CALGARY — Food companies regularly experiment with new flavours, limited-edition releases and collaborations. Some of those experiments combine familiar products in ways consumers might not normally associate with one another.KFC's recently released chicken-flavoured cereal is one of the latest examples.But it is far from the first major brand to take a familiar flavour and put it into an unexpected food or drink.From pancake-flavoured potato chips to turkey-and-gravy soda, here are 10 unusual products that were actually released to consumers..10. Lay's x IHOP Rooty Tooty Fresh 'N Fruity ChipsPotato chips are generally associated with savoury flavours, but Lay's and IHOP took inspiration from the breakfast menu for a 2024 limited-edition release.The Rooty Tooty Fresh 'N Fruity Chips were inspired by IHOP's Rooty Tooty Fresh 'N Fruity breakfast, which features pancakes, strawberries and bacon.The resulting chips combined flavours intended to evoke strawberries, pancakes, maple syrup and bacon.The limited-edition product was sold at Walmart as part of a collaboration between Lay's and IHOP.Rather than simply adding a traditional savoury seasoning to potato chips, the companies used a breakfast dish as the inspiration for the flavour.It was one of several recent examples of food brands turning recognizable restaurant dishes into packaged snacks..9. Pepsi x PeepsIn 2021, Pepsi and Peeps collaborated on a limited-edition marshmallow-flavoured Pepsi.The partnership combined Pepsi's cola flavour with the sweet marshmallow flavour associated with Peeps, the marshmallow candy traditionally associated with Easter.The product was introduced as a spring-themed limited release and initially distributed through a Pepsi promotion.The companies later brought the flavour back for another limited release.The collaboration followed a growing trend of beverage companies creating seasonal versions of familiar drinks by incorporating flavours associated with holidays or other limited-time products.In this case, a marshmallow candy became the inspiration for a soft drink..8. French's Mustard-Flavoured SkittlesSkittles and mustard are two flavours that are not typically found together.That changed in 2023 when French's and Skittles collaborated on Mustard-Flavoured Skittles for National Mustard Day.The limited-edition candy was designed to combine the flavour of French's yellow mustard with the familiar shape and texture of Skittles.The product was distributed through promotional events and giveaways rather than being offered as a standard year-round grocery item.French's has previously used National Mustard Day to experiment with unusual mustard-based collaborations, and the Skittles partnership continued that approach.The result was a candy designed to taste like a condiment more commonly associated with hot dogs, burgers and sandwiches..7. Little Moon's Fish & Chips Mochi Ice CreamBritish food and Japanese dessert traditions came together in another unusual limited-edition product from Little Moons.The UK mochi brand created a fish-and-chips-inspired mochi ice cream, taking inspiration from one of Britain's best-known meals and putting those flavours into a frozen dessert.Mochi ice cream typically consists of ice cream wrapped in a layer of chewy rice-flour dough.For the limited-edition fish-and-chips concept, Little Moons used the traditional British takeaway as its flavour inspiration.The result combined the idea of a savoury meal with the format of a sweet frozen dessert.It was another example of a food brand using a familiar dish as the starting point for a product in an entirely different category..6. Hidden Valley Ranch Ice CreamRanch dressing has become a common condiment for everything from vegetables to chicken wings, but Hidden Valley eventually took the flavour into the dessert aisle.In 2023, Hidden Valley partnered with Van Leeuwen Ice Cream to release a ranch-flavoured ice cream.The limited-edition product incorporated ranch-associated ingredients and flavours, including buttermilk, herbs and garlic, into an ice cream base.The ice cream was released through Walmart locations in the United States for a limited time.The collaboration was part of Van Leeuwen's broader history of experimenting with unconventional ice cream flavours.For Hidden Valley, it provided an opportunity to take its recognizable ranch flavour beyond its traditional use as a dressing or dip..5. Kraft Mac & Cheese Ice CreamMacaroni and cheese became another unlikely ice cream flavour in 2021.Kraft partnered with Van Leeuwen to create a Kraft Mac & Cheese-flavoured ice cream as a limited-edition collaboration.The product used Kraft's cheese sauce mix to recreate the flavour associated with the company's boxed macaroni and cheese.The initial release consisted of approximately 6,000 pints, which reportedly sold out within about an hour.The companies subsequently brought the flavour back for additional limited releases.Unlike traditional mac and cheese, the product did not contain frozen noodles. Instead, the Kraft flavour was incorporated into the ice cream itself.The collaboration demonstrated how established food brands can use their recognizable flavours in completely different product categories..4. KD x Solly's Cream SodaCanada's Kraft Dinner entered the unusual beverage category in September 2026.Kraft Dinner partnered with Canadian craft soda company Solly's to create KD x Solly's Cream Soda, a cream soda inspired by the flavour of Kraft Dinner.The drink combines the sweetness of cream soda with a hint of KD's characteristic cheesy flavour.The collaboration is being released as a limited-edition product in Canada, with the initial online launch followed by a wider retail rollout.Rather than putting actual macaroni and cheese into a beverage, the companies used KD's recognizable flavour as the inspiration for a soda.It is another example of a familiar grocery-store product being transformed into something from an entirely different aisle..3. KFCerealKFC has now taken its signature flavour into the breakfast aisle.In September 2026, KFC UK partnered with British cereal company Surreal to release KFCereal, a savoury cereal inspired by KFC's Original Recipe chicken.The cereal is seasoned using a flavour profile based on KFC's 11 herbs and spices.There is also an unusual serving suggestion: KFC has promoted eating the cereal with gravy instead of milk.The limited-edition cereal is being sold in the UK through Surreal while supplies last.According to Surreal, a serving contains 19 grams of protein and one gram of sugar.The collaboration gives KFC a breakfast product that uses the chain's established flavour profile while presenting it in a cereal format..2. Brach's Turkey Dinner Candy CornCandy corn traditionally comes in sweet flavours associated with Halloween, but Brach's took inspiration from another holiday for a 2020 release.Brach's Turkey Dinner Candy Corn was sold as a Walgreens exclusive and featured six Thanksgiving-inspired flavours: roasted turkey, stuffing, green beans, cranberry sauce, ginger-glazed carrots and sweet potato pie.The concept was developed as a novelty product designed to recreate a Thanksgiving meal through candy.Walgreens candy buyer Brian Rinker said the concept had been discussed with Ferrara, Brach's parent company, for several years before its release.The company also experimented with a mashed-potato flavour but ultimately did not include it in the final assortment.The result was a bag of candy corn containing flavours associated with both the savoury and sweet portions of a traditional Thanksgiving meal..1. Jones Soda Turkey & Gravy SodaJones Soda has a long history of experimenting with unusual flavours, and one of its most recognizable examples came in 2003.The company released Turkey & Gravy Soda as a Thanksgiving-themed limited-edition drink.The initial release consisted of a small batch of bottles, with the product quickly attracting attention from consumers interested in trying the unusual flavour.Jones later expanded the Thanksgiving concept to include additional dinner-inspired drinks, including flavours based on mashed potatoes with butter, green bean casserole, cranberry and fruitcake.The idea was essentially to take a traditional Thanksgiving meal and reinterpret its individual flavours as beverages.While the drinks were created as novelty products rather than replacements for an actual Thanksgiving dinner, they became part of Jones Soda's history of unusual limited-edition releases.
