Reinventing a classic: How walnut innovation is powering new product development

Product developers are being tasked with trying to get more out of the ingredients they use in formulas. More functionality, more flexibility, more nutrition and more flavor. Walnuts are answering the call. Once relegated as a home baking nut, this nutrient-dense tree nut is emerging as a hero ingredient across diverse categories, from the snack aisle to the frozen foods section.

Thanks to new processing techniques and creative applications, walnuts are expanding their footprint in everything from creamy plant-based sauces to savory meat substitutes.

Here’s how recent innovations are helping walnuts punch above their weight in product development.

Skinless Walnuts

The walnut pellicle, the paper-like skin that gives walnuts their familiar color, contributes nutrients and flavor that works well in a variety of products, including baked goods, cereals and confectionery items. However, a traditional walnut is no longer the only game in town. Recent processing innovations have led to the availability of skinless walnuts, which provide a milder taste and smoother texture. Their clean visual appeal and creamy flavor allow them to blend seamlessly into both sweet and savory formulations.

Skinless Walnut Innovation: In doosra’s Walnut & Dark Chocolate Indian Snack Mix, skinless walnuts are paired with spiced chickpea puffs and creamy dark chocolate. The lightly toasted “naked” walnuts bring a rich, buttery crunch that complements the bold, bittersweet flavor of dark chocolate and adds a color variety and visual appeal to the mix.

Walnut Cream

This plant-based cream is a mixture of walnuts and water that can be used in everything from coffee creamers to vegan chocolate. Although it may seem similar to other plant-based creams, walnut cream offers two distinct advantages:

• Flavor: It actually has one. Walnut creams are subtle, yet nutty and slightly sweet. This flavor profile complements coffee or vegan soups, sauces and dips.
• Zero Waste: There is no straining or waste generated when manufacturing walnut cream. Water and walnuts blend perfectly together to create varying levels of thickness, without any additional processing steps needed.

Walnut Cream Innovation: Like walnut cream, Elmhurst’s Unsweetened Walnut Milk is just two ingredients (water and walnuts) and offers a platform for further product builds. It is the core of their other walnut milk products that include a Barista Blend and an RTD latte both with maple syrup for a touch of irresistible sweetness.

Walnut Butter

Walnut butter isn’t just a spread. It’s a high-performance ingredient that blends seamlessly into bars, cereals, snacks and ice cream. It delivers moisture and binding capabilities and a nutty flavor profile that plays well with fruits, chocolate, spices and grains.

Walnut Butter Innovation: In Artisana’s Walnut Butter Granola, creamy walnut butter helps bind ancient grains, seeds and berries into a crunchy blend. Walnut butter is the perfect ingredient for creating clean-label, nutrient-dense snacks and granolas that support wellness without sacrificing taste.

Walnut Meat

Walnuts are increasingly being used as a key component in clean-label, plant-based ground meat blends. Combined with legumes, mushrooms, or grains, walnuts provide a satisfying bite and chew, umami depth thanks to natural glutamates and a fatty texture that mimics animal products. From taco crumbles to burger patties, walnuts offer a clean-label path to protein innovation without the complexity of using other plant protein sources.

Walnut Meat Innovation: The Walnut Burger, a cult favorite pioneered by the Jenkins Family at the Historic Trempealeau Hotel, redefines plant-based protein with a rich, savory flavor and hearty texture that satisfies flexitarians and vegetarians alike. Made with walnuts, breadcrumbs, eggs, onions, cheeses, tamari, garlic and herbs and spices, this patty delivers a naturally nutty taste with wholesome, nutrient-dense ingredients.

As demand grows for ingredients that offer both functionality and nutrition, walnuts are stepping into a new spotlight. Walnuts pack powerful nutrition. They are the only tree nut to provide an excellent source of omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid (ALA),[1] , an essential fatty acid shown to support heart health and cognition.[2]-4 Whether in the form of smooth butters, skinless halves or finely ground crumbles, these innovations are making it easier than ever to incorporate walnuts into a wide range of food and beverage applications.