Pipcorn is still sold, just not under that name: since October 2025 the heirloom corn snacks carry the Pip’s Heirloom Snacks label, and the fastest way to buy them is a 4-pack from pipsnacks.com or Amazon, or a single bag from Whole Foods, Sprouts, or another natural grocer. When we checked the company’s own store, FAQ, and refund policy on October 14, 2026, three details stood out that most shopping guides miss: direct orders over 30 USD ship free, the frying oil differs by format, and delivered orders cannot be returned.
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What Pipcorn Is Today and Who Owns It
Pipcorn, now called Pip’s Heirloom Snacks, is a line of better-for-you salty snacks made from heirloom corn: popcorn, cheese balls, corn dippers, twists, crunchies, and fries. Heirloom corn is a traditional variety whose seed is saved and passed down through generations, grown for flavor and texture rather than maximum yield. The company buys it from family farmers on small American farms, and its story page still says “formerly Pipcorn” so longtime buyers can find it.
Ownership changed in two steps. In October 2024 Pipcorn combined with Spudsy, the sweet potato snack maker, to form UpSnack Brands, now its parent platform. On October 7, 2025, it announced the new name in place of Pipcorn Heirloom Snacks, brighter packaging in place of the old kraft-paper look, and a plan to make about 90 percent of its products with avocado oil. No format was discontinued; the product name on the front is the main thing that moved.
The backstory explains the odd spelling. Siblings Jeff and Jen Martin started the company in Brooklyn in 2012 with one product, mini popcorn from small heirloom kernels. Oprah Winfrey featured it on Oprah’s Favorite Things that same year, according to Jeff Martin, and that attention led to Shark Tank. In the episode that aired November 14, 2014, Barbara Corcoran, the real estate investor on the panel, put in 200,000 USD for 10 percent. The other formats began to launch in 2019.
Pick the Format Before the Flavor
Format decides whether you like Pipcorn far more than flavor does, because the six lines share one heirloom corn base but eat nothing alike. The table shows the flavors on the direct store on October 14, 2026, plus the frying oil the company’s FAQ names for each format.
| Format | What it is | Flavors listed direct | Oil per FAQ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mini Popcorn | Pre-popped small kernels | Sea Salt, Truffle, Kettle | Avocado |
| Cheese Balls | Puffed rounds | Cheddar, White Cheddar, plus Dill Pickle Balls | Avocado |
| Corn Dippers | Thick scoop chips | Sea Salt, Chili Cheese, Lime | High-oleic sunflower |
| Twists | Sweet coated spirals | Cinnamon Churro | Avocado |
| Crunchies | Extruded pieces | Cheddar | High-oleic sunflower |
| Fries | Fry-shaped pieces | Original and Fiery versions | Avocado |
The oil column is the detail that trips people up. If you are buying for avocado oil, the dippers and Crunchies do not qualify; the FAQ says both use expeller-pressed sunflower oil. Packs made before the switch may also differ, so the ingredient panel in your hand outranks any web page, this one included.
Texture is the other reason to choose by format. The popcorn is light and airy, and its small kernels leave fewer hull fragments than a bowl of standard butterfly popcorn. The scoops are sturdy corn chips built for heavy salsa or queso. Cheese Balls taste closest to a familiar supermarket snack, which makes them the easy pick for kids.
Direct Prices, Shipping, and the No-Returns Rule
Direct from the company, a 4-pack costs 18 to 20 USD and a 24-count snack-size case costs 40 USD, based on listings we checked on October 14, 2026. Grocery shelf prices vary by chain and region, and we did not verify them this session, so compare against your local store’s app.
| Direct listing | Price (Oct 14, 2026) | Per-pack math |
|---|---|---|
| Popcorn 4-pack (Sea Salt, Truffle) or popcorn variety pack | 18 USD | 4.50 USD each |
| Any other format, 4-pack | 20 USD | 5 USD each |
| Snack-size 24-count case | 40 USD | About 1.67 USD each |
| Shark Tank Sampler Pack (11 count) | 49 USD | About 4.45 USD each |
The store’s free-shipping line reads “Spend over $30,” so one 4-pack falls short while two 4-packs or one 24-count case clears it. That threshold, not the sticker price, is what makes ordering direct worth it.
