14 Forgotten Potato Chip Flavors

There are plenty of food-related guidelines that we can all agree on. Peanut butter and jelly are a perfect combination, no matter how old you are, for example. Turkey and stuffing are for Thanksgiving, and cranberry is better when it’s can-shaped. It’s snacks that break all the rules, and sometimes, it’s absolute chaos. But are we talking about chaos in a good or a bad way? That depends, because when it comes to potato chips, there are a ton of long-retired flavors that we miss … and some whose mere existence was an affront to the laws of nature, physics, and everything in between.

With that in mind, we wanted to take a stroll down memory lane. Some of the flavors we found made us long for brighter days past, and others, well, not so much. We hit not only some of the U.S.’s long-gone flavors, but we also found some bizarre entries from the U.K. and Canada, too, which seems to prove that if there’s one thing that unites people across borders, it’s the fact that somewhere, someone’s pitching ideas about meat-flavored potato chips.

Unfortunately for those people, none of these flavors exist anymore. While there are a number of early-2000s snacks that you can still buy today, these have gone the way of the dodo, but we will add a caveat to that. Many of the chip flavors we looked at have come back for limited times and limited editions, so don’t give up hope yet. We certainly haven’t.

When we here at Tasting Table ranked Pringles flavors from worst to best, there were some funky flavors there. Fans of Pringles know that this is one company that’s not afraid to think outside of the box, and back in 2013, it released a limited-time Cinnamon & Sugar flavor that initially sounds a bit bizarre.

This particular flavor had countless fans, though, and it was often likened to basically being Cinnamon Toast Crunch in a chip form. And it makes sense: The base of the Pringle itself is just sort of a vehicle for flavor, and you’re not going to go wrong with cinnamon and sugar. While you might not be using them with your favorite seasoned sour cream dip, plenty of snack fans have headed to Reddit even years after this chip disappeared from shelves to lament the fact that they weren’t made into a seasonal offering. Interestingly, they’re occasionally mentioned alongside another, less well-received seasonal offering that Pringles debuted the same year, and that’s the White Chocolate Peppermint. Weird? Absolutely. While we can’t say whether or not the cinnamon and sugar ones will ever make a comeback, we’d like to take a moment to point out that you could realistically make your own version at home. You’re welcome.

Dips are a great way to take your snacking game to the next level, and they’re not even difficult. If you love whipping up an easy onion dip with just a few ingredients, chances are good you know that Ruffles are the chips that can stand up to these dips. There’s one particular flavor of Ruffles that is long gone but not entirely forgotten, and that’s the Cajun Spice chip that debuted way back in the 1980s.

Commercials lauded the chip for the fact that all those ridges were filled with cayenne, paprika, and, well, a spicy, Cajun-inspired kick — and they weren’t just any commercials. That guy in our featured screenshot is Justin Wilson, a Louisiana-born chef, cookbook author, and PBS television personality. Wilson published his first cookbook in 1960, died in 2001, and in between, he was credited with introducing countless people to Cajun cooking. Even with his support, though, Cajun Spice Ruffles were only around for a few years, and while that’s a bummer, we kind of get that competing with barbecue chips might have made it tough for this particular flavor to survive.

This is a chip combo that might get something of a knee-jerk reaction as being incredibly weird, but anyone who has ever had cracked black pepper potato chips dipped in chocolate knows that it’s the perfect combination of salty and sweet. Add in the smooth texture of the chocolate and the crunch of the chip and it’s amazing, so it makes sense that Lay’s released a commercial version of this treat that’s pretty easy to make yourself.

Lay’s Wavy chocolate-dipped chips hit shelves back in 2013, and they were meant to be a limited-time offering. They seem to have been released again a few years later, again as a limited-time thing, and in 2021, Lay’s official X account confirmed that the chips were “enjoying time away from the shelf.” Will it return again? We can’t say, because here’s the thing: Yes, it’s actually a pretty amazing combination, but given the fact that people have been doing this at home for a long time, we’re not sure that Lay’s would find it worthwhile to bring this one out of retirement in any significant way.

Oh, Pringles: While we normally appreciate most of the offerings that are kick-started by your Willy Wonka-induced fever dreams, the limited edition Pecan Pie flavor introduced back in 2013 is perhaps one of the most questionable … and one that might have been better off fading with the light of day. Reviews for this particular flavor weren’t great, with many saying that it didn’t taste like pecan pie, and pecan pie isn’t really something that should be on a chip anyway. 

