Mini desserts are here to stay.

According to a recent survey from the National Restaurant Association, 60 percent of professional chefs agree that bite-size and mini desserts will continue to be hot trends on restaurant menus in 2015.

Additionally, Datassential MenuTrends found that in the last four years alone, the number of menus featuring a mini dessert option has grown by 33 percent. To help operators capitalize on this growing trend, Knouse Foods offers Lucky Leaf Fruit Filling or Topping as the perfect ingredient for creating new dine-in or on-the-go mini dessert menu items.

For much more than pies, Lucky Leaf Fruit Filling or Topping ensures that chefs can easily serve a variety of delicious, on-trend desserts such as:

Apple Caramel Cheesecake Bars – Lucky Leaf Apple Fruit Filling or Topping baked directly into cheesecake.

Strawberry White Chocolate Trifle – Lucky Leaf Strawberry Fruit Filling or Topping layered with White Chocolate Mousse and sugar cookies, topped with whipped cream.

Chocolate Chip Cherry Bars – Gooey chocolate chip cookie on the bottom, cherries on top.

Sweet Apple Crispers – Lucky Leaf Apple Fruit Filling or Topping wrapped up and fried in a warm cinnamon tortilla.

“Mini desserts are ideal because they can be eaten quickly and conveniently, without the guilt that larger portions bring,” says Todd Michael, foodservice sales director at Knouse Foods. “Our proprietary research with Datassential found that more than half of 300+ foodservice operators surveyed believe that people who only think pie filling is good for pies are missing out. We completely agree and encourage chefs to use our Lucky Leaf Fruit Filling or Topping in all types of menu applications.”

Lucky Leaf Fruit Filling or Topping is made with real fruit and comes in more than 14 flavors, including top sellers like Apple, Cherry, Blueberry, Peach, and Strawberry. It’s ready to use, which is ideal for any labor-skilled kitchen, and shelf stable for added food safety.