Frozen Dough Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Type (Bread & Pizza, Biscuits & Cookies, Rolls & Pastries, and Others), By Distribution Channel (Retail (Hypermarkets/Supermarkets, Specialty Stores, Online Retail, and Others) and Foodservice), and Regional Forecast, 2024-2032

The global frozen dough market size was valued at USD 23.95 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow from USD 25.03 billion in 2024 to USD 39.08 billion by 2032, exhibiting a CAGR of 5.73% during the forecast period. North America dominated the frozen dough market with a market share of 37.49% in 2023. Moreover, the frozen dough market size in the U.S. is projected to grow significantly, reaching an estimated value of USD 6.55 billion by 2032, driven by growing demand for ready-to-eat and convenience food items in the country.

Frozen doughs are regular dough pieces that have undergone freezing and frozen storage before proofing and baking. They can be immediately baked or proofed for some time before baking. Bread dough requires no extra yeast, kneading, or extra active time. It is one of the fastest-growing segments in the baking industry. It is driven by growing consumers’ interest in convenience food and the desire to eat freshly baked products that can be pulled out of the freezer and baked instantly. The baked goods industry is changing with the times, and while there has been a slight decline in global bread consumption per capita, there are still significant growth opportunities for the baking industry. One of these opportunities is frozen dough, where after the dough has been prepared, it is frozen until it is ready to be baked. The product demand is growing significantly owing to its easy availability in the market and the convenience it offers to consumers. The growth can also be attributed to the development of new technologies related to freezing. Consumers prefer frozen food due to convenience, variety, freshness, and easy storage.

The stay-at-home orders and travel restrictions led consumers to cook, increasing household cooking and consumption of refrigerated dough as it was used as an essential ingredient.  According to the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI), in 2020, nearly 70% of Americans increased their frozen food purchases during the pandemic, as frozen meals became a source of comfort for consumers. The COVID-19 pandemic shifted consumers' focus toward a healthy lifestyle and diet. Thus, there was an increased demand for premium products that are healthy and sourced sustainably.

Frozen Dough Market Trends

Growing Popularity of Clean-Labeled Products is a Major Trend

The bread industry is evolving with global changes, and there are major growth opportunities in the baking industry despite a small per capita decrease in global bread consumption. As the young population demands organic and sustainably sourced products, clean-labeled products are becoming popular, and manufacturers are developing innovative products to cater to the growing consumer demand by offering healthy, sustainable, and quality alternatives for retail and the consumer market. Frozen dough is becoming increasingly popular with the growing number of bakeries across Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Europe. It is driven by growing consumers’ desires for fresh bread and the ability to eat freshly baked products.

In addition, The Plant Proteins.Co’s Vegan and Plant-Based Diet Statistics for 2023 show a significant consumer trend toward veganism. It states that 6% of U.S. consumers say they are vegan, a 6x (500%) increase compared to 1% in 2014. This demonstrates that the consumer movement toward vegan and plant-based products is increasing and is anticipated to continue during the forecast period. Thus, the product demand is expected to witness a boost in the future, as people are trying to consume vegan or plant-based food instead of animal-based products, propelling the global frozen dough market growth.

Key players such as Eat Pastry, Hungry root, and Simple Truth are entering the vegan and organic market and offering frozen vegan dough for cookies, biscuits, pastries, and bread, among others. For instance, in July 2023, Yough, a better-for-you dough brand, announced the launch of a two-ingredient frozen pizza dough. The new product is made from organic wheat flour and yogurt and is available for direct-to-consumer purchase through its website. Moreover, the growth of the food services industry, the growing preference for convenience food, the increasing adoption of a sedentary lifestyle, and the rising demand for organic food are the major factors driving global market growth.

