Baked by Melissa Teams Up with Kinder® Bueno and Kinder® Chocolate to Sweeten Game Day Spreads

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 22, 2026--

Baked by Melissa, the New York-based dessert company famous for its handcrafted bite-size cupcakes, today announced a partnership with Kinder®Bueno and Kinder®Chocolate, one of the largest chocolate brands globally, bringing together two fan-favorite treat brands just in time for game day celebrations.

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Timed to the biggest game of the year, Baked by Melissa, Kinder® Bueno, and Kinder® Chocolate are teaming up to take care of the dessert spread, launching an exclusive, limited-edition assortment of bite-size cupcakes inspired by the flavors of Kinder® Bueno, Kinder® Chocolate, and their limited edition offerings: Kinder® Bueno White and Kinder® Bueno Dark. The collaboration combines Baked by Melissa’s signature bite-size cupcakes with the iconic flavors fans know and love – from Kinder® Bueno’s smooth, crispy, creamy texture and rich hazelnut filling to Kinder® Chocolate’s simply wonderful chocolate with a creamy, milky center – making it an easy, shareable treat for hosting game day gatherings without the prep work.

“I'm thrilled to be partnering with Kinder on four limited edition cupcake flavors,” said Melissa Ben-Ishay, CEO & cofounder of Baked by Melissa. “Kinder has been a staple in my household for quite some time and having the opportunity to work with them is truly a dream come true.”

Designed with hosting in mind, the Kinder®-inspired cupcakes are the ultimate Big Game sweet treat: no slicing, no plates required, and easy to grab between plays or during commercial breaks. The new collection will be available from January 22 to February 14. Customers can taste the full gameday spread in a Kinder® Cupcakes 25-Pack ($37) available in stores and online at bakedbymelissa.com with nationwide shipping, in-store pickup, and same-day delivery in Manhattan, as well as a Kinder® Cupcakes 12-pack ($19), available exclusively in stores.

With chocolate treats ranking as one of the top food categories on game day¹ , enjoyed by millions of households nationwide, this collaboration taps into a sweet spot fans already crave. The launch also coincides with a major milestone for Kinder® Bueno, as the brand makes its own Big Game debut with its first-ever commercial airing during the game on February 8.

“Kinder is the best-selling chocolate brand in the world, yet our journey in the U.S. is still in its early stages,” said Neal Finkler, Vice President of Kinder Snacking. “That’s why we’re thrilled to partner with Baked by Melissa, a beloved, culture-driven dessert brand, to debut our first co-created treat just in time for game day. Together, we’re giving fans an easy, shareable, new way to enjoy the iconic Kinder flavors they love while celebrating the biggest moments with friends and family.”

This news follows Baked by Melissa’s recent partnership with Ferrero to transform iconic candy bars like Butterfinger® and CRUNCH® into bite-size cupcakes, along with other recent high-profile collaborations including Wonder, Paw Patrol, Good Culture, Tabasco, Claussen, and more — continuing the brand’s legacy of buzzworthy partnerships that deliver joy in every bite.

For more information, please visit Baked by Melissa’s website at bakedbymelissa.com and follow @bakedbymelissa on social media.

ABOUT BAKED BY MELISSA

Founded by Melissa Ben-Ishay in 2008, Baked by Melissa is the New York-based dessert company famous for its handcrafted bite-size cupcakes and treats in a wide variety of flavors. The brand operates 11 retail locations in the NYC area, and an online storefront offering nationwide shipping. With its highly acclaimed assortment of flavors, gift boxes for every occasion, and freshness guaranteed, Baked by Melissa has become a go-to brand to celebrate all of life’s moments across the U.S. In 2020, Melissa went viral on TikTok with videos of her salads and everyday meals. Today, her 4 million followers recreate her recipes at home, each designed to deliver the perfect bite just like her namesake cupcakes. Her newest cookbook, Come Hungry, was released January 2024 and became an instant New York Times bestseller. Learn more at bakedbymelissa.com.

ABOUT KINDER® CHOCOLATE

At the heart of Kinder® Chocolate is a simple mission: to spark, share, and celebrate simply wonderful moments of togetherness between parents and kids. With a creamy milky filling and smooth milk chocolate coating, Kinder® Chocolate comes in small, individually wrapped bars that are perfect for sharing and creating joyful family moments. Launched in the U.S. in September 2023, Kinder® Chocolate was voted 2024 Product of the Year Winner in the Chocolate category by the Kantar Group. The Kinder® brand, one of the largest chocolate brands globally, has delighted families for more than 50 years across 170 countries with its wide range of chocolate products that celebrate the beauty of simple joys.

ABOUT KINDER® BUENO

Kinder® Bueno is a crispy, creamy chocolate bar that comes with a creamy hazelnut filling in a crispy wafer, enrobed in milk chocolate and a dark chocolate drizzle. The limited-edition Kinder® Bueno White Chocolate is a delicious take on the classic favorite, containing real white chocolate, creamy hazelnut filling, crispy wafer and finely decorated cocoa bits. Kinder® Bueno Dark is an unexpected combination of flavors & textures: beneath a blanket of smooth dark chocolate lies a thin, crispy wafer filled with a hazelnut cream filling, all topped with a delicate, dark chocolate drizzle. Since launching in the U.S., Kinder Bueno has reached more than 15 million households and is ranked in the Top 10 of 2020 Food and Beverage New Product Pacesetters by IRI1. Kinder Bueno is available nationwide at retail, grocery, drug and convenience stores.

