Reviewing the year’s oddest flavor combinations and most unusual product applications.
Nestle USA, Inc.’s frozen pizza brand DiGiorno expanded its product line with a limited-edition offering. Inspired by online discussions surrounding controversial pizza toppings, the DiGiorno Pineapple Pickle pizza combined two of social media’s most divisive ingredients, according to the company. The product featured hand-tossed crust, a layering of garlic sauce and mozzarella cheese with sliced dill pickles on one half and pineapple chunks on the other.
Doritos, a brand from PepsiCo, Inc.’s Frito-Lay division, partnered with Empirical to debut a limited-edition Empirical x Doritos Nacho Cheese Spirit. The alcoholic beverage, which “offers a multi-sensorial, delicious beverage experience that smells and tastes just like the real thing,” was created through a production process using real Doritos chips and retaining their essence through vacuum distillation, according to the company.
“Doritos is all about disrupting culture and bringing our fans unexpected, bold experiences,” said Tina Mahal, senior vice president of marketing for Frito-Lay North America. “We're always pushing our fans to try new things, so we figure it’s time we disrupt the spirits category by offering our iconic nacho cheese flavor in a bottle.”
First introduced in 2021, PepsiCo, Inc.’s Pepsi brand partnered with Peeps to bring back the seasonal Peeps-flavored soda. The limited-edition soda featured PepsiCo’s cola, paired with the Peeps marshmallow flavor. Pepsi x Peeps soda was available in 7.5-oz mini-can multipacks, and 20-oz bottles.
Frito-Lay North America, a division of Purchase, NY-based PepsiCo, Inc., commemorated the 75th anniversary of its Cheetos brand with the release of Cheetos-flavored birthday cakes. Developed in collaboration with Milk Bar, a baking company based in New York, the limited-edition cake offers a mashup of sweet and savory flavors. The product features rainbow-flecked cake laced with Cheetos and multiple layers of frosting infused with Cheetos seasoning, with a decorative topping of sprinkles and Cheetos crumbs.
Van Leeuwen’s run of eclectic ice cream flavors continued when the brand announced the launch of Hidden Valley Ranch ice cream. The ice cream maker shared that the ranch dressing flavor, released in honor of National Ranch Day, featured buttermilk, herbs and “a touch of sweetness,” formulated to complement salty snacks.
Meal kit company HelloFresh brought back its Buddy the Elf spaghetti meal kits, inspired by the movie “Elf.” The holiday kit includes Colavita spaghetti, along with sweet toppings like maple syrup, chocolate syrup, marshmallows, chocolate nonpareil sandies and chocolate frosted pastries.
IHOP launched Pancake Tacos, a series of sweet and savory flavor mashups, nationwide. The limited-time offerings were developed following the successful test run of IHOP’s Choco-Pancake, a breakfast twist on the Choco Taco, in 2022. Available in strawberry cheesecake, caramel banana, and country chicken and gravy varieties, the tacos were featured on menus through July 30.
Baskin-Robbins debuted its November flavor of the month: Turkey Day Fixin’s. The limited-edition flavor included a mix of sweet potato and autumn spice ice creams, with honey cornbread pieces and swirls of Ocean Spray cranberry sauce.
Coffee mate added a peanut butter and jelly flavor to its Duo line. The coffee creamer featured a salty peanut butter flavor combined with strawberry jelly.
Plant-based jerky company All Y’alls Foods introduced its first new flavor in five years: cinnamon churro. Inspired by the flavors from Texas and Mexico, the jerky features a blend of cinnamon and sugar.
“Creating these flavors is akin to storytelling for us,” said Brett Christoffel, founder and chief executive officer of All Y'alls Foods. “You're not just getting a snack when you taste our cinnamon churro jerky. You're diving into the history, geography, and ethos of Texas Big Bend Country. We have more new flavors to share in 2024.”
Sour Punch, a brand from the American Licorice Co., introduced a spooky take on its candy straws: Ghost Pepper Roulette. The Ghost Pepper Roulette straws featured four flavors: raspberry, cherry, grape and ghost pepper, all of which were the same color.
“After the incredible response to our April Fool’s Day release of Sour Punch Pickle Roulette, we knew we had to up the ante,” said Kyle Stout, senior product manager at for Sour Punch. “This time, we’ve found the perfect blend of sweet and heat, delivering just enough spice to make sure you know you’ve picked the ghost pepper straw.”
Spring has sprung—with new sandwiches.
New product introductions tap into trending consumer flavors.