Frozen Dough Market Growth Factors

Rising Preference for Ready-to-bake Products and Product Innovations to Fuel Market Growth

The growing preference for convenience food products due to busy lifestyles is increasing the demand for the product. The product has a wide scope of applications and can be used to prepare multiple food items, such as cookies, rolls, and other baking items, which has increased its demand. In addition, the need for healthy and easy-to-consume food has also pushed the bakery industry toward bake-off products; industrial bakers in Europe are concentrating on the production of frozen bakery products, such as Unfermented Frozen Dough (UFD), Partially-Baked Frozen Bread (PBF), as well as frozen semi-baked goods and ready-to-bake goods. Frozen doughs are versatile and can be used to make a variety of food items, including cookies, rolls, and other baking items. This has led to an increase in demand for frozen dough. These products don’t take as much time to bake and cook, making them a convenient choice for busy consumers, which in turn helps to grow the market.

Growth of the Foodservice Industry to Drive Market Expansion

The growing foodservice industry is one of the significant factors anticipated to escalate the market growth during the forecast period. The expansion of this sector has been fueled by the growth of the millennial workforce with changing preferences for ready-to-eat foods and changing taste preferences, coupled with the growing demand for customized and newer food options. Furthermore, frozen dough helps food service channels and bakeries to bake multiple batches of products conveniently, helping them better meet the consumer demand for freshly baked goods. The economic development, rising population, changing lifestyles, and urbanization across the globe are further propelling market growth. For instance, over the last few years, India has witnessed a proliferation of fine dining restaurants, cafés, bars, clubs, lounges, and international fast food outlets catering to young consumers’ changing eating habits. This demographic is tech-savvy, constantly exposed to changing trends worldwide, well-informed, travels widely, and has high spending power. With an increasing proportion of the working women population, the trend for home-cooked meals has decreased, leading to robust demand for out-of-home food consumption, increasing the product demand. The increasing use of frozen-dough further supports the growth of the market. Frozen dough can be used according to the changing needs of consumers and can be easily baked into bread, pizza, cookies, and other food items. Bread, doughnuts, croissants, and pizza rolls can be customized with cheese and vegetables for intake during lunch, dinner, and snack times.

Over the last decade, there has been an increase in the number of consumers who prefer snacks in the U.S. People are frequently compelled by their hectic lifestyles to skip meals and eat on-the-go food. Bakery products are 24×7 eatery items that can be taken anytime and anywhere. There has been a growth in the consumption of bakery products, such as doughnuts, breads, pies, and others, in the U.S., proliferating market growth.

RESTRAINING FACTORS

Lack of Proper Storage Systems May Hamper Market Growth

The lack of proper storage devices and cold chain logistics is expected to hamper market growth. The dough must be well packaged and stored or preserved at low temperatures so that it does not spoil or expire before consumption. Moreover, dough transportation requires storage facilities, proper packaging, and cold storage facilities throughout the supply chain, which are major concerns for manufacturers and distributors as dough requires specific temperatures for storage and maintaining shelf-life.

In addition, the market faces stiff challenges due to the availability of alternative products, including freshly cooked food items, cooked cakes, sweet baked snacks, bread, biscuits, sweets, pies, cookies, pizza, and others. Hence, the availability of alternatives is further anticipated to hinder product demand during the forecast period. Furthermore, consumers continue to favor freshly baked goods, as frozen food products are believed to lack nutrition. The widespread belief that such foods lose nutritional value in refrigeration is expected to hamper market expansion.

Frozen Dough Market Segmentation Analysis

By Type Analysis

Bread & Pizza Segment to Dominate Driven By Rising Demand for Frozen Bread

On the basis of type, the market is segmented bread & pizza, biscuits & cookies, rolls & pastries, and others. Frozen doughs have revolutionized the bakery sector owing to the advantages they offer to businesses. The bread & pizza segment is expected to dominate the market during the forecast period. The segment growth can be credited to the increasing demand for bread dough worldwide. Since bread through frozen-dough is easy to make, it is expected to contribute to market growth. Manufacturers have been launching innovative products in order to meet the rising demand of the product. For instance, in August 2023, Gluten Free Easy, a woman-owned and -operated company, launched frozen gluten-free dough products, including pizza dough, puff pastry squares & sheets, and pita dough.

Moreover, frozen bread dough is highly customizable according to the requirements of the consumers. It also offers convenience to in-store bakeries, foodservice restaurants, cafes, and others by maintaining both freshness and quality of bread. The rising consumer preference for value-added, ethnic, fresh, and artisanal frozen bread has increased global product sales, further driving the segment’s growth.

