Pipcorn Launches New Gluten-Free Salty Snacks for the Office

For thirteen years, the snack makers at Pipcorn have been obsessed with heirloom corn. They buy the kernels from family farmers and turn them into better-for-you, gluten-free salty snacks like miniature popcorn, cheese balls, and scoop-shaped dippers. 

In 2024, the company added something new to its office snack lineup: fries! 

Brainstorming New Gluten-Free Salty Snacks

Pipcorn CEO Joe DePetrillo told The FruitGuys that it took the company a year to bring its fries to market from the initial concept to the first production run. 

“At Pipcorn, we’re always exploring new ways to innovate with our heirloom corn, which means our product development process is ongoing and deeply thoughtful,” he said. “For every new snack, we dedicate the time needed to perfect it, ensuring it meets our high standards for taste, quality, and creativity before it’s ready to share with our community.”

The fries were just one of fourteen concepts that Pipcorn tested in 2023, but they quickly rose to the top. Joe said, “the feedback was overwhelmingly positive.” More than 80% of the testers said they’d buy the fries, and 70% called them unique. 

How Pipcorn’s Fries Came to Be

Traditional French fries are made from sliced potatoes that are either deep-fried (hence the name) or baked to a crispy golden brown. To get that same “nostalgic flavor and crunch” with its gluten-free salty snacks, Pipcorn uses an “extruded fry format.” It mixes heirloom corn meal and sunflower oil, then passes the mixture through a die to create uniform fry shapes. From there, the fries head to the oven. Finally, they’re coated with Cheddar, Fiery Cheddar, or Truffle seasonings—which are all gluten-free, non-GMO, kosher, and free from artificial ingredients. 

“We had to buy specific equipment to truly deliver on that unmistakable texture and it was so fun doing all the testing to dial in that absolutely perfect crunch,” Joe said. 

Sensational Seasonings: How Pipcorn Picked Its Flavors

Pipcorn’s fries come in three flavors: Cheddar, Fiery Cheddar, and Truffle. The team chose them carefully to line up with customer demand. 

“With hot flavors commanding 85% of the category share, Fiery Cheddar is a must-have for any challenger brand aiming to stand out. At the same time, the Truffle flavor fills a notable gap in the snack aisle, leveraging its widespread popularity in restaurants and its ‘premium mainstream’ appeal,” Joe said. 

Pipcorn’s Truffle fries were the first of their kind on the market. 

Here at The FruitGuys, we’re partial to the Fiery Cheddar flavor. We’ve added a variety of Pipcorn’s single-serving, gluten-free snacks—including its salty cheese balls and sweet cinnamon twists—to our office snack mixes since 2023. Now, we’re incorporating its Fiery Cheddar Fries into our curated mixes and offering them by the case to workplaces.

The Best Ways to Eat Fiery Cheddar Fries in the Office

“Fiery Cheddar Fries have just the right amount of heat and are perfect for snacking straight from the bag, but they also pair wonderfully with your favorite beverages! For a fun and flavorful combo, we love enjoying them with an ice-cold Poppi soda—it’s the ultimate treat for a midday pick-me-up or a late-night snack session,” Joe said. 

The FruitGuys’ Snack Category Manager Daria Jackson likes to add her Fiery Cheddar Fries to a homemade snack mix along with LesserEvil’s Himalayan Pink Salt Organic Popcorn (another snack that’s popular in The FruitGuys’ snack mixes). The coconut oil-popped popcorn mellows out the heat of the fries, creating an addictive salty combo.