Chippers
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Quick Bite
Chippers are rippled potato chips dipped in chocolate, creating a salty-sweet North Dakota candy-shop classic. They are crunchy, creamy, a little odd at first glance, and almost impossible to stop eating.
History
Chippers are most closely associated with the Widman candy family in North Dakota. The idea is simple but brilliant: take crisp rippled potato chips and cover them in chocolate. The result lands somewhere between candy, snack food, and the thing you accidentally finish before the movie starts.
Widman’s Candy Shop in Grand Forks has been making chocolate-dipped potato chips for decades, and North Dakota tourism sources describe Chippers as Widman’s claim to candy fame. The shop has been dipping all kinds of treats in chocolate since 1949, including toffee, caramel, blueberries, bacon, jalapeños, and pickles, but Chippers became the signature item.
The Fargo branch, Carol Widman’s Candy, also calls itself home of the famous Chippers and sells them in milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and white almond versions. The candy has become one of North Dakota’s most recognizable edible souvenirs, the kind of thing travelers buy “as a gift” and then sample aggressively on the drive home.
Chippers work because they do not try too hard. The potato chip brings salt and crunch, the chocolate brings sweetness and melt, and together they hit the same magic button as chocolate-covered pretzels, only with more Midwest charm.
Fun Facts
- Chippers are chocolate-covered potato chips, usually made with rippled chips for extra crunch.
- Widman’s Candy Shop in Grand Forks is one of the classic names tied to the treat.
- They come in milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and white almond varieties.
Where to Try
A beloved old-fashioned candy shop where chocolate-covered potato chips, better known as Chippers, are the signature item.
A Fargo candy shop carrying on the Widman family chocolate tradition and selling Chippers in multiple chocolate varieties.
Chippers are often treated as a North Dakota edible souvenir, so they show up in local gift shops, tourism stops, and specialty-food displays around the state.
About the Game
This recipe is part of Van Life Challenge, a travel-themed board game from Gray Dog Games where players explore the United States, discover regional foods, and collect memorable experiences along the way.
Each featured food celebrates a real place, a local flavor, and the kind of delicious roadside discovery that makes every trip feel like an adventure.
Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- Prepare the pans: Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Choose the chips: Sort through the potato chips and choose large, unbroken chips.
- Melt the chocolate: Melt the chocolate gently in a microwave or double boiler. Stir in coconut oil or shortening if you want a smoother coating.
- Dip: Dip each chip halfway or fully into the melted chocolate.
- Drain: Let excess chocolate drip off.
- Set: Place dipped chips on the parchment-lined baking sheets.
- Salt lightly: Sprinkle very lightly with flaky salt if desired.
- Cool: Let set at room temperature or chill briefly until firm.
- Store: Store in an airtight container in a cool place.