                                                                

By Distribution Channel Analysis

Foodservice Segment Dominated the Market Due to High Product Usage in the Sector

On the basis of distribution channel, the market is segmented into retail and foodservice. The foodservice segment accounted for the largest market share in 2022, attributed to the high product usage in the sector as it eludes the effort to work on various raw materials to obtain dough. Moreover, additional labor and equipment are not required with the product. Moreover, the frozen dough technology helps create new market opportunities as food service channels can widen their distribution area and expand their product range by adding new products.

The retail segment is further divided into hypermarkets/supermarkets, specialty stores, online retail, and others. The hypermarkets/supermarkets account for the highest market share and are the most widely adopted method among consumers to purchase the products. These stores enable consumers to select products from a wide collection of varieties, as there are several aisles in supermarkets that have shelf space specifically dedicated to premium products. In addition, specialty stores are becoming popular among consumers as they offer premium quality authentic products, including local dough, sourdough, artisanal dough, and other specialty dough. These stores also help consumers understand the product attributes, help manufacturers improve consumer engagement, and ensure repeat purchases and higher brand loyalty.

The consumer purchase pattern attitude is changing significantly, with more consumers shifting toward online channels to search for and purchase products. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly influenced the consumption behavior of consumers, with a significant proportion opting to purchase products through online platforms. Therefore, the online channel is expected to undergo promising growth in the future. Manufacturers are also advancing their presence in online platforms by introducing product offers and targeted marketing for consumers.  

REGIONAL INSIGHTS

Based on region, the global market has been analyzed across North America, Europe, the Asia Pacific, the Middle East & Africa, and South America.

North America held the largest global frozen dough market share in 2023, driven by growing demand for frozen-dough. The growing popularity of ready-to-cook products is a key factor contributing to the increasing product demand in the region. In addition, many working individuals demand and use such products, driving regional growth. Furthermore, the high usage of online food purchasing platforms and internet penetration in the region is expected to boost market growth. Many bakery programs have emerged in point-of-sales stores, such as convenience stores and hypermarkets/supermarkets in the region. Moreover, family gatherings, Thanksgiving, and Christmas parties further fuel the dough demand, especially for pizzas, cookies, and sweet rolls. The prominent players in the market have been formulating various business strategies in order to meet the rising demand. For instance, in August 2023, General Mills, an American multinational manufacturer and marketer of branded processed consumer foods, expanded its frozen dough plant in Missouri, U.S., with an investment of USD 48 million. The company planned to install advanced machinery for semi-automated processing and packaging to improve production and operational efficiencies. The new plant can produce more than 1 billion lbs of frozen dough products annually.

Europe is the second dominant region in the global market owing to the maturity and saturation of the Western European market. However, the emerging markets of Eastern Europe are being driven by growing frozen-dough sales due to increasing demand for convenient food products. The frozen bakery market has a well-established supply chain, product range, distribution channels, and growing consumer preferences for bakery items. Frozen bakery products are also indirectly driven by the rise in convenience foods that take less time and energy to prepare. The main drivers of increased product demand are rising per capita income and the trend of snacking between meals.

Asia Pacific is anticipated to expand with the highest CAGR during the forecast period due to the growing disposable income of consumers in India, China, Japan, Korea, and others. The changing lifestyles and growing adoption of Western food are further driving the regional product demand. The main factors increasing product demand in Asia Pacific are recent developments in the food and beverages industry, an improved economy with increased consumption of frozen & ready-to-bake products, and rising consumer interest in bakery products. Consumers in the Asia Pacific are becoming more conscious of their health, leading to increasing demand for gluten-free and low-calorie sugar-free convenience frozen food products.

South American region includes Brazil, Argentina, and the rest of South America, including Chile and Peru. The region is one of the promising markets owing to the rising urbanization in Brazil, Argentina, and other major countries, contributing substantially to market growth. Rising disposable income, growing demand for easy-to-consume baked goods, and awareness among consumers regarding the innovations in frozen-dough are resulting in new product launches in the region. According to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Brazil saw retail sales of USD 3.4 billion and had an 8.1% market share of the global sales of Health and Wellness (HW) baked goods.

