Remember when everything had to be rainbow-colored, coffee suddenly needed a different brewing method, and people happily lined up for pastries that combined two desserts?
The 2010s gave us unforgettable food trends, many of which went viral on social media.
But what happened after the excitement faded? Some foods quietly became everyday favorites, while others survived as occasional treats or made surprising comebacks.
Here are eight memorable trends from the decade and where they stand in 2026.
Rainbow Bagels
Rainbow bagels were practically made for the colorful food culture of the 2010s. Instead of the familiar golden-brown appearance, these bagels featured bright swirls of color that transformed a simple bakery staple into an eye-catching specialty.
Like many visually striking foods, their popularity was closely connected to sharing pictures online. The colorful dough added to the appeal, and some bakeries offered equally playful fillings.
But rainbow bagels haven’t completely vanished. Liberty Bagels still lists them on its menu, including a birthday-cake combination featuring a rainbow bagel and birthday-cake cream cheese.
Their continued availability doesn’t prove they’re as fashionable as they once were, but it does show that the idea found a place beyond its viral moment.
The verdict: No longer a universal novelty, but still a recognizable bakery specialty.
Unicorn Frappuccino
Starbucks’ Unicorn Frappuccino might be one of the most recognizable examples of 2010s food culture.
Introduced in 2017, the colorful blended drink featured mango flavors, tangy blue drizzle, whipped cream, and pink-and-blue toppings. Its dramatic appearance made it especially suited to an era when people loved photographing their food.
The drink disappeared after its original limited run, making it seem like a passing novelty. However, Starbucks brought it back for one weekend beginning August 15, 2026.
According to the company, more than two million Unicorn Frappuccinos were sold at its North American company-operated stores during the comeback weekend. That’s an impressive return for a drink associated with a decade that ended years ago.
The verdict: The Unicorn Frappuccino remains a limited-time novelty, but nostalgia clearly hasn’t disappeared.
Activated-Charcoal Foods
Activated-charcoal foods brought an unexpected color to the dining scene during the 2010s. Black ice cream, dark-colored lattes, and other dramatic creations appeared as restaurants experimented with foods designed to stand out visually.
The appeal was largely about presentation. A jet-black dessert looked unusual beside the colorful treats that dominated social-media feeds, giving customers something different to photograph.
However, the trend encountered regulatory obstacles. In 2018, New York City enforcement required businesses, including Morgenstern’s and Round K, to stop selling certain activated-charcoal products.
That didn’t mean every black-colored food disappeared. It simply showed that a distinctive appearance wasn’t enough to guarantee a particular ingredient would stay available everywhere.
The verdict: A visual craze that faced documented restrictions, although it would be inaccurate to call it completely extinct.
Extreme Milkshakes
Extreme milkshakes turned the ordinary milkshake into a dessert spectacle. During the 2010s, elaborate creations piled with cakes, cookies, whipped cream, and decorative toppings became part of the social-media food scene.
Black Tap’s CrazyShake creations showed how extravagant the format could become. Its CakeShake, for example, includes a cake-batter shake topped with a slice of cake, whipped cream, and a cherry.
These towering desserts drew attention because they looked nothing like the straightforward milkshakes many people remembered.
The interesting part is that the concept survived. Black Tap still offers CrazyShakes, though not every restaurant participates in the trend.
The verdict: The widespread novelty may have cooled, but extreme milkshakes remain a destination treat.
Related: For more food nostalgia, read 12 Old-Fashioned Foods Your Grandma Made That You Rarely See on Dinner Tables Today.
The Cronut
The Cronut arrived in 2013 and quickly became one of the decade’s most talked-about pastries. Dominique Ansel created it by combining laminated, croissant-style dough with the shape and fried preparation of a doughnut.
The initial excitement produced extraordinary lines, as customers wanted to experience the unusual pastry for themselves. But unlike many short-lived dessert crazes, the original Cronut became an enduring signature of the bakery.
Dominique Ansel’s bakery still sells the pastry and introduces new flavors monthly. Its October 2026 New York offering is Pumpkin & Dulce de Leche.
Other bakeries have made similar croissant-doughnut hybrids, but the trademarked Cronut remains associated with Ansel’s original creation.
The verdict: A viral sensation that successfully became a lasting signature product.
Avocado Toast
Avocado toast became a defining brunch food of the 2010s. Its simple combination of toast and avocado appeared on café menus and became closely associated with the decade’s food culture.
Although the dish existed before the 2010s, its growing prominence helped turn it into a familiar restaurant offering. The trend eventually extended beyond specialty brunch spots.
In February 2021, Dunkin’ introduced its version, featuring toasted sourdough, avocado spread, and everything-bagel seasoning. The product remains listed on the chain’s official menu.
That’s a significant change from a dish once strongly associated with trendy cafés.
The verdict: Avocado toast has moved beyond its fashionable reputation to become an established menu item.
Cold Brew Coffee
Cold brew coffee became increasingly prominent during the 2010s as cafés introduced customers to a different way of preparing and serving coffee. Although the method wasn’t invented during that decade, it became closely associated with modern coffee culture.
Cold brew is particularly interesting because it has traveled far beyond specialty coffee shops.
Today, shoppers can find cold-brew products in grocery stores, including Starbucks Signature Black Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate. Concentrate requires preparation per the package directions, unlike bottled ready-to-drink coffee.
Its presence in supermarkets suggests cold brew has become a regular purchase rather than an occasional café experiment.
The verdict: One of the clearest examples of a 2010s trend becoming an established beverage category.
Cauliflower Rice
Cauliflower rice gained popularity as home cooks and food companies experimented with finely chopped cauliflower in rice-style dishes. The vegetable preparation attracted enough attention during the 2010s to move into packaged grocery products.
By July 2017, TIME reported that cauliflower rice ranked fourth among Whole Foods’ frozen vegetable products. That contemporary detail helps explain just how visible the trend had become.
Today, grocery retailers still carry frozen riced cauliflower, including Great Value’s packaged version. Its continued presence suggests that the preparation has found a practical role beyond the original excitement.
Of course, that doesn’t establish that every cauliflower-based food trend is still expanding.
The verdict: The novelty has faded, but cauliflower rice remains a familiar freezer-aisle option.
What These Food Trends Tell Us
The 2010s gave us more than passing food fads. Some creations, like rainbow bagels and extreme milkshakes, continue as specialty treats, while avocado toast, cold brew, and cauliflower rice have become familiar everyday options.
Others, including the Unicorn Frappuccino, show that even a short-lived novelty can return when people feel nostalgic.
The real test of a food trend isn’t how quickly it becomes famous, but whether people still want it after everyone stops talking about it.
