14 Discontinued Lay's Chips Flavors That Need To Come Back

Snack companies are relentless in their pursuit of offering as many flavors as they possibly can, and Lay's is no different. Over the years, these delectable chips have come in dozens upon dozens of unique flavors , which complement the old faithfuls that you've come to know and love. However, naturally, not all of these flavors are destined to succeed.

Some of them just didn't have the mass appeal to be anything more than a fad or a marketing gimmick, while some of them just, well, sucked. Sadly, though, plenty of flavors that Lay's has released have been absolutely dynamite. Yet, the company has still cruelly snatched them from shelves before they really had time to develop a fan base.



These flavors have become the stuff of internet legend, with bloggers and message board users exchanging fond memories of their favorite Lay's chips and begging the company to bring them back. Will it listen? Well, until it does, we're putting our flag in the sand with our personal favorites, which we really need to try one more time. 1.

Lay's Pico de Gallo Pico de gallo is one of our favorite accompaniments to chips out there: Few things are better than spooning up a pile on a crunchy, salty chip, and enjoying that mind-blowing combo of flavors and textures. Lay's clearly thought that it could improve on perfection by combining the two into one food. The result was Lay's Pico de Gallo chips, which hit shelves in the mid-2010s.

The first thing that was notable about these chips was their vibrant red appearance, which was flecked with spots of green, evidently to emulate the appearance of salsa. It's fair to say that Lay's subverted expectations with its flavor here. Although folks could well have assumed that these red chips tasted like standard salsa, they instead had an herb-forward flavor, with a kick of cilantro in the aftertaste.

There was also a slight spiciness to each chip, though they weren't especially hot. What stood out most was the unexpected complexity of Lay's Pico de Gallo's flavor, and when you combine that with generously sized chips, these things kinda rocked. Sadly, though, Lay's didn't seem to think so — and it soon decided to discontinue its Pico de Gallo flavor for good.

2. Lay's Southern Biscuits & Gravy It seems like nothing will stop chip companies from cramming unexpected flavors into their products. If you need any proof of this, look no further than Lay's Southern Biscuits & Gravy, a flavor that it introduced to an unsuspecting market back in 2015.

To be fair, this wasn't entirely Lay's fault: The flavor was the brainchild of Indiana resident Hailey Green, who submitted the idea to Lay's "Do Us a Flavor" contest. The prospect of biscuits and gravy in a potato chip was clearly too tempting for some, and the Southern Biscuits & Gravy won out. We're not sure how Lay's managed to make a chip that actually tasted like biscuits and gravy, but they did.

Having said this, these chips seemed to divide opinion among those who got to try them. Some loved the Southern Biscuits & Gravy flavor, with full threads on internet message boards featuring multiple comments about how much folks adored them. Others were less impressed, complaining of an overly porky flavor and questioning whether that flavor profile really needed to be in a chip in the first place.

As these chips were only really ever destined to be limited-edition, we're not too surprised that they didn't stick around for long. 3. Lay's Fiery Habanero Give us a spicy chip and we're in heaven.

In our opinion, you can never have too many varieties on the market — which is why we're so devastated that Lay's Fiery Habanero flavor is no longer around. This product was rolled out around 2018, and people were immediately impressed with it. These chips provided a good amount of lingering heat, and folks were happy with how much spice was incorporated into a mainstream product.

There was also a nice smokiness to each chip, and a powerful punch of salt that worked to set the flavor alight. It seems like habanero-flavored chips are the kind of thing that people readily crave, so it was kind of weird when Lay's discontinued them for no apparent reason. Interestingly, though, it didn't seem like Lay's was totally done with its habanero options just yet.

In 2024, the company rolled out a habanero-flavored chip in its Global Flavors collection, and did so with barely any fanfare or buildup. Sadly, these didn't stick around for very long either, and these kettle-cooked chips were also removed from shelves. Maybe the third time's the charm, guys? 4.

Lay's Cheesy Garlic Bread Okay. Now we're talking. In our opinion, Lay's struck solid gold when it introduced its Cheesy Garlic Bread flavor to the world.

Taking the timeless flavor of garlic bread and putting it in a chip was a move no one was expecting, but in 2013 Lay's did just that when the flavor became a finalist in its "Do Us a Flavor" competition. With this flavor, Lay's did the things it needed to do right: These chips were pleasingly cheesy, and they also had a good kick of garlic to them. Their taste profile was exactly what you'd expect, and although they didn't quite have the punch of the other finalists in the competition (the Cheesy Garlic Bread flavor was up against a sriracha-flavored option), they still really hit the spot.

So it was a sad day when Lay's decided that these chips should be discontinued. The "Do Us a Flavor" options never stick around for long, but come on — garlic bread flavor in chips? How could you possibly fail with that one? Lay's offered its customers a glimmer of hope in 2024 when it brought its Cheesy Garlic Bread flavor back for Sam's Club shoppers. However, it only stuck around for a limited time before it was removed from stores once more.

