AI & TikTok trends reshape Kiwi Christmas cooking

TikTok-inspired recipes, AI tools and global flavours are reshaping how New Zealand households plan and cook Christmas meals, according to new data from food insights platform Appetise.io.

The company, which is used by more than 100,000 households across New Zealand and Australia, has reported sharp growth in searches for viral desserts, lighter dishes and budget-conscious menus. The data covers user behaviour on its meal planning and shopping platform in the lead-up to Christmas.

Appetise has identified three main shifts in 2025. These are the influence of social media and AI on recipes, the rise of lighter and more globally inspired food, and an earlier and more cost-focused approach to festive planning.

Viral flavours

Online trends are increasingly shaping traditional Christmas desserts. Users are adding ingredients such as pistachio, Biscoff, miso and hot honey to familiar festive dishes. These ingredients have spread through social platforms including TikTok.

Recipes that pair these flavours with classic formats are drawing strong engagement on the platform. Appetise reports higher interest in desserts such as plant-based Biscoff cheesecake with hokey pokey ice cream and pistachio and white chocolate tiramisu cups.

Highly styled "camera-ready" dishes are also more prominent. Salami rose platters, Eton Mess cheesecake and chocolate brownie pine cones are attracting attention as households design tables that photograph well for social media.

The company's data shows that engagement with viral desserts has tripled compared with last year. It also reports a 56% rise in interaction with visually focused dishes.

AI in the kitchen

Appetise is also seeing a rapid shift in how people search for recipes. Users are turning to AI tools and conversational search engines for menu ideas and planning support.

The platform's AI-powered Recipe Recommender is generating more personalised Christmas menus. Users are asking the tool for ideas based on preferences, constraints and budgets.

"Search is now overtaking filters as the dominant way people navigate the platform which signals a clear shift toward faster, more intuitive meal planning tools," said Toby Hilliam, Co-Founder, Appetise Insights.

Appetise reports a 600% year-on-year increase in traffic coming from AI-related searches. The company says households are using AI chat tools instead of traditional cookbooks when planning festive meals.

Hilliam said viral dishes typically deliver short-lived spikes in engagement around Christmas. He said standout "showstopper" recipes maintain more durable interest. Engagement with these recipes is around five times higher in November and December than at other times of the year.

Lighter and global

The data points to a shift towards lighter and more globally influenced Christmas menus. Appetise reports rising demand for tropical fruits and for ingredients associated with Asian and Middle Eastern cuisines.

Engagement with recipes featuring mango, pineapple, coconut and papaya is up 19% on last year. These fruits are appearing in both main courses and desserts.

Dishes such as chargrilled prawns with mango and a dessert billed as "Tropical Mess" are among the most popular Christmas recipes. Tropical Mess is a variation on the traditional Eton Mess format.

A strong New Zealand strawberry crop is also affecting menus. Users are returning to fruit-led desserts and are incorporating strawberries into more festive recipes.

Interest is also rising in global flavourings. Miso glazes, gochujang marinades, sumac rubs and pomegranate dressings are appearing more often in Christmas dishes on the platform.

"Unsurprisingly, cost pressures are also shaping menus. Many households are making budget-friendly protein swaps, creating spreads of salads and sides rather than relying on a single centrepiece. Three of the seven most-engaged Christmas dishes on Appetise this year are salads," said Hilliam.

Appetise tracks user references to cost and budget as part of its analytics. The company says "budget sensitivity" among users now stands at 27%, up from 17% a year earlier.

Earlier planning

The platform has observed two clear peaks in Christmas activity. The first comes in early November, shortly after Halloween. The second appears in the days before Christmas.

This year, users began festive planning earlier than before. Engagement with Christmas content rose sooner and stayed higher for longer.

New Zealand households are leading this trend. Appetise reports that Kiwi users engage with festive recipes earlier and interact with them more frequently than Australian users.

They also make heavier use of planning tools such as the AI Recipe Recommender during the build-up to Christmas. New Zealand users applied the "Christmas" search filter on the platform twice as often as Australians across November and December.

"Saving money continues to be the primary motivation for using Appetis and this priority is strengthening over time. 35% of users cited it as their main goal in 2025, compared with 32% in 2024 and 29% in 2023. This growing cost awareness is also shaping how people plan for seasonal occasions, with early signs that many households are preparing for a more budget-savvy Christmas, focusing on value without compromising on the celebrations that matter," explains Hilliam.

Hilliam said the behavioural data carries particular weight for food manufacturers and retailers during the peak sales period.

"The days of waiting months for consumer insights are over. Brands need to launch campaigns and products that reflect what people want right now and that's exactly what this data shows," concludes Hilliam.