This winter, a creative coffee that lets you eat the cup is becoming a hit in city cafes. From Chongqing to Wuhan, drinks like the “Black Sesame Cookie Vienna Coffee” are trending online. Customers enjoy the coffee, then bite into the crispy oat cookie that serves as the cup—a two-in-one treat that’s both tasty and playful. This kind of product innovation, blending pastry and beverage experiences, is exactly the type of trend shaping the future of cafes and bakeries, a key theme at industry gatherings like Bakery China.

Why It’s Popular

The cup is made of baked oats with a thin chocolate lining inside to keep the coffee from leaking. Once the drink is finished, the cup, softened by the coffee, turns into a sweet, fragrant snack. People love the novelty and the extra treat at the end.

At some cafes, this special coffee sells for around 38 yuan and can have customers waiting in line. Many say the black sesame cream pairs well with the cookie cup, and it looks great in photos.

Driven by Social Media

The product is perfect for sharing. On apps like Xiaohongshu, posts like “Drove across town for this chewable coffee” get lots of attention. The visual appeal and interactive experience fit how young consumers like to discover and share things online.

Some cafes have added their own twist. One in Yunnan uses a local specialty—“roasted milk fan”—in the cup and tops it with edible roses, blending local flavor with Instagram-worthy style.

Challenges to Consider

Despite the buzz, edible cups face some hurdles:

• Higher cost: The cookie cup costs much more to make than a paper cup, so it’s mostly found in smaller, specialty cafes.

• Short window: The cup stays crisp for about 30 minutes once filled, making it better for drinking in the café than for takeaway.

• Supply limits: Not many companies make these cups yet, and scaling up production while keeping quality consistent is still a work in progress.

Looking Ahead

The edible cup trend shows that coffee is becoming more about the experience than just the caffeine. Young people want something fun, eco-friendly, and worth sharing.

For now, it’s a great way for cafes to attract customers in colder months. If the cost can come down and the cups can last longer, edible containers could become more than a passing trend.

When a coffee cup becomes part of the snack, it turns a simple drink into a full experience. It’s a small change that says a lot about how people want to enjoy—and share—what they consume today.

Bakery China 2026 will continue to share more industry professional content with you, so please stay tuned!

Bakery China 2026, organized by China Association of Bakery and Confectionery Industry (CABCI) and Bakery China Exhibitions Co., Ltd. was launched since 1997. Bakery China 2026 is the Asia Pacific’s leading event serving the entire value chain for the bakery and confectionery market. The event presents all range of ingredient, equipment, packaging and services, and enables global leading professionals and buyer delegates to meet and share the latest innovations and thinking on manufacturing & distribution, R&D, applications and related services for bakery industry. It is the first-choice trade fair to enter China’s bakery market.

The 2026 ASEAN International Bakery Exhibition (Bakery ASEAN), will be held on August 27-29 at JIExpo (Jakarta, Indonesia), co-located with renowned WEPACK Indonesia, Cafe Show Indonesia held by Reed Exhibitions Group, is a premier trade event focusing on the bakery and related industries in ASEAN and global markets. the shows will be covering 20,000 square meters, expecting more than 500 exhibitors and 50,000 professional buyers including distributors, imports and exports, manufacturers, chain stores, supermarkets, convenient stores, hotels and cafes, etc. from not only the ASEAN but also the rest of the world.

(Source: KA MEN）