Final week, I began off the Taste Swap assessment sequence with Madison Beer and her Candy Southern Warmth BBQ Cheetos. Whereas I used to be lower than impressed with the outcomes, I had excessive hopes for the Ruffles potato chips. Potato chips have been used as a automobile for all types of eclectic flavors over time, and Cool Ranch is without doubt one of the hottest Doritos flavors on the market. Might combining the 2 probably create a taste variation that was something however scrumptious? That’s what I got down to uncover.
Inside The Taste Swap Sequence
The Taste Swap is a 2026 collaboration between PepsiCo Meals and Gen-Z influencers to be able to create limited-edition snack mashups. Whereas Madison Beer put Lay’s Candy Southern Warmth BBQ seasoning on Cheetos Crunchy and iShowSpeed put Ruffles Cheddar & Bitter Cream seasoning on Doritos, Dude Excellent’s made a mashup of Doritos Cool Ranch and Ruffles, placing the enduring tangy, herby seasoning of Cool Ranch Doritos on the thick, ridged texture of a Ruffles potato chip.
The chips had been first launched on the TikTok store in February 2026 earlier than hitting nationwide grocery retailer chains like Safeway, Walmart, and Kroger in March 2026. Keen followers have additionally been scoring them on Amazon, though the value is far larger than you’ll discover in a median grocery retailer.
Dude Excellent Scores Main Factors With This Mashup
As a substitute of breaking down the diet details – they’re mainly simply potato chips with added seasoning, in any case – let’s get straight to the assessment! The excellent news is that the Ruffles potato chip texture is spot-on. When you had been the form of child consuming these chips at yard barbecues and vacation events, you then gained’t be upset. They weren’t greasy. They weren’t flimsy. That they had the identical form of construction that you’d count on from a Ruffles chip, with textures and ridges that make it nice for dipping. To deal with the Taste Swap side of this style check, I made a decision to not use any dip for these chips, however the possibility is there!
As for the style itself, I might have instructed you that these had been Bitter Cream and Onion potato chips if I had been blindfolded. The Cool Ranch side simply tastes proper on a Dorito, and I’m unsure if the potato chip was the correct automobile for this taste. I truly suppose Cool Ranch Cheetos would have been a greater solution to go, since there would have been a bit extra of that basic Cheeto-powder mud (hopefully).
Madison Beer vs. Dude Excellent: Who Made The Higher Chip Mashup?
In my final movie star meals style check, I used to be upset with Madison Beer’s Candy Warmth BBQ Cheetos as a result of I used to be anticipating a bit of little bit of that basic Cheetos cheese taste with the addition of a candy BBQ. Sadly, as I acknowledged in my assessment, there was little to no cheese mud on these. The candy BBQ taste got here via, however the warmth didn’t. General, they had been a giant cross for me.
Trying on the two taste mixtures facet by facet, I’m going to offer the win to the Cool Ranch potato chips. When you can solely go to the shop and seize one snack, then the potato chips will most definitely have extra mass attraction whereas the delicate Cool Ranch tang could have everybody asking, “What taste IS that?” Individuals who love Cheetos and the scrumptious, sticky Cheetos mud can be upset by the dearth of it and could also be postpone by the candy BBQ taste, which, to me, nonetheless reads as a bit of too candy.
Who Is Dude Excellent?
When you’ve by no means heard of Dude Excellent earlier than, it’s possible you’ll be about to turn into a fan! They’re a comedy group that boasts over 60 million subscribers on YouTube. The group consists of Tyler Toner, Coby & Cory Cotton, Garrett Hilbert, and Cody Jones. The 5 greatest mates had been roommates at Texas A&M College.
They’re greatest identified for “Go Massive” stunts, reminiscent of trick photographs, comedic sketches poking enjoyable at fitness center and driving stereotypes, aggressive stunts with a “Wheel Unlucky” penalty, and hilarious makes an attempt to interrupt weird Guinness World Information.
The excellent news is that this isn’t the tip of the style check. Subsequent up, now we have Doritos, that are normally a crowd-pleasing favourite. I’ve but to return throughout a Dorito taste I didn’t like, so I’ve excessive hopes to do that Taste Swap selection.
