15 Food Trends That Completely Took Over the Internet
The internet has an insatiable appetite for wild food trends, and over the years, some have become downright iconic. From vibrant rainbow everything to strange, new ways to drink your coffee, these 15 food trends didn’t just make waves—they flooded timelines, filled feeds, and made us all question our diets. Here’s a roundup of the food trends that dominated our screens and left us all either craving more or scratching our heads.
1. Avocado Toast Craze
Avocado toast took the world by storm, transforming a humble snack into an Instagram sensation. Suddenly, everyone was mashing avocados onto sourdough, and it wasn’t just about the taste—it was a whole aesthetic. Restaurants went wild, offering versions with microgreens, chili flakes, and edible flowers, and before we knew it, avo-toast was a breakfast staple with a cult following.
2. Rainbow Everything
At some point, someone decided food needed to be as colorful as a unicorn. Rainbow bagels, pancakes, cakes, and even grilled cheese became an instant hit, bringing all the colors of the Skittles rainbow to every meal. Sure, some of it looked more like art than food, but that didn’t stop millions from diving in and snapping photos.
3. The Charcoal Trend
Yes, we actually ate charcoal. Activated charcoal turned everything black and was believed to have “detoxifying” powers. Charcoal ice cream, lattes, and even charcoal pizza hit the scene, looking mysterious and goth and making everyone’s tongues black in the process. Though the health claims were a bit iffy, the pitch-black color made it worth the experiment.
4. Cloud Bread
Cloud bread floated into our lives during the lockdown era, promising to be a fluffy, low-carb alternative to traditional bread. With only a few ingredients, people whipped up this airy, pastel-colored “bread” and marveled at its cloud-like softness. The internet couldn’t get enough, and kitchens everywhere were full of egg whites and food dye.
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5. Dalgona Coffee
Dalgona coffee, also known as “whipped coffee,” swept the internet at the start of the pandemic, filling our feeds with frothy, caramel-colored clouds. People were whipping instant coffee into oblivion and pouring it over milk, creating a trendy, café-worthy drink at home. It was equal parts science experiment and caffeine fix, and we were all up for the challenge.
6. The Impossible Burger Revolution
The Impossible Burger went viral as the answer to everyone’s plant-based dreams, and it looked and “bleeded” like real meat. This plant-based burger became a symbol of the rise of meat alternatives, capturing the attention of everyone from vegans to die-hard carnivores. Soon, fast-food joints and fine-dining spots alike were adding this not-so-impossible burger to their menus.
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7. Freakshakes
Milkshakes went from simple treats to monstrous creations, stacked with brownies, doughnuts, candy bars, and sometimes entire slices of cake on top. Freakshakes dared us to dig through heaps of toppings, dripping sauces, and whipped cream mountains. These shakes were more like a sugar-fueled food sculpture, challenging both our stomachs and our Instagram feeds.
8. Sourdough Starter Mania
As everyone became an amateur baker, sourdough became the ultimate quarantine trend. People nurtured their starters like pets, giving them names and documenting their “sourdough journey” online. It became a badge of honor to bake the perfect loaf, and suddenly everyone’s home smelled like a bakery (or a science experiment gone wrong).
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9. Hot Chocolate Bombs
Hot chocolate bombs exploded onto the internet, making the average mug of cocoa seem obsolete. These chocolate orbs, filled with cocoa powder and marshmallows, melted into a mug of hot milk, creating a mesmerizing swirl and a sweet surprise. The trend quickly turned into a DIY craze, with endless flavors, colors, and even gold-dusted versions.
10. Ramen Everything
Ramen went far beyond soup bowls—people started making ramen burgers, ramen pizza, and even ramen doughnuts. This was the ultimate comfort food remix, with the noodles replacing buns, bread, and who-knows-what else. It’s hard to say if anyone really preferred a ramen-crusted pizza, but the internet wasn’t about to let this trend pass unnoticed.
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11. Kombucha Craze
Kombucha, the fermented tea with a little funk and a lot of probiotics, took over the health world and spread to mainstream grocery stores. With its distinctive taste and supposedly magical gut-healing powers, kombucha quickly became a trendy health tonic. Soon, everyone was either chugging kombucha or making their own at home, complete with questionable “scoby” pet names.
12. Cauliflower as Everything
Cauliflower became the ultimate stand-in for carbs, with cauliflower rice, pizza crust, mashed “potatoes,” and even cauliflower wings. The vegetable that was once the least-loved side dish had a major glow-up as the low-carb substitute for practically anything. This trend made us rethink cauliflower’s potential—whether we liked it or not.
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13. Spicy Honey on Everything
Sweet honey meets a fiery kick, and suddenly, it’s the new “must-have” condiment. Drizzled over pizza, fried chicken, or even ice cream, spicy honey had a moment as the unexpected flavor combo that works on anything. For a while there, if you weren’t adding hot honey to your avocado toast, were you even living?
14. Edible Glitter
Why keep glitter out of the kitchen? Edible glitter brought sparkle to cupcakes, cocktails, and pretty much anything that could be dusted, dipped, or sprinkled. People were happily eating their sparkly, shiny foods and watching their drinks shimmer, although some debated if eating glitter was necessary or a recipe for regret.
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15. The Rise of Oat Milk
Oat milk swooped in to challenge almond and soy milk as the plant-based milk of choice. It’s creamy, foams beautifully for lattes, and pairs well with coffee, which made it an instant favorite. Soon, every café had oat milk on hand, and you couldn’t scroll through your feed without seeing a barista pouring a perfect oat milk latte.
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