Will We Ever Know Why Pringles Discontinued Its Jalapeño Flavor?
Pringles has had a long history with jalapeño flavoring. The brand may have first started experimenting with it circa 2005 when Jalapeño Pringles were released as a limited-time offering before eventually adding it to the permanent lineup. Not long after, Pringles would go on to introduce a similar Jalapeño Cheddar variety, and in 2012, a Mild Jalapeño Cheddar flavor came out. Meanwhile, 2015 saw the release of Jalapeño Bacon Pringles. Finally, in 2018, Pringles added a Fire Roasted Jalapeño flavor as part of its line of wavy chips.
Unfortunately, none of these Jalapeño Pringles flavors are produced anymore. Fans of the spicy chips began noticing them quietly disappearing from shelves in early 2022. It wasn't until 2023 that Pringles made mention of discontinuation, responding to a customer's tweet speculating about it. "That flavor has been discontinued. We're really sorry for the inconvenience," Pringles shared in the brief tweet. Fans followed up the brand's response with questions about what flavor would be replacing it, or why it was discontinued in the first place, but Pringles did not reveal any other details. AllRecipes was able to get ahold of Pringles via phone, but the brand declined to provide further explanation for the discontinuation. Considering how tight-lipped the company has been on the matter, we may never know the full story of why all the Jalapeño Pringles were pulled from shelves after so many years.
What we know about the discontinuation of Jalapeño Pringles
Based on what a Pringles representative told AllRecipes, the only thing we know for sure about the Jalapeño Pringles is that the wavy Fire Roasted variety was officially discontinued in December 2022. Because you can still technically get your hands on the original Jalapeño Pringles online as part of a snack-sized variety pack, it's likely that these were discontinued after the Fire Roasted Jalapeño ones. It's hard to pinpoint exactly when, but the Jalapeño Cheddar Pringles were likely the first of the Jalapeño Pringle flavors to be discontinued. The most recent review of the cheesy, spicy chips was seemingly back in 2014, and in a 2020 episode of Good Mythical Morning, where hosts Rhett and Link tried currently available popular Pringles flavors, only Jalapeño and Fire Roasted Jalapeño were mentioned.
As for why Pringles decided to discontinue every single Jalapeño flavor, the only clue the brand has offered comes from the company's marketing lead Mauricio Jenkins. "Creating insanely accurate fiery flavors continues to be a priority for Pringles as we know our fans love spicy snacks," he told Today. "While Pringles Jalapeño has been discontinued, snacking fans can continue to enjoy our expansive Scorchin' lineup with a variety of fiery flavors." This could mean that Pringles discontinued the jalapeño flavors in order to make room for upgraded flavors.
Chances of a Jalapeño Pringles comeback
Pringles does have a track record of reviving discontinued flavors. For example, after customers on social media rallied for a comeback of the Honey Mustard Pringles, the brand actually listened. However, despite Jalapeño Pringles being a beloved choice for many years, unfortunately Pringles has already confirmed to AllRecipes that the company is not planning to do the same with its Jalapeño Pringles. Therefore it's probably not the best idea to hold out hope for a future return.
Given the abundance of other spicy Pringles flavors like Enchilada Adobada and Chili Lime, it's unlikely Pringles will change its mind about this decision. In 2022, Pringles did release a red jalapeño and habanero-flavored variety that was available for a limited time, so another jalapeño flavor could always come back temporarily at some point. However, it's safe to say it won't be the original Jalapeño flavors that were discontinued for reasons which still remain unclear.