Lay’s is turning holiday dinner into finger food with a six-flavor drop that starts before Halloween and runs through New Year’s.
The PepsiCo-owned chip brand will release Cheddar Scalloped-Style Potatoes and Roasted Holiday Turkey flavors on Oct. 25, with a countdown timer already running on its website. A third savory option, Maple Bacon, follows on Nov. 8 for fans who want sweet-and-salty in the same crunch.
Pepsi is matching the seasonal push with its own limited-edition soda. The company unveiled Vanilla & Cream in both Original and Zero Sugar varieties, available in 12-pack cans and 20-ounce bottles.
“Pepsi has always known how to make great-tasting cola even more exciting, and our newest flavors are the latest example,” said Gustavo Reyna, vice president of marketing at Pepsi. “If you’re looking to indulge in a little treat this season, Pepsi Vanilla & Cream brings rich vanilla and smooth cream flavors to the unmistakable taste of Pepsi for something that feels nostalgic, new and undeniably delicious.”
The beverage launch precedes the chip rollout by several weeks, giving the parent company back-to-back seasonal headlines through November.
December brings the most experimental entries yet. Lay’s will debut Wavy Milk Chocolate and Wavy Dubai-Style Dark Chocolate covered potato chips on Dec. 1, marking the brand’s first chocolate-coated offerings in the Holi-LAY’S collection. Those items will start at select retailers before expanding to wider distribution in 2027.
Denise Truelove, senior vice president of marketing at PepsiCo Foods, framed the entire campaign around the Thanksgiving table itself.
“With this year’s Holi-LAY’S lineup, we’re bringing fans flavors inspired by courses on the holiday table, so they can taste the joy of the holiday season before the table has been set and after it’s been cleared,” Truelove said.
The chocolate-covered chips represent a significant departure from Lay’s traditional flavor engineering, which has typically emphasized seasoned powders and spice blends rather than candy coatings. The “Dubai-Style” dark chocolate variant nods to a Middle Eastern chocolate tradition that has gained traction in global confectionery markets.
The Oct. 25 launch date positions the initial chip flavors nearly a month ahead of Thanksgiving, giving the brand early shelf space in the crowded holiday snack category. Retail analysts typically note that Halloween-through-New-Year’s represents the most competitive window for packaged food innovation, with brands racing to capture seasonal spending before January diet resolutions kick in.
Lay’s has built its recent marketing identity around limited-time novelty flavors, using social media anticipation and countdown mechanics to drive launch-day purchases. The Holi-LAY’S name itself follows a pun-based naming convention the brand has employed for previous seasonal collections.
PepsiCo’s coordinated food-and-beverage release strategy mirrors tactics used by rival Coca-Cola, which has increasingly paired its flagship soda with snack partnerships and seasonal flavor extensions. The Zero Sugar option for Vanilla & Cream acknowledges continued consumer demand for reduced-calorie alternatives even during indulgent holiday periods.
The company did not disclose specific pricing or full retailer lists for the December chocolate chip launch, noting only that availability would broaden in 2027.
PepsiCo will release the Cheddar Scalloped-Style Potatoes and Roasted Holiday Turkey Lay’s flavors on Oct. 25.