The Middle East and Africa include South Africa, UAE, and the rest of the Middle East and Africa. The region's economic development and infrastructure trends have rapidly shifted consumer preference towards organic, clean-label, and premium dough products. In June 2023, the UAE government announced the launch of the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan. This aims to improve Dubai's health and infrastructure, promote more sustainable and organic development, and increase consumer awareness towards the organic, clean label, and sustainable future.

List of Key Companies in Frozen Dough Market

Key Players Focus on Product Innovation and New Product Launches

Industry players are adopting several competitive strategies, including product innovation and new product launches, to grow amid competition in the market. Key manufacturers are investing in the R&D process to offer new products to cater to today’s demand of consumers by introducing new and innovative packaging and cold-storage solutions and also improving the shelf life of refrigerated dough.

LIST OF KEY COMPANIES PROFILED:

• General Mill Inc. (U.S.)


• Guttenplan’s (U.S.)


• Ajinomoto (Japan)


• Rich Products Corp. (U.S.)


• Campbell Soup Company (U.S.)


• CSM Ingredients (Luxembourg)


• Dawn Food Products, Inc. (U.S.)


• Gonnella Baking Company (U.S.)


• Bridgford Foods Corp. (U.S.)


• Aryzta AG (Switzerland)

KEY INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS:

• November 2023: OK Frozen Dough, a family-owned business, expanded its operations in Calgary. The new facility would become an SQF-certified facility, which helps the company’s stringent food safety program. The new facilty would also include spirals, blast freezer, mixer and other equipment to quick freeze products.


• September 2023: CJ Foodville, a South Korean food service group, planned to build its first production facility in the U.S. in order to support the growth of its bakery-café chain TOUS les JOURS. The new facility would annually produce more than 100 million units of frozen dough and cakes.


• January 2023: Suprima Bakeries, an Australian bakery supplier, launched its artisan frozen dough range, including the Artisan Multigrain Dough and the Artisan White Sourdough Dough. The product aimed to give bakers time to be creative and switch menu offerings to serve various breads.


• December 2022: Berrika, a specialized online grocery platform based in India, launched a festive special frozen cookie dough with the renowned Baker of India, Shivesh Bhatia of ‘Bake with Shivesh.’ The double chocolate s’mores cookie dough, biscuit chunks, soft Marshmallows, milk chocolate, and dark chocolate can be eaten as is or baked.


• December 2021: Home Dough, a company based in the U.S., launched a line of clean-label, non-GMO frozen cookie dough products available in chocolate chip, oatmeal toffee, and molasses ginger spice varieties. Each of the three flavors contains between 180 calories and 190 calories in a single serving made from organic butter, eggs, sugar, or flour. The products come in 12-oz bags, each containing eight cookie dough balls, available online through its e-commerce platform for USD 54 for a three-pack.

REPORT COVERAGE

The global frozen dough market research report provides a detailed analysis and focuses on crucial aspects of different segments of the market, such as types and distribution channels. The report also provides an account of the market dynamics and competitive landscape. It further presents various key insights, an overview of the parent market, recent key industry developments such as new product launches, mergers & acquisitions, regulatory framework, and key industry trends.

Report Scope & Segmentation

ATTRIBUTE	DETAILS
Study Period	2019-2032
Base Year	2023
Estimated Year	2024
Forecast Period	2024-2032
Historical Period	2019-2022
Growth Rate	CAGR of 5.73% from 2024 to 2032
Unit	Value (USD Billion)
Segmentation	By Type Bread & Pizza Biscuits & Cookies Rolls & Pastries Others By Distribution Channel Retail Hypermarkets/Supermarkets Specialty Stores Online Retail Others Foodservice By Geography North America (By Type, Distribution Channel, and Country) U.S. Canada Mexico Europe (By Type, Distribution Channel, and Country) U.K. France Germany Italy Spain Rest of Europe Asia Pacific (By Type, Distribution Channel, and Country) China India Japan Australia Rest of Asia Pacific South America (By Type, Distribution Channel, and Country) Brazil Argentina Rest of South America Middle East & Africa (By Type, Distribution Channel, and Country) UAE South Africa and the Rest of the MEA