Ahh, the smell of fresh baked bread. But wait, how can that be? This bread came straight out of the freezer! That’s because today’s refrigerated and frozen food processors are re-inventing baked goods thanks to some innovative ingredients and a convenience factor like no other.

Muffins laden with vegetables
Garden Lites, Jamaica, N.Y., debuted Garden Lites Veggie Muffins, with a vegetable as the first and main ingredient. They are gluten-free, vegetarian, low in calories, high in fiber and kosher Parve. Plus, each 2-ounce, individually wrapped muffin offers portability, and heats up in the microwave in just 35 seconds. They come in Veggie Blueberry Oat, Zucchini Banana Chocolate Chip, Zucchini Chocolate, Carrot Berry and Golden Corn.

Rolling with gluten-free ingredients
Rudi’s Bakery, Boulder, Colo., introduced gluten-free, heat-and-serve ciabatta rolls. Made with simple, wholesome and all-natural ingredients, these rolls are toasted in just 10 minutes and without the hassle of baking gluten-free from scratch. Choose from Original and Rosemary Olive varieties.

Mini tarts
American Halal Co., Stamford, Conn., launched a new line of mini dessert tarts under its Saffron Road brand. Available at Whole Foods Market Stores nationwide, these bite-sized delicacies are inspired by the flavors of India, South America and France. They require no baking and practically no preparation—simply take the tarts out of the freezer to defrost and then serve. Varieties include Kashmiri Lemon Ginger (made with creamy Shrikand, a hand-crafted yogurt cheese formed from strained Dahi, swirled with tangy lemons and fresh puréed ginger), Chocolate Coconut Cheesecake with Fair Trade Chocolate (made with Fair Trade chocolate and coconut shavings to create a cheesecake beyond compare) and Salted Caramel Cheesecake (rich, creamy cheesecake featuring the delightful dance of sweet caramel with the counterpoint of natural French sea salt).

Puff pastries
Pepperidge Farm, Norwalk, Conn., introduced new Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Cups, a miniature version of its Puff Pastry Shells. These versatile pastries provide a blank canvas for creative entertainers to serve up wow-worthy dishes in perfect bite-sized portions. Pre-formed and ready-to-bake, Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Cups take just 20 minutes to “rise” in the oven and can be filled with any combination of ingredients.

Cheesecake on the run
The Eli’s Cheesecake Co., Chicago, introduced Eli’s To-Go desserts. This new line of individual desserts comes in convenient, individually pre-packaged, clear custom containers. The refrigerated desserts are individually portioned and ready-to-eat on-the-go. They are available in Chocolate Cake, Raspberry Shortcake, Cinnamon Roll, Strawberry Swirl, Chocolate Swirl and Original Plain.

Dough does it again
Gourmet Frozen Cookies, Inc., Los Angeles, added homestyle frozen cookie dough to its Jen & Joe’s line. This all-natural dough is made with real eggs and butter, no bleached flour, no hydrogenated fats or oils and boasts an 18-month shelf life (frozen). The line comes in Chocolate Chunk, White Chocolate Wasabi, Snickerdoodle, Chocolate Spice, Lemon Drop and Oatmeal Toffee.

General Mills, Minneapolis, debuted its first-ever line of refrigerated gluten-free dough under the Pillsbury portfolio. The line includes Chocolate Chip Cookie, Thin Crust Pizza and Pie and Pastry.

Wholly Wholesome, Chester, N.J., added pizza dough balls to its line of gluten-free, vegan and dairy-free products. The pizza dough comes in a freezer-friendly package and can be rolled into various shapes and sizes for desired baking needs.

Lastly, Stefano Foods, Charlotte, N.C., released the newest addition to its pizza dough line. Stefano’s premium pizza dough provides consumers with the next level of make-at-home pizza. Made with European “OO” flour, olive oil and garlic, this 16-ounce all-natural dough ball makes an authentic, crisp and crunchy pizza crust that brings a little bit of Europe right to the kitchen.

Cake bites
Swiss Colony Retail Brands, Monroe, Wis., introduced ICEE Cake Bites, a take on the ICEE frozen beverage in a mini cake format. These hand-crafted cake bites blend vanilla cake and ICEE-flavored ice cream in one bite-sized cake. Each 4.5-ounce, 9-count box features the iconic ICEE polar bear. The bites come in Lemon, Cherry and Blue Raspberry.

A new twist to baked pretzels
J&J Snack Foods Corp., Pennsauken, N.J., introduced a new twist to its SUPERPRETZEL brand, a combination of soft pretzels and savory cheese fillings, available in Honey Chipotle, Fiery Pumpernickel and Jalapeno Ranch. Each pretzel is hand-twisted to create the perfect on-the-go snack or meal replacement. SUPERPRETZEL Sweet Cinnamon Soft Pretzel Bites combine traditional soft pretzel dough with sugar and cinnamon bursts to create a new way to enjoy traditional soft pretzels. Top with cinnamon and sugar or serve with an icing dip cup for a unique snack or sweet treat. And, SUPERPRETZEL Bavarian Soft Pretzels blend Old World Bavarian style with traditional soft pretzels. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes such as braids or jumbo 24-ounce pretzels.

At-home cookie decorating kits
Champion Foods, New Boston, Mich., expanded its Family Finest brand to include refrigerated Bake-N-Make cookie decorating kits. Currently available in more than 1,200 Wal-Mart Supercenter stores nationwide, these kits include four extra large cookies—two sugar and two chocolate chip—four different colored icings and a sprinkle pouch.

To learn more about these and other new retail bakery products, go to http://bit.ly/19VCNBi.