REVIEW: Funyuns Sour Cream & Funyuns

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Initially released in 1969, Funyuns remained entirely unchanged from its cornmeal and onion powder origins for over thirty years until several short limited runs like Wasabi and Chili & Limon surfaced during the 2000s. Now, the circular snack can be found with the original ’69 flavor profile, as well as Flamin’ Hot, Spicy Queso, and my favorite: Steakhouse Onion. Yet, over 50 years since the chips’ inception, we get possibly the most on-the-nose and least outside-the-box limited release in recent memory — Sour Cream & Funyuns.

While it may not be the most creative of concepts, I enjoy the simplicity of this idea. Oftentimes, new flavor twists, especially from other Frito Lay brands like Doritos, are meant to wallop you over the head with flavor, and this one aims to combine the onion with the onion in perfect seasoning-meets-form-factor harmony — and it works!

Sour cream and onion is one of the most popular potato chip seasoning choices, so it’s no surprise that it works really well on an onion-shaped circle of corn meal. Looking at the rings, you can tell immediately that these aren’t your grandma’s summer of love Funyuns. These have little green specs and an even more prominent funky flavor aroma than the original, and the simple mashup delivers delicious results.

The airy crunch is the same as always, starting with a sweet onion that then evolves into a bit of garlic and finishes with a legitimate sour cream tang. That tangy flavor absolutely stacks when eating more rings, and the sour bite lingers for a couple of minutes afterward. This is essentially 75% of the Funyuns you already love (or hate) with a touch more bite and a creamy finish, which, for me, is a subtle but effective improvement on the original.

While I may never love Funyuns in the way that I do Fritos, Doritos, Cheetos, or any other fried corn delight, Sour Cream & Funyuns constructs the ideal seasoning setup for this spherical snack to contend with the big boys of the Frito Lay brand.

Purchased Price: $2.69
Size: 2 oz bag
Purchased at: 7-Eleven
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (13 pieces, 28g) 130 calories, 6 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 150 milligrams of sodium, 19 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 0 grams of total sugars, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Cheetos Crunchy Flamin’ Hot Dill Pickle

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There are pickle-flavored things EVERYWHERE.

In the same way that the early 2000s brought us bacon-flavored everything, it seems we’re in the middle of a pickle-flavored time period. Perhaps capitalizing on the TikTok trend of dipping a pickle into cream cheese and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, Frito Lay has recently launched Cheetos Crunchy Flamin’ Hot Dill Pickle.

Like its original Flamin’ Hot brethren, this snack is an enticing fire engine red color courtesy of Red 40 Lake and Yellow 6 Lake. I was half expecting to see little dill flakes here and there but my eyes didn’t pick up on any.

Although the bag provided a hefty waft of undeniable pickle scent upon opening, I couldn’t tell from the ingredient list if vinegar or dill were actually added or if they were swept up under the “Natural Flavors” or “Spices” ingredient declarations.

But WHOA, these do taste like pickles. The overwhelming flavor is brine-y vinegar with a lingering dill aftertaste. The heat from the Flamin’ Hot “cheetle” is absolutely in the mix as well. In fact, the vinegar flavor’s acidity and the heat compound on each other, which give these Flamin’ Hot Cheetos another sensory experience from the O.G. Flamin’ Hot. For many minutes after I was done eating, the tingling sensation of the spice hung on to my pallet, along with an intense dill and garlic flavor.

If I could make any critique at all, it would be that the brine and acidic flavors overpower any cheese flavor or dairy notes from getting through at all. This is a hot, zingy snack. There’s almost no detectable cheese. I’m saying this as someone who prefers the undeniably cheesy Flamin’ Hot Queso Ruffles. But that’s a personal preference.

Overall, I’d say Cheetos Crunchy Flamin’ Hot Dill Pickle really nailed a cultural moment on the nose. It successfully combined the expectations of Flamin’ Hot with the tang of a dill pickle brine.

Purchased Price: 2 for $7 (on sale)
Size: 8.5 oz bag
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (About 21 pieces) 150 Calories, 10 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 140 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, less than 1 gram of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Lay’s All Dressed Potato Chips

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Frito Lay should offer All Dressed potato chips all the time here in the US. No. Wait. That’s not correct. Let me rephrase that. To be more specific, Ruffles All Dressed Potato Chips should be available all the time here in the US.

While these new Lay’s All Dressed Potato Chips are worthwhile, they have further convinced me that the Ruffles version should be the be-all and end-all carrier of Canada’s cherished chip seasoning when it comes to Frito Lay potato chip options. It’s exactly like how Ruffles Cheddar & Sour Cream is superior to Lay’s Cheddar & Sour Cream Potato Chips. Ruffles have r-r-ridges that make them r-r-really r-r-recommendable over the r-r-regular-r-r and Kettle Cooked All-Dr-r-ressed chips. Sorry, I got carried away with the rolling Rs.