5. Lay's BLT Sandwich Sandwiches and chips are obviously no strangers to each other: They can be served alongside one another, and chips can make a seriously delicious sandwich filling. However, sandwich-flavored chips are a little less common.

In 2023, Lay's decided it was time to change that, and its BLT Sandwich flavor hit stores. These chips were released at the same time as two other sandwich-flavored chips, the Wavy Cuban Sandwich flavor and the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich flavor, so it's clear that someone at Lay's was really trying to make this new innovation happen. So how did they stack up flavor-wise? Pretty well, actually! These chips were (perhaps predictably) pretty heavy on the bacon, and they wisely didn't try to make them taste too much like lettuce or tomato, which probably would have ruined them.

Although folks could argue that they should have had some of these other flavor elements, they were far from a bad chip. It's perhaps not hugely surprising that these chips didn't last very long in the competitive snack space, but in 2024, Lay's shocked customers when it brought them back for another spin, this time as part of its "Flavor That Hits Home" release. Its BLT Sandwich flavor was meant to represent the East Coast and, of course, the mysterious BLT .

Sadly, these were also released on a limited-edition basis. 6. Lay's Chicken & Waffles Look, there's no getting around it: Some chip flavors are just plain weird.

You don't have to look far beyond the Lay's Chicken & Waffles flavor as a testament to this. This product was introduced by Lay's during yet another of its flavor contests, and it's fair to say that it was pretty gimmicky — and it's hardly shocking that it didn't stick around for very long during its first run. This is kind of a shame, though, because as chip flavors go, Lay's Chicken & Waffles was utterly unique.

The waffle flavor was the strongest note in these chips, with the chicken flavor more of a subtle undertone that stopped them from tasting too salty or intense. Not overly like chicken and waffles it seems, but the bottom line was that they tasted surprisingly good, and despite the wackiness of the flavor, they were pretty moreish. Lay's definitely knew that it had something eye-catching on its hands with this one, and while its first release wasn't especially lengthy, it saw fit to bring them back in both 2016 and 2020.

Customers weren't universally pleased with their comeback, but some people out there were thrilled. 7. Lay's Kettle Cooked Indian Tikka Masala We're always a pretty big fan of curry-flavored chips, and so we were thrilled when Lay's brought out its Kettle Cooked Indian Tikka Masala flavor back in 2016.

These chips were released as part of Lay's "Passport to Flavor" contest, with other varieties including a Chinese Szechuan Chicken flavor and a Wavy Greek Tzatziki option. It's fair to say that the Indian Tikka Masala flavor was probably the most mainstream of them all, and they had the added benefit of tasting pretty darn good. Lay's managed to combine a good level of heat and a nice spice complexity in these chips, which made them both interesting and intense.

Perhaps more impressive was the accuracy of the tikka masala flavor itself, which actually tasted like the real thing. However, while these chips clearly had a pretty wide appeal, apparently it wasn't enough to make them a full-time option in the Lay's product range. The Indian Tikka Masala flavor didn't last long, and along with the other "Passport to Flavor" options, they soon disappeared.

There's still time for a comeback, Lay's! 8. Lay's Wavy Cuban Sandwich Every now and again we feel like snack companies are running out of ideas, and if you need evidence of this, we present the Lay's Wavy Cuban Sandwich flavor. Don't get us wrong, we love a Cuban sandwich as much as the next person, but we'd never think to put its flavor in a potato chip (we guess that's why we don't work at Lay's, though).

These chips were designed to have the same porky, cheesy flavors of a Cuban sandwich, and their crinkle cut gave them a nice textural variation. While these chips didn't change the world with their flavor, they still managed to stand out. The porky notes in them were quite impressive, and they also had a nice kick of mustard and pickles, which gave them an unexpected complexity.

The cheese, meanwhile, wasn't too overpowering, and had a Swiss-like taste that kept things mellow and easygoing. Unfortunately, the Lay's Wavy Cuban Sandwich flavor was always going to be too niche to earn a permanent spot on shelves, but we wouldn't be surprised if the company brought it back at some point in the future. We hope so, anyway! 9.

Lay's Crispy Taco Why have a crispy taco when you can have a chip that tastes just like one? That's clearly the mindset that Lay's was working with when it unleashed its Crispy Taco flavor on an unsuspecting public. This flavor was the winner of Lay's 2017 "Do Us a Flavor" contest, with Ellen Sarem, the San Antonio, Texas, woman who proposed the idea, winning $1 million as a result. The flavor went up against Everything Bagel With Cream Cheese and Fried Green Tomato options, but it was the Crispy Taco idea that stood out.

Now, obviously, a Crispy Taco flavor chip sounds a little weird — but against the odds, this product rocked. Customers who tried these chips absolutely adored them, with one customer who purchased them at Walmart reviewing them in glowing terms. "These are amazing.

All the layers are there. I have never experienced anything like it! Taco shell, burger, lettuce, tomato and sour cream ..

. It is all there! Wow!" they wrote. Praise doesn't come much higher than that.

