If common sense had a taste, it definitely wouldn't be “Mint Chocolate Chip Potato.”
Some flavors sound like a joke you're telling rather than a product you're shipping.
And yet here we are, staring at bags that taste like dinner, dessert, and regret.
You grew up with chips that tasted like potatoes.
Now they taste like teenage dares.
Some of these ideas should have stayed on the whiteboard.
The miracle is not that these chips exist.
The miracle is that people bought them twice.
1. Cappuccino potato chips
Lay's launched cappuccino-flavored chips in 2014 as part of its “Do Us a Flavor” contest. On paper, the idea sounded creative.
But mixing coffee and potatoes resulted in a flavor disaster.
The sweet, bitter taste of cappuccino does not belong in a salty snack.
Most people who tried them said they tasted like burnt coffee grounds mixed with grease.
The chips left a strange aftertaste that lasted for hours.
2. Wasabi ginger potato chips
This flavor hit stores thinking it would appeal to adventurous snackers.
The burning of wasabi is strong enough for sushi.
Put it on potato chips and it becomes overpowering. Just one bite will instantly clear your sinuses.
The ginger adds a sharp, medicinal taste that doesn't help.
These chips are more painful than pleasant.
3. Pumpkin Spice Potato Chips
When pumpkin spice mania swept America, chip makers jumped on the bandwagon.
They released these chips during the fall season.
Pumpkin spice belongs in lattes and cakes.
In combination with fried potatoes and salt it tastes bizarre.
The sweet cinnamon and nutmeg meet the hearty chip base.
Better stick with traditional fall treats.
4. Chicken Waffle Potato Chips
This Southern breakfast combination became a chip flavor in 2013. The concept attempted to capture sweet and savory in one bite.
The implementation failed because the maple syrup flavor dominated everything. The chicken seasoning was lost in the mix.
What remained was a confusing taste that didn't satisfy my breakfast or snack cravings. The artificial maple flavor tasted like syrup-soaked cardboard.
5. Pecan Pie Potato Chips
Pringles released a limited edition Pecan Pie flavor during the 2013 holiday season, aiming to capture a classic dessert in chip form.
Snackers described the taste as very sweet and artificial, with a syrupy, fake nut flavor that clashed with the potato base.
Many reviewers said a few chips were more than enough and the taste didn't resemble real pecan pie.
Why it's on this list: Turning lavish Christmas desserts into crisps often backfires, and the flavor is often remembered as a sugary misstep.
6. Cookies and Gravy Potato Chips
This Southern comfort food became a chip flavor in 2015. The bags promised the taste of homemade cookies smothered in creamy sauce.
What buyers got was a strange powdery coating that tasted like pepper and flour. The taste of the sauce seemed dusty and boring.
Real biscuits and gravy are a popular breakfast dish. But here's the catch: Translating creamy foods into dry chips rarely works.
7. Latte potato chips
Coffee-flavored chips made another appearance with this latte variety. Companies tried again to offer caffeinated snacks.
The creamy milk flavor mixed with coffee created a strange sweetness. Combined with potatoes and salt it became unpleasant.
Most people who like latte macchiato stick to drinking it. It feels wrong to eat coffee flavor on a crispy chip.
8. Cherry Chocolate Cola Potato Chips
This flavor attempted to recreate a classic lemonade drink. Cherry and chocolate sound good individually, and Cola has its fans.
But mixing all three with potato chips caused chaos. The cherry flavor tasted like cough syrup and the chocolate was barely noticeable.
The cola content provided a strange, tingly feeling that didn't result in a solid snack. So most people took one bite and put the bag down.
9. Mint Chocolate Ice Cream Potato Chips
Ice cream parlors serve mint chocolate chips in cones and bowls. Someone decided it should come in chip bags too.
The mint flavor overpowered everything and tasted like toothpaste. The chocolate chips were artificial and waxy.
Eating these chips felt like eating a frozen dessert gone wrong. The cooling mint sensation didn't belong in a savory snack base.
10. Cajun Squirrel Potato Chips
British chip manufacturer Walkers launched this flavor in 2009. The name alone made people uncomfortable.
The flavor attempted to capture spicy Cajun spices mixed with the flavor of gamey meat. Most people found it too intense and strange.
The “squirrel” element was more shocking than the actual taste. But the overpowering spice made these chips difficult to enjoy.
11. Durian fruit potato chips
Lay's China introduced durian-flavored chips to Asian markets. Durian fruits have a reputation for smelling like gym socks or rotting onions.
When you open a bag of these chips, you are immediately hit by the infamous smell. The taste is equally unpleasant to most Western snackers.
People who love durian still find it strange on potato chips. This taste proves that not all fruits belong in snack form.
12. Chili Chocolate Potato Chips
Walkers created this unusual combination of sweet chocolate and spicy chilli. The Aztecs used chili and chocolate together centuries ago.
But that old combination doesn't go well with fried potato chips. The chocolate flavor seems like dusty cocoa powder instead of full of sweetness.
The chili heat fights with the chocolate rather than complementing it. The result is a confusing taste that doesn't satisfy any cravings.
13. Hot and sour fish soup potato chips
Lay's has released this flavor inspired by Asian fish soup recipes. The chips tried to capture the spicy, fishy flavor of the broth.
In some countries, fish-flavored snacks are popular. But converting the soup into chip form resulted in a sour, fishy mess.
The artificial fish taste lingered in the mouth long after eating. Most people found the taste to be too intense and unappetizing.
14. Blueberry potato chips
Someone decided that blueberries and potato chips should go together. This fruity experiment comes from overseas markets.
The sweet blueberry flavor clashed terribly with the salty fried potatoes. Every bite tasted like eating dessert and dinner at the same time.
The purple spice left strange stains on his fingers. People were expecting a sweet treat but instead got a confusing snack.
15. Pecan Pie Potato Chips
Pringles released limited edition pecan pie flavored chips in 2013. Pecan pie is a popular Southern dessert during the holidays.
These chips tasted nothing like real pecan pie. The artificial nut flavor mixed with the sweet syrup coating tasted chemical and fake.
The reviews from people who have tried them have been mostly negative. That's why they disappeared from the shelves very quickly.
16. Dill pickle potato chips
Pringles has created an extreme dill pickle flavor that goes beyond regular pickle chips. The intense dill spice drowns out everything else.
Some people like mild pickle chips. But here's the catch: These take the taste to an unpleasant level.
The combination of vinegar and dill is so strong it will make your face pucker up. A chip will make your mouth taste sour for an hour.
17. Cinnamon Sugar Potato Chips
Pringles released this dessert-flavored variety in 2013. The chips were coated in cinnamon sugar like a churro or donut.
Sweet cinnamon does not belong on savory potato chips. The sugar coating made them taste like breakfast pastries gone wrong.
People who tried them said one or two chips were enough. The sweetness became sickening very quickly.
18. Lobster potato chips
British chip makers created this seafood flavor by mixing lobster with spicy spices. Lobster is expensive and delicious when prepared correctly.
These chips tasted nothing like real lobster meat. The artificial seafood flavor seemed fishy and unpleasant.
The firecracker seasoning tried to hide the bad lobster taste but failed. Most people couldn't finish a full bag.
19. Lamington cake potato chips
Bluebird in New Zealand made lamington cake-based chips. Lamingtons are sponge cake squares covered in chocolate and coconut.
These chips combined salt, cocoa powder, and coconut essence in one bite. The result was extremely strange and confusing.
The chocolate tasted bitter and dusty instead of sweet. The coconut added a strange tropical element that didn't help.
