Lay’s Resurrects Fan-Favorite Chip Flavors From the Vault

Just in time for Halloween, Lay’s is resurrecting several dead chips from the grave. As part of its Do Us a Flavor contest, returning after a seven-year hiatus, the snack brand is bringing back five former chip flavors – Lay’s Chicken and Waffles, Cheesy Garlic Bread, Southern Biscuits and Gravy, Wavy Fried Green Tomato, and Crispy Taco – to store shelves for a limited time only.

Representing the 2012 class of the Do Us a Flavor contest, the returning Lay’s Chicken & Waffles boasts savory flavors of fried chicken with sweet waffles and maple syrup. The chip was a finalist in 2012, but Lay’s Cheesy Garlic Bread took home the win with a blend of creamy cheese and zesty garlic. The 2015 winner, Lay’s Southern Biscuits & Gravy, was inspired by a family recipe and “offers a decadent breakfast experience in chip form.” The final two returning flavors are from the 2017 competition. That year’s finalist, Lay’s Wavy Fried Green Tomato, combines the tastes of a classic southern dish with a satisfying crunch, while the 2017 winner, Lay’s Crispy Taco, “packs a fiesta of flavor with hints of ground beef, sour cream, lettuce, cheese and tomato.”

The five chip flavors are set to return for a limited-time nationwide. Fans eager to grab a bag before they return to the Flavor Vault can also enter for a chance to win an exclusive kit featuring the five returning flavors by following @lays, liking the post and commenting which flavor they are most exited to try.

Lay’s is opening the Flavor Vault and bringing the flavors back in celebration of the return of its Do Us a Flavor contest. The competition, which got its start in 2012, invites snackers to join Lay’s long history of flavor innovation by submitting their own flavor ideas, with the winning flavor not only hitting store shelves, but the creator winning a $1 million prize.

“For years, Lay’s made fans’ flavor dreams come true by turning their enthusiasm into delicious snacks for the entire nation to taste, share and enjoy,” Denise Truelove, senior vice president of marketing, PepsiCo Foods North America, said in a press release. “Since then, we’ve drawn inspiration from so many different places for our potato chip flavors – global cuisines, hometown favorites, musical genres and more – but our fans have always known best. After years of people asking for the program’s return, we’re excited to hand the reigns back to them to help us uncover the next great potato chip flavor.”

Participants can submit up to 10 unique flavor ideas daily starting on Oct. 16, at 1 p.m. ET. Once submissions close on Feb. 21, a judging panel will select three finalist flavors, which will be developed by Frito-Lay’s culinary experts and brought to market in April 2025. Snackers can then try the flavors for themselves and vote for the winning flavor, which will be announced later in 2025.