Lay's clearly knew it had a winner on its hands, and while these chips didn't stick around for very long in 2017, they've been brought back a few times since, including in 2024. 10. Lay's Cool Guacamole Lay's tendency toward trying out funky flavors isn't something the company has developed in the past few years.

It's been innovating with its chips for decades, and its Cool Guacamole flavor is one relatively early example of this. These chips came out in 2003, and when they did, people really grew fond of them. Despite guacamole and chips generally going together when they're separate, here the combination of avocado and potato went together nicely.

There was also a surprising (but very gratifying) hint of spice in these chips, which stopped them from tasting too earthy or flat. Scent-wise, they had a slight note of guacamole, but they largely had a standard chip smell that stopped them from smelling off-putting or strange. The bright green bag they came in was also an eye-catching touch.

Sadly, though, it seems as though people just weren't ready to have guacamole-flavored chips around all the time. Lay's soon took them off the market, and they've become a distant memory. You can still get your guacamole fix with your chips by mashing up some avocado and dipping them into it, though.

11. Lay's Garden Tomato and Basil Chip companies tend to give us new flavors that lean toward the wild and weird, so honestly, it's really nice when they keep things simple and classy. This was the case with Lay's Garden Tomato and Basil flavor, which was released back in the 2010s.

These chips promised delectable Mediterranean flavors in each bite, and they seemed to have delivered on that front. People absolutely adored these chips, with some folks noting that they had an almost pizza-like flavor. Folks also praised the freshness of their tomato flavor, which gave them a zesty quality, and the vegetable notes underneath it.

Lay's saw fit to remove its Garden Tomato and Basil flavor from stores eventually, and that really did upset a fair few people. To this day, individuals online talk about how much they loved this flavor, and Lay's has had to field social media messages asking when it's bringing it back. Currently it doesn't look like Lay's has any plans to make its Garden Tomato and Basil flavor a permanent fixture, but judging by how strongly people feel about it, it'd be smart to think about bringing it back for good.

12. Lay's Wavy Roasted Garlic & Sea Salt Sometimes, the simplest chip flavors are the best — and back in 2013, Lay's attempted to change the chip market with a new, easygoing flavor. Lay's Wavy Roasted Garlic & Sea Salt chips combined the mellowness and caramelization of cooked garlic with a pop of saltiness and a surprising hint of spice that provided a slight kick.

These chips also had a slight creaminess to them that made them somewhat reminiscent of sour cream and chive-flavored options out there, but with a classy, distinguishing edge from the roasted garlic. As a result, these chips should have been a winner: Their flavor was relatively unchallenging yet complex, their ridged dimensions gave them slightly more bite, and they didn't exactly break the bank. However, they weren't destined to be a long-term option.

Lay's Wavy Roasted Garlic and Sea Salt chips were soon discontinued, and they haven't made it back to stores since. 13. Lay's Philly Cheesesteak Chip companies absolutely love to cram left-field flavors into bags of crispy potatoes.

When it debuted in 2020, Lay's Philly Cheesesteak flavor was one of its wildest offerings yet. Lay's sought to bring a little bit of light and flavor into a world grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Philly Cheesesteak option was one of five new varieties based on popular restaurant dishes, including a New York-Style Pizza flavor, a Carnitas Street Taco flavor, and a Nashville Hot Chicken flavor. Each of the options was inspired by specific restaurants, with the Philly Cheesesteak option based on the taste of the sandwiches at popular Philadelphia sandwich shop Geno's Steaks.

Now, it's fair to say that an out-there flavor like this one has a lot of potential to go drastically wrong. So imagine everyone's surprise when Lay's Philly Cheesesteak flavor actually tasted like the sandwich it was based on. Although reviewers noted that the initial flavor hit of the first chip was a little weird, as things developed, the cheesesteak taste was both undeniable and uncanny.

However, despite defying expectations, these chips were never going to be a firm fixture in the Lay's product line, and they were discontinued. Come on, Lay's: Bring them back just one more time. 14.

Lay's Cheddar Bacon Mac & Cheese Some folks like their chips to have a simple flavor profile; others like their chips to be as maximalist as they come. People who fall into the latter camp would definitely have loved Lay's Cheddar Bacon Mac & Cheese flavor. These chips were part of Lay's "Do Us a Flavor" contest back in 2014, when they competed with other flavors such as Wasabi Ginger, Mango Salsa, and (pass us a sick bucket) Cappuccino.

Thankfully, it was the Cheddar Bacon Mac & Cheese option that eventually made it to market. We can't say we're not thrilled — we're not hugely keen on coffee-flavored potatoes. Lay's Cheddar Bacon Mac & Cheese chips promised cheddar, and they certainly delivered.

Folks found that the cheddar scent and flavor in each chip was strong, while the bacon flavor was way subtler at first. Throw in the always-appealing promise of mac and cheese (which wasn't hugely discernible here), and the company was onto a winner. Amazingly, these chips stuck around for two years before Lay's discontinued them, though they briefly came back in 2019 as a Sam's Club exclusive.

There's every chance that they'll show up again at some point, so keep your eyes peeled..