15 Discontinued Potato Chips That Belong Back On Shelves

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If you ever dive into the strange history of potato chips, you'll see that such an epic snack food deserves its almost mythical origin stories. One thing is for certain: Potato chips were a thing in the 1800s. People may have been frying up chips before then, but 1817 is when we have our first written recipe for them.

The humble potato chip relied simply on salt for many decades. In 1954, the first flavored potato chip came into the spotlight. We can all thank Joe Murphy, an Irish man who was aptly nicknamed Spud, for getting the ball rolling on experimenting with different potato chip flavor combinations. He revolutionized the industry by creating cheese and onion chips.

With so much experimentation over the years, though, an unfortunate consequence is the death of many flavors. Some creations simply weren't profitable enough, while others were marketed as a limited offering to create hype. Regardless, there are plenty of folks who dream about having the chance to taste their dearly departed chips just one more time. Read on to explore 15 unique potato chips that span decades of chip history and deserve another spot on our grocery store shelves today.

Do you ever scrutinize a freshly opened bag of potato chips to scan for the chip that looks the tastiest? If you were around during the '80s and '90s, this wouldn't have been a struggle for you when you tucked into a bag of O'Grady's Au Gratin chips. According to those lucky enough to bask in its glory, each chip was orange from a thick, cheesy coating.

Sure, there are still chip brands that sell au gratin today, but O'Grady's was the best of the best. Not only was the brand super generous with the flavor coating, but it also cut the chips nice and thick. It has an entirely different mouthfeel from many brands available today.

The discontinuation also hits hard for folks who love the actual potatoes au gratin recipe. It's a labor of love, so having a convenient snack option that captures the dish's decadent flavor was a gift.

Without a doubt, Lay's Wavy Chocolate-Covered Chips were one of the most unique chip flavors to ever grace grocery stores. Combining salty and sweet flavors isn't an earth-shattering concept, but people went nuts over these chips because they were so hefty and satisfying. Dousing a chip with sweet flavoring is entirely different from creating a gorgeous chocolate shell that encapsulates a crunchy, salty potato chip.

Despite being a savory brand, Lay's knew that there was a big divide between chocolate lovers. Are you on Team Dark or Team Milk Chocolate? This is why the brand made a smart move by offering both varieties to consumers. Milk chocolate fans could bask in the sweetness, while dark chocolate lovers could appreciate the complexity that the extra bitterness brings to the flavor equation. In 2017, Lay's even shared a photo on social media showing mini ice cream sandwiches made with its chocolate-covered potato chips, which riled everyone up.

Lay's blessed our palates with this invention during the 2013 holiday season, and fans eagerly anticipated its annual return to make the season even more festive. However, everyone's hearts were shattered when 2018 rolled around, and grocery store shelves were missing this particular item. Since the hype is still strong, there's always hope for an eventual return.

Lay's and Ruffles may be some of the biggest names in the modern chip industry, but some companies have quietly been around since the beginning. Old Dutch is a chip producer that began selling its products in 1934, and fans can still find many of its chips in grocery stores. If you've never heard of this brand, it's currently limited to the Midwest and New England.

Old Dutch sells all kinds of classic flavors that one would expect, such as sour cream and onion and barbecue. Yet one flavor the brand has tried to send to grocery stores several times but has failed to keep stocked is ketchup. There are plenty of ketchup lovers in America, but the director of special projects explained that interest was never high enough to justify the costs of stocking the product. What you may not know is that our neighbors up north gobble ketchup chips, so this particular product is a staple in Canada. Ketchup chips definitely deserve a shot. They may sound a bit weird at first, but if you've ever slapped some chips on a burger before, you're already primed to love this flavor.

Another chip flavor that's in the ketchup category is All Dressed. Don't get me wrong, ketchup chips are tangy and incredible, but All Dressed chips take things to the next level in terms of complexity. This flavor is tangy, smoky, sweet, and salty all at once. You can also taste notes of onion and garlic. It's a chip with lots of personality, and it's basically impossible to stop after having a handful. If I had to make a comparison, All Dressed Ruffles chips are similar to Voodoo chips made by Zapp's.

Several brands sell a version of All Dressed, but Ruffles was perhaps the best. The thick, wavy chip tasted better than Lay's classic thin variety. Ruffles had a good run from 2015 to 2021, and the brand has brought the flavor back for fans who missed it, yet it's not permanently back on shelves. Lay's swooped in to fill this void, and its version of All Dressed is currently available, but it's just not as good as Ruffles.

Tzatziki sauce may only contain a handful of ingredients, but it certainly packs a punch. It's vibrant and summery, thanks to the dill and cucumber, while the Greek yogurt base provides a lovely tang. It's a no-brainer that the sauce would taste fabulous in chip form, too. Lay's is an international brand that caters to each country's palate, so tzatziki chips have been available in Greece for many years. The brand tried to launch this Mediterranean chip in America back in 2016, but it was a limited-time release.

