Why Babybel is proving a huge success in America
Demand for high-protein snacks has driven sales for the mini cheese – and the US is its largest market
Women in their 30s are the typical Babybel buyers in the US
Nicolas Launay
Mini cheese snack Babybel is proving a huge success in the United States, where sales have now overtaken those in France, driven by growing demand for high-protein snacks and changing eating habits.
Babybel’s US sales have made America the Bel Group’s largest market for the miniature round cheese.
US sales exceeded $1.5 billion in 2025, representing 33% of Bel’s global total, with volumes rising by 12% in both 2024 and 2025. The brand is distributed in 50 countries and sells two billion cheeses each year.
Around 20,000 tonnes of Babybel were sold in the US despite President Donald Trump’s 15% tariffs on European products. That is 12,000 tonnes more than in France alone, Bel’s second-largest market.
Its success capitalises on two major trends in the United States: the rise of Novo Nordisk’s anti-obesity medicines Ozempic and Wegovy, and consumer demand for high-protein foods.
“Babybel is a small, playful and joyful portion of healthy food,” Béatrice de Noray, chief growth officer at Bel Group, told The Connexion.
The company markets Babybel as a “healthy snack”, highlighting its protein content, which is often recommended for people trying to lose weight.
Each cheese weighs 20 grams and contains 4g of protein for 70 calories, making it a more nutritious option than high-fructose, carbohydrate-heavy chocolate bars or sugary drinks.
In March, Bel launched Babybel PRO, a version with higher protein content and fewer calories. Each cheese weighs 22 grams and contains 5g of protein for 50 calories. Packs of two Babybels emphasise their combined 10g of protein.
The company has also developed flavours closely linked to American tastes, including Gouda, white Cheddar and Monterey Jack, as well as a vegan Babybel.
As a result, Bel announced $200 million of investment and 150 new jobs at its factory in Brookings, South Dakota, increasing production capacity from 1.6 million to three million Babybels per day. This follows a $10 million expansion at its factory in Little Chute, Wisconsin, which created another 50 jobs.
Bel’s US strategy focuses on reaching major American cities and increasing distribution in convenience stores such as 7-Eleven.
Women in their 30s are the typical Babybel buyers in the US, Ms de Noray said, adding that the product is mainly consumed by adults.
This marks a key difference between Babybel consumers in the US and in France.
In France, Babybel has historically been viewed as a children’s snack, although its television adverts have long portrayed broader family life, showing typical French families in settings such as bakeries, holiday journeys and cycling trips.
Its famous advertising slogan – “ba-ba-ba, ba-ba-Babybel” – is familiar to many French people.
Bel’s product portfolio also includes La Vache qui Rit (The Laughing Cow), Kiri and Pom’Potes, a fruit purée brand sold in the US as GoGo squeeZ, all of which remain especially popular with toddlers and young children in France.
However, this perception is beginning to change, Ms de Noray said, as France increasingly follows food and lifestyle trends emerging in the United States.
Women in their 30s and people involved in sport have become two key target audiences in France.
Babybel signed a three-year partnership with the NBA team the Chicago Bulls in 2025, becoming the club’s official snack partner. The company recently adopted a similar strategy in France, where it has long partnered with the national handball team.