Returns are where direct differs most from a grocery store. The refund policy says that because Pipcorn is a perishable good, the company is unable to offer returns; for a damaged or defective order, the FAQ points you to [email protected]. A store purchase falls under that store’s own policy, which is one reason to try a new format from a shelf before committing to a case.
Where to Buy Pipcorn Online
Online is the reliable channel, because every current format is sold somewhere online and no single physical store stocks all six.
Amazon
Amazon is one of the retailers named in the company’s FAQ, and it hosts a dedicated storefront. Shop on Amazon #ad and search both the old and new names, since listings are still mid-transition. Delivery speed depends on Prime status and the seller, so read the listing rather than assuming two-day shipping.
Pipsnacks.com Direct
Browse the full lineup direct for the widest flavor list, including Lime and Chili Cheese dippers and Dill Pickle Balls, which are hard to find on a shelf. The bundles, the 24-count cases, and the store locator live there too.
Thrive Market and Misfits Market
Thrive Market, a membership-based natural grocery service, is named by the company as a stocking retailer, as is Misfits Market. Both make sense if you already buy pantry staples there, though neither justifies a membership for one snack.
Walmart.com and Instacart
The Walmart online listing is worth a search for delivery or pickup, though Walmart is not on the company’s FAQ list, so selection can be thin or come from third-party sellers. Instacart pulls from local store inventory instead, so it can deliver the same day when a nearby Whole Foods or Sprouts has stock. The catch: the app shows what the store’s system claims, not what is on the shelf.
Finding Pip’s Heirloom Snacks in Store
In-store availability is real but patchy. The FAQ names Whole Foods, Sprouts, Natural Grocers, and CVS as retail partners, and 2024 press materials also listed Target, Kroger, and The Fresh Market, yet no chain carries the full range everywhere. Look in the natural or better-for-you aisle, not the main chip aisle.
Whole Foods
Whole Foods is the strongest single bet. On October 14, 2026, the company’s site carried a banner saying its Fries and Crunchies are now available at Whole Foods Market. Check the packaged snack aisle, not the bulk bins. Our guide to the best things to buy at Whole Foods covers what else earns the trip.
Sprouts, Natural Grocers, and CVS
Sprouts Farmers Market and Natural Grocers are both named partners, with their densest footprints across the West and Mountain states. CVS is the convenience option. At any of the three, expect two or three items rather than the whole range.
Kroger, Target, Walmart, and The Fresh Market
Kroger took the Fiery Fries nationwide in 2024, and Target has stocked the puffed rounds since 2021. Walmart and The Fresh Market round out the group, but none of the four appears on the current FAQ list, so treat them as the least consistent stops and use each retailer’s in-stock filter before driving over.
Skip the guesswork with this sequence:
- Open the store locator on the company website and enter your ZIP code. It reflects current distribution better than any third-party list.
- Cross-check the nearest listed store against that retailer’s own app for item-level stock.
- Call and ask using both names, since inventory systems lag rebrands by months. The company’s FAQ also suggests calling first.
- If nothing is in range, order online, and combine items to clear the free-shipping threshold.
Five Label Checks Before You Pay
- The format name. Sea Salt scoops and Sea Salt popcorn sit in similar packaging and eat nothing alike. Read the format line before the flavor.
- The best-by date. The company states a shelf life of 8 months from manufacture for most products, and 10 or 12 months for popcorn depending on size. That is shorter than heavily preserved chips, so check dates where turnover looks slow.
- Dairy and vegan badges. The cheese snacks contain real dairy, and the FAQ says only select varieties carry extra certifications such as vegan. Read the panel, not the front.
- The oil. Avocado oil applies to the popcorn, puffed rounds, twists, and fries; the scoops and Crunchies use sunflower oil, and older stock may predate the switch.
