other products, the frostings are made with nutrient-dense, whole food ingredients. The brand’s eight baking mixes have gained a robust following for offering a certified gluten-free mix option with a simple ingredient list that’s free of grain, soy, artificial flavors and fillers.

Currently the Simple Mills line is sold in over 5,000 retailers. The frostings will launch in nearly 500 stores, including several regions of Albertson/Safeway and Whole Foods Market. The frostings have an MSRP of $4.99 and frost one cake or 24 cupcakes.

“Moving to frosting was a natural addition to the Simple Mills product family,” Simple Mills VP of Marketing Michelle Lorge told NOSH. “Not only because it is complimentary in use to many of our baking mixes but also because that category suffers from many of the same ills as baking mixes…namely artificial ingredients and high sugar content.”

While previously seen as a sleepy category that had become stagnant, the baking set has seen a flurry of new product announcements over the past year. The refresh of the category started with gluten-free options and now has moved to accommodate diets such as paleo or high-protein, or products with a cleaner, less processed ingredient list.

Getting consumers back into the aisle won’t be easy. According to research firm Mintel, in 2015 U.S. sales of cake and pastry mixes fell 8.5 percent and frosting sales fell 5.3 percent.

“So many consumers have walked away from these categories because there were little to no better-for-you options,” Lorge said. “We actively market our baking mix business, bringing lapsed users back to the category.”