There is some hope on the horizon, though, because Lay's temporarily brought back three fun international chip flavors, including tzatziki, in 2024. It's clear that the brand is open to experimenting with flavors and limited runs. If you're a tzatziki fan, you need to show your support if there's any hope for a permanent stay in our grocery stores. Until then, you can always dip regular chips in tzatziki sauce to scratch that itch.

Most folks love jalapeños. They're the perfect amount of spicy without inflicting too much pain for the average person. Countless chip brands do quite well producing jalapeño chips as a result. However, a less glamorous pepper that's still worthy of being turned into chips is the humble pepperoncini, and Kettle Brand was the only brand to take the leap. This risk paid off because it became one of the brand's most iconic flavors, which is saying a lot. After all, Kettle Brand makes plenty of darn good potato chips.

Kettle Brand sent shockwaves through the chip community earlier this summer by announcing the discontinuation of Pepperoncini. The news made no sense, especially because the brand didn't cite the reason for this heinous act. It couldn't possibly be due to low sales, so fans are left scratching their heads. The timing is also atrocious because many folks' go-to chip pairing for sandwiches at the beach or by the pool was Pepperoncini. Summer may not be canceled this year, but it's certainly far less delicious. With so much outrage, though, maybe the brand will do a 180 and bring back this beloved flavor.

Everyone should learn the real reason Pringles aren't actually potato chips. Despite this technicality, most people still classify them as potato chips, which is why the brand is featured in this list. Pringles has come out with all kinds of fun flavors over the years, so its graveyard is full of discontinued chips. Interestingly enough, one flavor that still echoes today is its Loaded Baked Potato. You can't actually buy this can, but you can vaguely recall its taste when you buy the Loaded Potato Skins flavor that's currently produced by Pringles.

Loaded Potato Skins has plenty of fans. One Redditor triumphantly shared a photo of snagging the last can at their local grocery store. However, in the same thread, other Redditors fondly remembered the Loaded Baked Potato flavor. When someone asked how the newer flavor compares to the discontinued one, another replied that it's nowhere near as flavorful. Perhaps Loaded Potato Skins is scrumptious to those who never had the chance to try Loaded Baked Potato, but this flavor will never be forgotten by those who did.

Waffle fries will always soar high in people's ranking of Chick-fil-A's side dishes because the fun shape is iconic. The holes are perfect for catching more ketchup or sauce, and there's more surface area that can crisp up in the fryer. There's no doubt that selling these fries is a bit of a pain, though, because the structure is fragile.

The same probably applies to the chip industry, since chips are more delicate than fries. It's understandable why brands don't want to anger fans with sad, crushed crumbs. Cape Cod was bold enough to give Waffle Cut a shot in 2011, though. It produced Sea Salt, Cracked Pepper, Buffalo Cheddar, and Farm Stand Ranch in the waffle cut. They were incredible on their own, but they were also an amazing vehicle for dips.

Fans were devastated when they realized that the waffle-cut varieties were becoming scarcer at their grocery stores. By 2018, Cape Cod phased out Waffle Cut in favor of its new Waves flavors. These wavy chips were much more solid and could withstand the weight of dips, but nothing can truly replace the magic of a waffle-cut potato chip.

Every home cook should have an easy Cajun spice mix in their arsenal. You can sprinkle it in pasta dishes, soups, and even marinate meat with it. As it turns out, Cajun spices also make a mean potato chip coating. There are chip brands out there that sell Cajun flavors nowadays, but one brand that did this flavor beautifully in the mid-'80s was Ruffles. PBS chef Justin Wilson starred in a series of commercials promoting this chip flavor, and folks couldn't help but run to the store out of loyalty. His charm was enough to convince anyone who was on the fence about this flavor, and people still watch those old commercials when nostalgia strikes.

Ruffles Cajun Spice chips had a short run that lasted a few years. People on Reddit and Facebook who ate those chips back then still fantasize about popping open another bag to relive the glory. If you have a mandoline with a wavy attachment, you can slice your own ruffle chips, fry them, and toss them with a generous amount of your favorite Cajun spice blend. That's the best way to avoid a disappointing snack that's lacking in flavor. We've all been victims of chip brands skimping on the coating.

Traditional biscuits and gravy is one of the best comfort foods. The buttery, flaky biscuits act like a sponge, soaking up the luscious sausage gravy. Transforming this Southern classic into potato chips was a stroke of genius, and, surprisingly, it wasn't until 2015 that this yummy concept became a reality. Lay's announced Southern Biscuits & Gravy as the winner of its Do Us a Flavor contest.