About a decade ago, Ruffles All Dressed was a regular flavour and was around for a few years, if I remember correctly. But all of a sudden, it disappeared from shelves. And then all hell broke loose with those who loved those chips. No, the Kettle Cooked All Dressed Potato Chips from 2023 was not an adequate replacement, and neither is this new chip.

The level of seasoning these chips have isn’t a kaboom, like what I remember the Ruffles version having. Instead, it’s more like a pew pew. The bag describes the All Dressed flavour as being a combination of all our favorite Lay’s flavours. There’s a savoriness like Sour Cream & Onion, a tanginess like Salt & Vinegar, and a sweetness like Barbecue. However, I remember the Ruffles version having a stronger tanginess and having a unique savory, tangy, and sweet flavour. This Lay’s lean too heavily towards barbecue, which, well, makes them taste too similar to Lay’s Barbecue Potato Chips.

All in all, there’s no doubt I’ll be finishing the bag of these Lay’s All Dressed Potato Chips. They’re fine, but I’d be all for it if Ruffles All Dressed returned to the US.

Purchased Price: $6.29
Size: 7 3/4 oz bag
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (about 16 chips/28g) 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 140 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Doritos Golden Sriracha

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A few years ago — or you know, a decade or so ago (time is a construct which escapes me) — sriracha was the flavor du jour. Mad food scientists in R&D for all the big food conglomerates were busy sticking the angry chili sauce in all of their products. McDonald’s did it. Taco Bell did it. Cheez-It and Pringles imbued their respective crackers and crisps with the much-beloved condiment.

Heck, even Doritos traveled down this road in 2019 with its Screamin’ Sriracha offering.

And so, a scant five years later and apparently running low on ideas, they’re back in an attempt to reignite snackers’ passion for the spicy sauce. Is this new version any different? And in a world packed with choices hoping to capture your snacking dollar, are they worth a go?

Well, the answer to the first question is a definite, “I don’t know, but it certainly looks that way?” I didn’t have the first iteration (I honestly don’t even recall seeing them in my area), but looking at pictures from our very own review five years back, the initial Sriracha Doritos were, well, “screamin’.” Violently red and absolutely blasted with seasoning, this was a very different chip.

The 2025 variant, by comparison, is a soft yellow color with mild, minimal seasoning specks. And, truth be told, it’s a pretty mild flavoring overall. If you’re familiar with sriracha, you know the drill — tangy, a bit vinegary, a little garlicky background, and the heat. This chip captures the tang pretty well — a sweet, ketchup-like zing — but I’m afraid it misses a lot of the nuanced undertones that make sriracha work so well. There’s a bit of vinegar, sure, but it’s slight. I don’t notice anything of a garlic nature. The heat kicks in on the back end of the first chip and is milder than the eponymous sauce, so if you can tolerate at least the teensiest bit of heat, these should pose no problem.

In the end, I found myself wishing these chips were just more. More seasoned. More fiery. More interesting. As it stands, if you’re looking for heat, you’d be better served choosing from Doritos Flamin’ Hot versions. And if you’re looking for a Doritos with sriracha flavor, might I suggest applying actual sriracha sauce to a regular Doritos chip? Because if you’ve never done that, you should.

Purchased Price: $3.00
Size: 9.25 oz
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (28 g) 140 calories, 7 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 150 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, less than 1 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Cheese Pizza Cheetos Puffs

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Cheese pizza-flavored Cheetos Puffs? Why not? I like Cheetos. I like pizza. Two great tastes that taste great together?

Kind of.

As soon as I opened the bag, I was walloped with the familiar scent of Cheetos, layered beneath a hint of tomato and a punch of basil.

Basil, you ask? Yep, I was equally as confused. Unless I’m ordering a margherita pizza, I don’t typically expect basil to be among the predominant flavors in my pizza, especially not a cheese pizza, which by its very nature is assumed to be pretty basic, right? And yet, its presence was undeniable. Basil just feels a bit too “fancy” for lack of a better term.

Appearance wise, these are puffy Cheetos, the same ones you’ve come to know and love… just a hint redder in their orange-ness. Never fear, though! They will leave your fingers equally cheese dusted.

And now for the part you’ve all been waiting for… how did they taste?

Exactly like they smell: Cheetos, with a hint of tomato and a heavy pinch of basil for some reason. The basil flavor really does steal the show, edging out the tomatoes and even the cheese to take center stage. Now, I don’t have anything against basil, but it really feels out of place here. Maybe if they’d been called Margherita Pizza Cheetos Puffs, or even just Pizza Cheetos Puffs, it wouldn’t seem so… wrong. I feel like calling them specifically “Cheese Pizza Cheetos Puffs” and featuring a slice of pizza on the bag with not a hint of green in sight misaligned my expectations.

I was hoping for a fond callback to my beloved Keebler Pizzarias Cheese Pizza flavored chips (RIP), instead I got some cheese, some tomato sauce, and a whole lotta basil to drown them out.

Purchased Price: $5.39
Size: 8 oz bag
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 150 calories, 10 grams of total fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 150 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of total carbs, less than 1 gram of dietary fiber, 1 gram of total sugar, and 2 grams of protein.