- Both names. Search a retailer’s site for Pip’s as well as Pipcorn. A single-name search can return zero results even when the store stocks it.
Five Picks for Different Snackers
These picks are sorted by how you will eat them, since that choice changes the experience more than flavor.
For a movie-night bowl: Sea Salt Mini Heirloom Popcorn. The product the company was built on. Tiny kernels, plain salt, avocado oil, nothing else. Check price on Amazon #ad
For kids: Cheddar Cheese Balls. Puffed heirloom rounds coated in cheddar, with a White Cheddar version alongside. Contains dairy. Check price on Amazon #ad
For salsa and queso: Sea Salt Corn Dippers. Thick, deeply scooped chips that survive dense dips where thin tortilla chips snap. Note the sunflower oil if that matters to you. Check price on Amazon #ad
For a sweet craving: Cinnamon Churro Twists. The one dessert-leaning item in a savory lineup. The direct store uses the Cinnamon Churro name, while this Amazon search looks for cinnamon sugar twists, so confirm the name and seller on the listing before you buy. Check price on Amazon #ad
For a first order: Variety Pack. The efficient way to find your favorite format without buying four of one thing. The direct store’s popcorn variety pack covers the popcorn side, and the 11-count Shark Tank Sampler is the step up. Check price on Amazon #ad
Plain Sea Salt popcorn also takes toppings well. A dusting of nutritional yeast gives it a cheesy taste without dairy, which helps when someone in the house avoids the cheese formats.
Your next step: open the store locator, and if a nearby Whole Foods or Sprouts shows stock, buy one pack of the format you are least sure about before committing to a case. If nothing is close, order two direct 4-packs to clear free shipping, remembering that delivered orders cannot be returned. Pipcorn is worth the premium if you care about heirloom corn and small, delicate kernels, not if you just want volume. For other better-for-you food brands, see our Quest Bars buying guide, our Beyond Meat guide, or our Takis guide.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pip’s Heirloom Snacks
Who owns Pipcorn now?
UpSnack Brands owns it. Pipcorn combined with the sweet potato snack maker Spudsy in October 2024 to form UpSnack Brands, then renamed itself Pip’s Heirloom Snacks in October 2025. The rebrand changed the name, the packaging, and most of the cooking oil, not the product formats.
Is Pipcorn still in business?
Yes. It operates as Pip’s and sells through pipsnacks.com, Amazon, Thrive Market, Whole Foods, Sprouts, and other retailers. The old name simply left the front of the package.
Which Shark Tank investor backed the company?
Barbara Corcoran invested 200,000 USD for 10 percent in the episode that aired November 14, 2014. The business sold one product, mini popcorn, at the time and now sells six formats.
Are the snacks gluten free?
Yes. The company states that all of its snacks are Non-GMO Project Verified and gluten free. Corn contains no gluten naturally, so the claim mainly speaks to ingredients and handling. Confirm it on your specific package, since labels are still mid-transition.
Should the snacks be refrigerated?
No. Keep each bag sealed in a cool, dry cupboard, since refrigeration invites moisture and softens the crunch. Unopened, the company lists 8 months from manufacture for most products and 10 or 12 months for popcorn depending on size. Once opened, finish it within a few days.
Is this the same as microwave popcorn?
No. Every item ships pre-popped or pre-cooked and ready to eat, so there is no microwave pouch and no unpopped kernels inside. To pop heirloom corn yourself you need loose kernels from a different supplier.
Which products are vegan?
Only select products carry a vegan certification, according to the FAQ, rather than the whole lineup. Anything cheddar contains dairy, so plain Sea Salt popcorn and the Sea Salt scoops are the likelier candidates. Check the badge, since formulations moved with the avocado oil switch.
Editorial review: wheretobuyguides.com team. Direct prices, flavors, oils, shelf life, and the refund policy were checked against pipsnacks.com on October 14, 2026; ownership and rebrand details come from October 2025 announcement coverage. Store availability changes often, so confirm with the store locator.