What did it taste like? Imagine regular Pringles with a bit of burnt maple syrup, and you’re kind of there. This particular flavor did have fans, though, and it was actually brought back briefly for the 2016 holiday season. The announcement was met with a little bit of disgust, some snack fans noting that they weren’t as terrible as you might think, and others saying that in moderation, they were fine — but they were way too sweet otherwise. There are always a few people who just want to see the world burn, too, and one creative Redditor admitted to finding them perfect for mashing up and mixing with peanut butter and marshmallow fluff. We’ll just leave that one there for your consideration, while we back away slowly.

There are a lot of great, funky chips flavors — or rather, crisp flavors — from the U.K. Prawn cocktail, curry, and an assortment of beef flavors are pretty much a guarantee on the shelves of any store, but way back in 1981, a Welsh pub owner took a long-standing urban legend and created hedgehog-flavored crisps. It was both funny and for a good cause, as a portion of the proceeds was donated to the Hedgehog Preservation Society (and later to the St. Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital). 

In spite of the fact that the bag clearly noted that there was no actual hedgehog used in making the crisps, the whole thing led to a court case that argued over the implications of the language on the packets. That was settled, and the idea was bought by a producer of commercial chips. Reportedly tasting a bit like roast chicken, they became pretty popular for a while, particularly in Wales. In a clip from the BBC that somehow looks like it was made in both 1984 and 1934, anchors headed out to the streets to get the everyman’s take on this new flavor. Guesses as to what it was ranged from chicken and rat to goulash, squirrel, lizard, and marmoset, and both the confusion and indignant sense of superiority were palpable.

The thing about doing a deep dive through history is that sometimes, one stumbles across a tantalizing, weird bit of trivia without much in the way of concrete information, and that creates a special, specific kind of sadness. That’s exactly what happened in the moment that we found out a Canadian chip company actually made orange-, cherry-, and grape/raisin-flavored potato chips back in the 1970s. We had so many questions, starting with “What the heck?” and continuing with “But why?”

Unfortunately, answers were lacking. We did learn that these fruity chip flavors seem to have debuted around the same time as ketchup chips, which have remained incredibly popular. Sources suggest that they were a colossal (and dare we say, predictable) failure, and those who remember these truly bizarre chips have reported that they were just as awful as you’d expect. Our favorite explanation of these comes from one particular Redditor with a very clear memory of them:

“… My best friend in grade 5 or 6, ate a whole bag of OJ chips in two [minutes] in the back of a station wagon while we played RISK, his Dad driving to the White [Mountains] in New England. He barfed on everything soon after, and I lost what was clearly a winning campaign to take Asia, Oceania, and Central America. Thanks Hostess, you ruined my life. I could never properly enjoy climbing Mt. Washington because of the vulgarity your R&D dept. called potato chips.”

First, let’s clarify what Memphis-style BBQ is. It’s basically a specific style of BBQ that adds a bit of sweetness from molasses or brown sugar, which sets it apart from other styles of both barbecue sauce and chips — which are, of course, a standard. Although specifics are hard to come by, fan sites suggest that these were around between 2014 and 2020, and we honestly get why this one kind of got lost in the shuffle. BBQ chips are so common that there was little to set this one apart from the crowd, although reviews are generally favorable. 

Strangely, this flavor was replaced by something that was almost exactly the same: Pringles Wavy Sweet & Spicy BBQ. These chips are wavy, sure, but “sweet and spicy BBQ” is pretty much a description of Memphis-style BBQ, so that odd similarity — and the fact that they disappeared in the nightmarish, weird year that was 2020 — makes it unsurprising that they’re often overlooked.

If there’s any long-forgotten potato chip flavor that seems like it would have been a completely logical addition to the standards, like sour cream and onion and BBQ, it’s au gratin. Potatoes au gratin (especially with Gruyere) are a pretty amazing dish, and when it comes to translating them into potato chip form, well, the potatoes are already right there, you know? Au gratin potato chips came to us from O’Grady’s, and they were the kind of sturdy, extra-crunchy chips that are perfect for dip. (Would we love a giant bowl of these with some cheese dip right now? Absolutely.) 

Those who were around in the late 1980s and early 1990s have taken to Reddit to lament the loss of the all-around outstanding, super-cheesy chips, and it’s worth noting that we couldn’t really find anyone saying anything bad about them. On the contrary, they were the kind of snacks that defined friendships and countless childhood memories, but what happened to them? Information is, sadly, scarce, and it seems as if the whole line of O’Grady’s chips disappeared in the ’90s.

You can definitely file this one alongside all of the other things that we never knew we needed, because let’s be honest: Ramen is amazing. Sure, some of us might love making our own meal prep-friendly ramen jars with fresh veg and homemade sauce, but Nissin has its place in the world, too. Back in 2017, Pringles announced a sadly limited-time flavor that combined Nissin’s Top Ramen chicken flavor with Pringles, and there’s a good chance that you might have missed this one completely. Not only was it limited, but the only place you could find it was at Dollar General.

