Chef Domenica Lazo Talks Vegan Chocolate and Pastry Trends
Chef Domenica Lazo Talks Vegan Chocolate and Pastry Trends
Chefs at a recent Chocolate Academy™ Chicago course were introduced to a range of vegan treats suitable for tea time, be it a formal high tea in a hotel lounge or something more casual in a neighborhood coffee shop. Guiding students on this journey was Chef Domenica Lazo, who is vegan herself and who has been focusing on healthy, mindful chocolate indulgences with a pro-planet ethos for several years.
Innova listed Plant-Based Offerings as its number 4 trend for 2024, and new predictions for what we can expect to see in terms of vegan food trends in 2025 are starting to pop up; we talked to Chef Domenica for her take on the most prevalent ones.
1. Time for Tea
According to Whole Foods' recent list, "The Next Big Things: Our Top 10 Food Trends in 2025,"
tea is popping up everywhere, whether as a beverage or as flavor inspiration.
Domenica's course was about as on-trend as you can get!
The list noted that coffee shops are even offering adult "tea parties" as an option for replacing happy hour as customers look for healthy alternatives to alcohol. This is a trend that really speaks to Chef Domenica:
"We have definitely seen a surge of talk about shifting away from alcohol or at least being more mindful about how much alcohol we consume. "
Her class in November featured an Earl Gray Tea Bomb, which included a house-made vegan white chocolate.
"The tea bomb came to be from the hot chocolate bomb. I'm a big fan of tea beverages, so having had my fair share of London Fog's, I knew a little bit of chocolate would always be welcomed in the space."
2. Quiet Luxury Vegan Food
Also from Whole Foods' list is the idea of "Quiet Luxury." This is a trend borrowed from the fashion industry, and it refers to the idea that consumers are willing to splurge on things that matter. We see this expressed through high-quality ingredients like local produce, high-end olive oils, and the absolute best chocolate. WF says, "This trend encourages food producers to invest in crafting high-quality, luxurious, and intentional offerings that are sold at a higher price point. It also encourages innovation...there is a place for creativity, producing unique offerings that attract consumers eager to explore and try something new." Chef Domenica could not agree more:
"I agree; I truly believe that if you compare a vegan product to one made with dairy, you'll find that the flavors from the vegan product will shine through much more than one made with dairy. The fat in dairy tends to mute flavors and won't give you a clean hit of flavor.
There has been more of an emphasis on "vegan" as "luxury," I see it this way because of the level of care that goes into developing one of these products. From exciting hydrocolloids to using the basics as a jumping-off point and finding innovative functionality of other ingredients, there is so much learning to be done in this field."
3. Focus on Sustainabilty
Vegan News highlighted a continued focus on sustainability in vegan foods as a top trend as we head into 2025.
"Something else I like to present in my pastries is taking it back into the earth. My decor is based on edible flowers from my garden, or like the biscotti, a grounding tree bark. These nature-focused nuances remind people where their food is coming from and the importance of a sustainable food system for the planet and the people."
Sustainability is more than just a buzzword for Chocolate Academy™ Chefs. They go beyond ingredients and strive to implement earth- and people-friendly practices in their own kitchens, and work to spread this message to their clients and customers in ways that can be direct or subtle.
4. Comfort Food Classics
The Plant-Based Food Association noted Comfort Food Classics as one of the top trends at the recent National Product Expo West. Chef Domenica's recent course included vegan macarons, which have a special place in her heart as comfort food: One of the first desserts I started making when I was little was macarons. Once I became vegan, it became my obsession to find a great vegan alternative. There are so many flavors that can be done with these, and they are definitely nostalgic for me.
5. Upcycling and Zero Waste
Alles fur den Gast, international hospitality trade show experts, also underscore the importance of sustainability in vegan offerings for the coming year, paying special attention to the idea of reducing waste with creative recipes that use typically neglected ingredients like fruit peels or production methods that use (or don't produce) scraps which might be discarded.
This is definitely something that I have been working on to incorporate into my practice. Reducing food waste is so important, and making sure that the hard work of farmers, chefs, and artisans isn't going to waste is very present in my mind.
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