Nostalgia with a modern twist. Newstalgia is reshaping Australian dessert menus. Learn why nostalgic toppings work, how to position them, and how to capture the trend.

Walk into any café in Australia right now, and you'll spot something: customers ordering "retro" desserts. Pancakes with toppings that their parents remember. Ice cream sundaes that look like they've stepped out of a 1970s diner. It's not nostalgia for the sake of it but a genuine movement reshaping what people want from their desserts.

The food industry has a name for this dessert topping trend: newstalgia. Think of it as nostalgia with a modern twist. Customers aren't after the exact desserts they had as kids. They want that feeling, of warm, fuzzy recognition, but dressed up in a contemporary, visually interesting way.

Here's the thing: white chocolate freckles sit right in the middle of this trend. Almost every Australian adult recognises them, yet most cafés haven't positioned them as a serious menu component. That's the opportunity.

What's Actually Happening in Dessert Right Now

The newstalgia movement is real, and it's built on something pretty simple: familiar things feel safe, and safe things sell. After years of chasing the next exotic ingredient or wildly complicated technique, customers are swinging back to basics. They want things they recognise, things that trigger good memories.

But here's the important part: they want it delivered in a premium way. It's not about serving frozen treats in a paper cup. Rather, it's about plating them beautifully and making them feel special. Letting customers participate in creating their own dessert, if possible. All of that—the thoughtfulness, the presentation, the interactive element—is what transforms a childhood memory into a café experience that feels worthwhile.

White chocolate freckles fit this perfectly because they're instantly recognisable, visually striking with their rainbow non-pareils, and they work across multiple dessert platforms. They're not the whole story, though. They're one product that can help you capture the newstalgia trend. And that's genuinely valuable if you haven't yet tested the waters with nostalgic positioning.

The Real Opportunity: It's Not About the Freckles

Before diving into the practical stuff, let's be clear: this isn't about selling more chocolate buttons. It's about identifying a market shift and positioning yourself within it.

Customers spending money on desserts right now are responding to three things: visual appeal (does it photograph well?), emotional resonance (does it connect to something I remember?), and the feeling of personalisation (did I get a say in creating it?). White chocolate jewels contribute to all three.

They're colourful, which means better photos. They're a recognisable product that triggers "oh, I remember those!" instantly. And when you present them as a topping option—particularly in a self-serve dessert bar scenario or as an optional garnish—customers feel like they're making a choice. That choice matters more than you'd think.

The broader point is this: if you're competing on price, you lose. If you're competing on complexity, you stress your team. But if you're competing on experience—on making dessert feel special and personal—you've found the space where newstalgia lives. Freckles are one tool for doing that.

How to Actually Use Them: Four Approaches That Work

Kids' Menus With Instant Appeal

The simplest starting point is a chocolate freckle sundae. It isn't revolutionary, but it's immediately appealing to both kids and parents. Add a cherry on top, a bit of whipped cream, and you've got something that photographs well and costs you very little to make.

The key is naming it something that sounds intentional, not just "sundae with topping." Try "Rainbow Ice Cream" or "Colour-Pop Sundae." Customers perceive these as premium choices, which means they'll pay a bit more without question.

Self-Serve Topping Bars

If your café has a DIY dessert station, freckles belong there. They're visually appealing, require zero preparation, don't create a mess, and sit comfortably alongside other premium toppings like candied nuts or fresh berries.

Portion control is straightforward: small serving spoons naturally limit quantity whilst allowing customers to feel like they're getting generous portions. This approach lets you price the entire build-your-own bowl experience at a premium without creating resistance.

Freakshake Garnish (Where Instagram Lives)

Milkshakes designed for social media—tall, layered, over-the-top—are genuinely popular in Australian cafés. They're expensive to make, but the high margins exist because customers are largely paying for the visual experience.

White chocolate jewels finish these brilliantly. Pressed into whipped cream rims or scattered across foam tops, they're immediately striking. The rainbow colours photograph beautifully under café lighting. Offer them as an optional add-on, and a decent percentage of your milkshake customers will upgrade just for the Instagram factor.

Finished Desserts With Thoughtful Garnish

The subtlest approach involves incorporating freckles into your standard desserts without making it a standalone decision. Warm pancakes get a sprinkle of jewels. Regular sundaes include them as standard garnish. Premium waffles finish with a light scatter.

This positions the topping as intentional plating, not cheap decoration. Customers experience it as thoughtfulness—as a sign you've considered presentation—rather than as an add-on. That perception shift is everything.

The Practical Stuff: Storage, Costs, and Staff Training

Where Freckles Fit in Your Workflow

Opera Foods' White Chocolate Jewels come in 1kg packages, which breaks down to roughly 50-65 customer servings at 15-20 grams per portion. That means you're working with a product that's easy to portion, stores simply (ambient conditions, sealed container), and maintains quality for months. They also come in a catering pack size of 8kg.

Allergen warnings matter here: the product contains milk and soy; it may contain peanuts, tree nuts, and gluten. If you've got a kids' menu, this matters more than usual, so make sure your staff can communicate it clearly.

Pricing Strategy

Freckles sit comfortably in the premium topping category. You can charge a modest premium as an optional add-on without resistance, particularly if you're positioning them as an Instagram upgrade or a premium garnish. Incorporated into existing desserts, that cost disappears into your margin—customers don't see it, but your profit margin improves.

Staff Training Is Basically Nonexistent

This is genuinely one of the biggest advantages. Freckles require no technical skill. There's no blending, no cooking, no timing. Your staff needs to understand two things: why they're special (Australian nostalgia, visually interesting) and where they go (sprinkle generously, they won't be overused). That's it.

If you're launching a DIY bar, spend five minutes showing staff how much to offer in the serving bowl. That's the sum total of training required.

Making It Feel Intentional: How to Talk About Freckles

Menu Language That Works

Instead of listing it as an ingredient, describe the experience it creates. Try:

"Rainbow Ice Cream—Vanilla served with white chocolate jewels for that perfect mix of childhood nostalgia and café sophistication."

"Build Your Bowl—Choose your base, select your toppings (fresh berries, white chocolate jewels, candied nuts, edible flowers), and create your perfect dessert."

"Freakshake with Jewel Finish—Instagram-ready in every sip."

The language should feel conversational, not corporate.

What Your Team Should Say

Give your staff honest talking points rather than a script:

"These are freckles—Australian-made, and everyone remembers them from childhood."

"They're perfect if you want something that photographs really well."

"We're using them because they feel familiar but made special at the same time."

Real, conversational language beats polished marketing speak every time.

Visual Presentation

Serve freckles in clear glass containers so customers can see what they're choosing. Use white bowls when plating individual desserts—the contrast makes the rainbow colours pop. Photograph your finished desserts under warm café lighting (golden hour or pendant lights with bokeh work best). Those photos become your best marketing.

Wrapping Up

The newstalgia trend is real. Customers want familiar things served in thoughtful, contemporary ways. White chocolate freckles are one genuinely simple tool for capturing that. They require no training, photograph beautifully, and trigger instant recognition. They're not a silver bullet, but they're exactly the kind of small, low-risk menu addition that creates disproportionate value when executed thoughtfully.

Most Australian cafés haven't yet positioned nostalgic toppings as premium menu components. That gap is an opportunity. Explore the full range of bulk lollies for more dessert topping inspo. Find out more about dessert topping trends for 2025.