Lay's Releases IHOP-Inspired Strawberry Pancake Potato Chips

Potato chips aren't necessarily a snack food that is often associated with breakfast, but Lay's is flipping the switch with its newest product, which just so happens to be a collaboration with IHOP. Lay's x IHOP Rooty Tooty Fresh 'N Fruity chips are inspired by one of the restaurant's signature menu offerings, the Rooty Tooty Fresh 'N Fruity pancakes, which returned to the menu in 2023 in honor of the chain's 65th anniversary. The flavor of this new snack food evokes all the deliciousness of the syrupy pancakes, strawberries, and bacon that can be found in an order of the popular flapjacks.

Walmart is the only place to buy a bag of these fruity chips, beginning February 27 for a limited time and selling for $2.48 for a nearly 3-ounce bag. This collaborative product follows on the heels of another new release from Lay's. The company's previous launch, Sweet and Spicy Honey flavored potato chips, premiered the previous week. 

The new Lay's x IHOP Rooty Tooty Fresn 'N Fruity potato chips have been in development for at least a month. Lay's first hinted at the possible joint effort in an Instagram post on January 31. "Would you try this fake flavor, or... is it fake?" the company teased. Although this product marks the first partnership between IHOP and Lay's, IHOP has been making a habit of creative collaborations as of late.

In 2023, IHOP teamed up with Kraft-Heinz to produce three uniquely flavored coffee roasts. That collaboration followed on the heels of a 2022 creative partnership with General Mills to produce mini pancake breakfast cereal. Those collaborations set the stage for IHOP's partnership with Lay's to innovate new potato chip flavors. The success of this latest venture will depend on how consumers respond. Reactions have already started to appear on social media and are mainly positive among those who have tried the snack. "Just tried em today! Was really surprised at how good they were," noted one commenter on Instagram.