One Redditor who worked as a chip supplier in a Florida warehouse shared that they always grabbed that particular flavor to bring to the break room and even take home. With easy access to all kinds of chip flavors, sticking to Southern Biscuits & Gravy every time attests to how delicious these bags were.

An even more shocking comment in that thread is that one fan has been hoarding bags of this discontinued flavor for over a decade. As of early 2026, they were sad to report that they only had three bags left. This dedication alone should be enough for Lay's to revive this Southern gem.

Kettle Brand releases many limited-edition chips to keep grocery store shelves interesting. It's always exciting being able to treat your taste buds to new adventures. Still, those highs also come with devastating lows when you get hooked on a flavor that's destined for discontinuation. For many folks, Spicy Thai is a bag they'll never forget.

The ingredient label is deceptively simple for a flavor so bold. Of course, manufacturers can hide many secrets behind vague terms like "spices" and "natural flavors," but Kettle Brand kept the recipe fairly straightforward. The heat came from jalapeños, and no Thai recipe would be complete without a splash of lime juice. The chips were also a bit sweet, thanks to sugar and dried cane syrup. Fans haven't been able to munch on these chips for several years, but this hasn't stopped them from emailing Kettle Brand to revive the flavor.

Many would argue that the best chip flavors are the ones that aren't afraid of being nuanced. Chips may be a savory snack, but a touch of sweetness can do a world of good in the flavor department. What happens when a brand goes fully into the dessert category, though? Pringles conducted a fascinating experiment in 2013 with its limited run of Pecan Pie to celebrate the holiday season. It fell entirely on the sweet end of the spectrum, which left fans confused yet infatuated. In 2026, shoppers are still raving about this flavor online, dreaming of the day it will magically pop up on grocery store shelves again.

The lore behind this flavor is somewhat comical. According to media outlets reporting on the flavor release in 2013, the brand conducted a survey and found that close to half of respondents said they would feel like a hero bringing a pecan pie to a holiday party. As a result, Pringles invented the flavor as a simple grab-and-go option. Let's be clear: Showing up with a can of Pringles when the host expects an actual pecan pie would make you the villain, but the brand is still fun for giving this whimsical flavor a shot.

Most people think of the cute elves who bake cookies when they hear Keebler, but this brand dabbled in the chip industry during the late '80s with its O'Boisies label. This brand took a unique approach: It formulated a potato dough like Pringles instead of slicing whole potatoes. Their recipe and shaping technique led to the formation of many air bubbles, which made the chips extra crunchy and crackly. Despite this airier texture, it's worth noting that the chip was sturdier than most chips on the market then and now. It held up when digging into dips, and you didn't have to scoop out tons of crumbs from the bottom of the bag.

O'Boisies may have kept their flavor offerings simple, but its base chip recipe was pristine. Shoppers could buy Original, Salt & Pepper, Cheddar & Sour Cream, and Cheddar & Jalapeño. There's no dramatic reason why O'Boises ceased to exist. With Frito-Lay dominating the industry back then, Keebler decided by the mid-'90s to focus on sweets instead.

What's more American than a hot dog, you may ask? Well, fried potatoes coated with hot dog flavoring may just take the cake. Herr's suspected it developed a winner when it launched this flavor in 2012 to ring in the summer when hot dog cravings are at an all-time high. This flavor certainly made one Redditor feel patriotic as they took in the chaotic beauty of the chip bag. A respondent acknowledged that America isn't perfect, but it will always be iconic because we get food creations like this.

Information about this flavor is hard to come by online, but the latest YouTube review was posted in 2016, so it seems like Herr's kept the cookout going for a handful of years. The flavor quietly disappeared from shelves, but hot dog lovers never forgot.

Food bloggers wrote favorably about this flavor and described that the chips smelled and tasted like real hot dogs. Plus, there were hints of condiments to round things out. Sure, hot dog chips may be more divisive than simple barbecue-flavored chips, but the novelty of a product like this would certainly cause bags to fly off the shelves nowadays.

Chicken tacos always hit the spot. Best of all, you can whip up some truly phenomenal tacos in less than 30 minutes. Even though this dish is easy to prepare, sometimes it's nice not to lift a finger to enjoy your favorite flavors. Believe it or not, Pringles found a way to build layers of flavors in its limited-edition Kickin' Chicken Taco chips.

One blogger noted that the first impressions are the taco seasoning and salsa with a bit of spicy kick. Once you got past that, the chicken flavor really shined. All in all, it was a delightful option on the shelf that made snack time feel more special. Pringles also debuted a Cheese Burger flavor alongside the Kickin' Chicken Taco, which also swept shoppers off their feet.

Unfortunately, Pringles marketed this product as part of its Food Truck line in 2015, when Americans couldn't get enough of food trucks. Since then, the hype has died down. If Pringles brought this flavor back without emphasizing food trucks, it might be popular enough to stand on its own merits.