Some summer barbecues are about to look a little different thanks to an unexpected twist on one of America’s favorite cookout staples: the hot dog bun.
Famed potato chip brand Pringles is putting buns front and center with new bun flavors just in time for National Hot Dog Day. Dubbed the Pringles Pop Dog Buns, the limited line of potato-based buns are infused with Pringles’ most popular flavors and adding a new flavor element to hot dog recipes.
“We wanted to take something everyone knows and completely flip it into an exciting new snackable experience,” Mauricio Jenkins, Salty Snacks Brand & Content Lead, Mars Snacking North America, said in a press release. “Our mission is to continually deliver the unexpected to our fans, which is why we’re reimagining ordinary, bland buns and transforming them into an extraordinarily flavorful experience fit for our iconic cans.”
While many recipes focus mostly on adding elements to the inside of the bun, like bacon or condiments, Pringles’ line is bringing new flavors to an otherwise overlooked element of the all-American food.
The buns come in three distinct flavors: sour cream and onion, featuring a tangy and savory taste; BBQ, offering a smoky sweetness; and Honey Mustard, offering a sweet yet bold flavor to the otherwise traditional bun. It’s not just the flavors that are getting the Pringles treatment. The bun size is also on theme. At 7.5 inches long, each bun is made to fit the brand’s iconic cylindrical cans.
The line is set to drop starting Wednesday, July 8, just in time for National Hot Dog Day—July 15. The buns will be available on the official Pringles Instagram and Facebook Shops, as well as on the company’s website. The limited edition buns will be available for free for customers buying a Pringles three-pack bundle of Sour Cream & Onion, Honey Mustard, and BBQ.
On social media, the Pringles-themed buns have not necessarily been welcomed with open arms, with many users questioning the brand’s decision to develop such a bizarre product.
“No one asked for this,” a user said on X about the announcement. Another added, “we’ve spent decades eating chips that are shaped like a curve. Now we’re supposed to eat bread shaped like a tube, coming out of a container meant for chips? Wtf!”
Many more could not tell if the announcement was real in the first place, as one user pointed out on X, “sometimes I don’t even know if it’s just a joke or it is real anymore.” Another added, “I thought April Fools had already happened.”
But others took the announcement a little more lightheartedly. “The hot dog industry just sat in a boardroom for 4 hours and came out with ‘what if the bun was a pringle,’” a user said on X. “Honestly that’s the most creative thing that’s happened in bread since sliced bread.”