ABOUT FERRERO

Ferrero began in the small town of Alba in Piedmont, Italy, in 1946. Today, it is one of the world's largest sweet-packaged food companies, with over 35 iconic brands sold in more than 170 countries. The Ferrero Group brings joy to people around the world with much-loved treats and snacks including Nutella®, Kinder®, Tic Tac®, and Ferrero Rocher®. More than 47,000 employees are passionate about helping people celebrate life's special moments. The Ferrero Group's family culture, now in its third generation, is based on dedication to quality and excellence, heritage and a commitment to the planet and communities in which we operate.

Ferrero entered the North American market in 1969 and has grown to more than 5,400 employees in 15 plants and warehouses, and eight offices in North America across the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean. It has expanded its presence and portfolio with the addition of iconic brands such as Butterfinger®, CRUNCH®, Keebler®, Famous Amos®, Mother's Cookies®, and other distinctive cookie and chocolate brands. Follow @FerreroNACorp on Twitter and Instagram. www.ferreronorthamerica.com.

¹ Source: Circana, Total U.S. MULO + Convenience, Top Game Day Food Categories (excluding beverage), Game Day 2025 vs. 2021.

Baked by Melissa and Kinder Cupcakes

DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy blasted his European allies Thursday for what he portrayed as the continent’s slow, fragmented and inadequate response to Russia’s invasion nearly four years ago and its continued international aggression.

Addressing the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Zelenskyy listed a litany of grievances and criticisms of Europe that he said have left Ukraine at the mercy of Russian President Vladimir Putin amid an ongoing U.S. push for a peace settlement.

“Europe looks lost,” Zelenskyy said in his speech, urging the continent to become a global force. He contrasted Europe’s response with Washington’s bold steps in Venezuela and Iran.

The former comic actor referred to the movie “Groundhog Day,” in which the main character must relive the same day over and over again.

“Just last year, here in Davos, I ended my speech with the words: Europe needs to know how to defend itself. A year has passed. And nothing has changed. We are still in a situation where I must say the same words again,” Zelenskyy said.

He said that Ukrainians, too, seem caught in that reality in the war, "repeating the same thing for weeks, months and, of course, for years. And yet that is exactly how we live now. It’s our life.”

European countries, which see their own future defense at stake in the war on its eastern flank, have provided financial, military and humanitarian support for Kyiv, but not all members of the 27-nation European Union are helping. Ukraine also has been frustrated by political disagreements within Europe over how to deal with Russia, as well as the bloc’s at times slow-moving responses.

His speech came after he met behind closed doors for about an hour in Davos with U.S. President Donald Trump, who described the talks as “very good.” Zelenskyy called them “productive and meaningful.”

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One as he flew back to Washington from Davos, Trump said that both Putin and Zelenskyy want to reach a deal, adding that “everyone’s making concessions” to try to end the war.

“It’s really tough for the people of Ukraine,” Trump said, noting that it was “amazing” how residents have been able to persevere through a cold winter facing relentless Russian strikes.

Russia’s bigger army has managed to capture about 20% of Ukraine since hostilities began in 2014 and its full-scale invasion of 2022. But the battlefield gains along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line have been costly for Moscow, and the Russian economy is feeling the consequences of the war and international sanctions.

Ukraine is short of money and, despite significantly boosting its own arms manufacturing, still needs Western weaponry. It is also short-handed on the front line. Its defense minister last week reported some 200,000 troop desertions and draft-dodging by about 2 million Ukrainians.

Zelenskyy is also striving to keep the world's attention focused on Ukraine despite other conflicts.

He chided Europe for being slow to act on key decisions, spending too little on defense, failing to stop Russia’s ”shadow fleet" of oil tankers that are breaking international sanctions, and balking at using its frozen assets in Europe to finance Ukraine, among other things.

Europe, he said, “still feels more like a geography, history, a tradition, not a real political force, not a great power.”

“Some Europeans are really strong, it’s true, but many say we must stand strong, and they always want someone else to tell them how long they need to stand strong, preferably until the next election,” he said.

The Trump administration is pushing for a peace settlement, with its envoys shuttling between Kyiv and Moscow in a flurry of negotiations that some worry could force Ukraine into an unfavorable deal.

Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow late Thursday and sat down for more talks with Putin, the Kremlin said.

One major issue remains to be resolved in negotiations, Witkoff said at Davos, without saying what it was. Zelenskyy said the future status of land in eastern Ukraine currently occupied by Russia is unresolved but that peace proposals are “nearly ready.”

Postwar security guarantees, should a deal be reached, are agreed between the U.S. and Ukraine, although they would require each country's ratification, he said.

Zelenskyy said two days of trilateral meetings involving the U.S., Ukraine and Russia are due to begin Friday in the United Arab Emirates.

“Russians have to be ready for compromises because, you know, everybody has to be ready, not only Ukraine, and this is important for us,” he said.

Trump and Zelenskyy have had a fraught relationship, and the American president has at times also rebuked Putin.

Zelenskyy said he thanked Trump for providing U.S.-made Patriot air defense systems that can help stop Russian missiles that are repeatedly hitting Ukraine’s power grid, causing hardship for civilians denied light, heating and running water. He said he asked Trump for more of them.

After Trump cut support for Ukraine, other NATO countries began buying weapons from the U.S. to donate to Kyiv under a special financial arrangement.

Hrabchuk reported from Kyiv, Ukraine. Meg Kinnard contributed to this report from aboard Air Force One.

Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, centre, talks to the media at the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy talks to the media at the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy talks to the media at the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appears on a screen as he delivers a speech at the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivers a speech at the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)