Kraft’s Mac & Cheese Now Comes In 2 Exciting New Flavors

Mac and cheese innovations may feel few and far between, because, why mess with a good thing? But Kraft just announced some inspired updates to its classic mac and cheese and we're so here for it.

As of August 6, Kraft's iconic mac & cheese comes in two bold new flavors: jalapeño and ranch.

The new flavors come from a deep dive by Kraft's R&D team, where data showed that fans of the brand, particularly Gen Zers, want to try more intense and interesting flavors, but still prefer familiar products. Enter: Spicy (or tangy!) Kraft dinner. In stylish packaging, of course!

Kraft Just Released 3 New Cheese Flavors for the First Time in Almost a Decade

The new Kraft Mac & Cheese Ranch adds the familiar tangy flavor of the popular creamy dressing. Kraft Mac & Cheese Jalapeño is a spicier take on the classic dish, with hot jalapeño flavor to mix right into the orange cheese sauce. Like all of Kraft's Mac & Cheese boxes, the products are made without artificial flavors, preservatives or dyes.

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Kraft's food research team tested out 40 concepts and 27 unique flavors in the process of determining that ranch and jalapeño are the flavors that their fans would truly love. In fact, the Kraft team noticed that folks online typically add ranch dressing or other seasonings to their Kraft mac and cheese for an easy hack.

The new flavors were also top contenders during Kraft Mac & Cheese's 2023 "Fan Flavorites" program, which allowed fans to suggest new flavors for the product. Both ranch and jalapeño were suggested thousands of times.

The new KRAFT Mac & Cheese Jalapeño and Ranch boxes are now on grocery store shelves nationwide for $1.99.

I Swapped My Kids' Mac & Cheese With a Healthier Version & Was Shocked By What Happened Next

Mac and cheese fans may recognize that this isn't the first time Kraft has rolled out special flavors. In 2021, they did a drop of FLVR packets, 1 oz dried seasoning mixes in creamy ranch, tangy buffalo, and cheesy pizza flavors, designed to mix into boxes of prepared mac and cheese.

Another Kraft product, Velveeta, has also launched flavored macaroni and cheese this year, with Velveeta Shells & Cheese in pizza and buffalo renditions, the first new flavors for the boxes in twelve years. Both flavors come with packets of dry seasoning separate from the pouch of cheese sauce, so home cooks can decide how intense they want their pizza or buffalo mac.