'Spit-Them-Out Bad': The Discontinued Lay's Potato Chips That Had Fans Disgusted

The current oeuvre of Lay's chip flavors is filled with off-the-wall offerings from Dill Pickle to Chesapeake Bay Crab Spice. But, over the years, the chip giant has rolled out more than a few limited-time chip flavors that no one remembers anymore. In the case of one particularly unpopular snack, maybe foodies haven't forgotten it per se, but rather repressed it. Lay's Cappuccino Chips were even worse than they sound.

The brand's cappuccino-flavored chips hit grocery store shelves in 2014 as one of four finalists in the brand's "Do Us A Flavor" contest. Per the promotion, Lay's asked fans to submit chip flavor ideas, which would be voted on online for a grand prize of $1 million. The other three finalist flavors were Wasabi Ginger, Mango Salsa, and Cheddar Bacon Mac & Cheese — all of which arguably make a lot more sense than the avant-garde, sweet "cappuccino" chip. As printed on each bag, the cappuccino flavor was submitted by customer Chad Scott.

A commercial product description of the chips promised "earthy, bold espresso notes along with soft, creamy dairy and just a hint of cinnamon" (via Instacart). Per the ingredients label, the chips were dusted with "cappuccino seasoning," cinnamon, brown sugar, sea salt, butter, milk, and "natural coffee flavor." Some praised the snack for its inspired likeness to the promised cappuccino flavor and aroma, while others argued that the combination simply does not work, no matter how "true to form" its execution.

One Reddit thread maintains, "I didn't think it was possible to get any worse than the fruit-flavoured ones from the 70s, but they proved me wrong with the cappuccino ones. Those were spit-them-out bad." Another commenter jumps in to echo, "I can wholeheartedly say that the cappuccino Lay's that they put out yearsss ago were one of the worst thing I've ever eaten. You never know how much a potato tastes like a potato until you pair it with sugar and coffee." 

It's worth noting that several commenters seem open-minded to trying the unusual, gimmicky flavor. But, any budding optimism seems to have gotten dashed on the rocks once foodies actually tasted the product. Another post shares a photo of the cappuccino Lay's chips with the caption "Lay's Chips has officially gone mad," to which commenters echo, "I tried them, they're disgusting." Elsewhere online, yet another negative review of the cappuccino chips expounds, "The chips are brown and reek of cinnamon [...] Imagine eating a cut-up-potato without salt, but sugar and coffee!" Hope you like sweet chips with a bittersweet-coffee undertone and an unpleasant, lingering, almost sour aftertaste. Fortunately, the limited-time cappuccino Lay's only lasted for as long as the promotion's voting period, July 28 to October 18, 2014. The "swalty" food trend may be having a moment right now, but Lay's cappuccino chips belong where they now reside: In the past.