Plenty of those who did try it found it was an amazing combination of ramen seasoning and the crispiness of Pringles, and we’re bummed this one didn’t stick around — especially considering that some people who looked for them reported they just couldn’t find them. There is, however, a hilarious footnote to that: In 2019, it was reported that Pringle-flavored instant ramen had started showing up on shelves in Singapore, and that’s some Inception-style fun we can get invested in.

There’s a really, really good chance that readers of a certain age will remember Tato Skins, because these were the kind of chips that defined the snacking habits of a generation. No Friday night movie night was complete without a VHS tape from Blockbuster, a pizza, popcorn, and some Tato Skins — and to be clear, yes, TGI Fridays has a type of Tato Skin. They are not the same. 

Keebler’s Tato Skins were around in the mid-1980s and early 1990s, and at some point, the idea was bought and merged with TGI Fridays. Those in-the-know are familiar with the fact that this new version just doesn’t live up to the memories, but it’s entirely possible that many have forgotten there were a number of Tato Skins flavors, including BBQ, sour cream and chive, as well as cheese and bacon. In a nutshell, these are all the flavors that worked really well with baked potatoes, and they were amazing Tato Skins, too. That means those who do remember count them as among the best of the bygone snacks.

Back in 2009, Pringles released a few new flavors in the so-called “Restaurant Cravers” series, and some kind of made sense at the same time they made us wonder if we hadn’t already had those flavors before. One was Onion Blossom, and anyone who knows all the tricks to getting a free Bloomin’ Onion at Outback would have undoubtedly loved these. Too similar to the standard sour cream and onion flavor, though? Maybe, and it was the Mexican Layered Dip flavor that seems like it would have been a total win that should have stayed around. 

Those who did try them reported they were pretty darn tasty, especially when paired with guac or even something like a classic tzatziki sauce. Popping open the can was to reportedly release the aroma of a legit dip, and they had a bit of heat as well. Pringles may have realized it was onto something, as other versions of a 7-layer dip chip have been released.

Just because you can do something doesn’t always mean that you should do that thing. That’s kind of the case with Lay’s Cappuccino chips, which hit shelves in 2014 and seemed like someone’s idea of seeing just what kind of bizarre headlines people are going to believe. The chips were one of four finalists in the “Do Us a Flavor” promotion, and honestly, it kind of feels like the idea was submitted by someone who meant it as a joke, and the whole thing got carried away.

The other three flavors — Wasabi Ginger, Mango Salsa, and Cheddar Bacon Mac & Cheese — all made sense, and it’s not surprising that the cappuccino chips were only on sale for a very short time before Wasabi Ginger was deemed the contest winner. So, how did they actually taste? According to many who tried them, they were one of the worst potato chip flavors to exist, described as brown chips that were a little sweet, with a little cinnamon and coconut thrown in there, with a bit of French toast vibes and even those that kind of liked them admitted that they were done after one or two. It turns out that you can eat just one.

In 2020, the Liverpool Echo ran some photos that had been taken after bad weather uncovered a picnic bag that had been left along the British coast. The general consensus was that it dated from the early 1970s, and one of the things among the garbage that helped with the dating were packets of Riley’s crisps. Riley’s was a U.K. favorite founded in the years after World War II, and although it had some standard flavors during its decades-long popularity, there were also some weird ones in the lineup.

There was a New Potatoes With Mint, Tomato Sauce, Scampi & Lemon, and even Grouse, which is a relatively small bird (pictured) that’s known for having a gamey flavor. Gamey flavors are something of an acquired taste in meat, and in chips? We’re not sure how we feel about that. Riley’s is technically still around, although it’s made by Tayto.

Maple Moose was — perhaps predictably — one of the winning flavors in the Lay’s “Do Us a Flavor” competition, and it took the crown back in 2013. It has perhaps the most Canadian origin story ever, and was created when Tyler LeFrense took his maple ham recipe, then swapped in moose meat instead. Delicious? He thought so.

Apparently, the chips were a pretty big hit when they were first released, selling out as dedicated Canadians were eager to show their solidarity with this national chip flavor. Just a few months into 2014, though, the flavor was discontinued with poor sales cited, and was that something that the powers-that-be should have seen coming? Maybe. The chips were described as smelling and tasting a little like a sweet campfire, while LeFrense was quoted as explaining — quite correctly — that it was unlike any other chip on the market. Consumers quickly made it clear that perhaps there was a reason for that.