Some of the best things in life happen by accident, and food is no exception. Whether it was a chef experimenting in the kitchen or someone being forgetful, these happy accidents changed the way we eat forever! Here are 15 foods that wouldn’t exist without a little luck—and sometimes a bit of clumsiness!
1. Chocolate Chip Cookies
How It Happened: In 1938, Ruth Wakefield ran out of baker’s chocolate and added chopped-up semi-sweet chocolate to her cookie dough. She expected it to melt, but the chocolate stayed intact.
Fun Fact: Wakefield traded the recipe to Nestlé for a lifetime supply of chocolate!
2. Potato Chips
How It Happened: In 1853, a chef named George Crum made them to spite a customer who complained about his fried potatoes being too thick. Crum sliced them paper-thin, fried them, and accidentally created the perfect snack.
Fun Fact: The complaining customer loved them, and the rest is history.
3. Ice Cream Cones
How It Happened: At the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, an ice cream vendor ran out of dishes. A neighboring waffle seller rolled his waffles into cones to help out.
Fun Fact: The waffle cone became more popular than the ice cream itself at the fair!
4. Cheese
How It Happened: Milk stored in animal stomachs accidentally curdled due to enzymes in the lining. This discovery led to the invention of cheese.
Fun Fact: Ancient cheesemakers probably didn’t mind the clumps—they were delicious!
5. Popsicles
How It Happened: In 1905, 11-year-old Frank Epperson left a cup of soda with a stirring stick outside on a cold night. He woke up to a frozen treat on a stick.
Fun Fact: He called them “Eppsicles” before his kids convinced him to rename them “Popsicles.”
6. Coca-Cola
How It Happened: In 1886, pharmacist John Stith Pemberton was trying to make a medicinal tonic. He accidentally mixed coca leaf extract and kola nut syrup with carbonated water.
Fun Fact: Coca-Cola was originally marketed as a cure for headaches and fatigue.
7. Corn Flakes
How It Happened: The Kellogg brothers accidentally left cooked wheat sitting out too long. When they rolled it out, it turned into flakes instead of sheets.
Fun Fact: They originally made it as a health food for a strict vegetarian diet.
8. Worcestershire Sauce
How It Happened: In 1835, chemists Lea & Perrins tried to recreate an Indian sauce. It tasted awful, so they left it to ferment. Months later, they found it had developed into the tangy sauce we know today.
Fun Fact: It’s been a kitchen staple for nearly 200 years.
9. Tofu
How It Happened: Over 2,000 years ago, Chinese cooks accidentally curdled soy milk by mixing it with sea salt. The result? Tofu.
Fun Fact: It’s one of the most versatile plant-based proteins in the world.
10. Nachos
How It Happened: In 1943, Ignacio “Nacho” Anaya whipped up a snack with leftover tortillas, cheese, and jalapeños for hungry customers.
Fun Fact: Nachos were named after their creator, “Nacho”!
11. Beer
How It Happened: Thousands of years ago, grains left in water fermented naturally, creating an early form of beer. Curious humans decided to drink it—and liked it!
Fun Fact: Beer may have been discovered before bread.
12. Champagne
How It Happened: Monks in France accidentally bottled wine before it was done fermenting, causing it to become fizzy.
Fun Fact: Dom Pérignon, a monk, reportedly said, “Come quickly, I am tasting the stars!”
13. Tarte Tatin
How It Happened: In the 1880s, two sisters in France accidentally dropped apples into a pan of sugar and butter, then baked it with pastry on top.
Fun Fact: It’s now a classic French dessert.
Related: 15 Discontinued 90s Foods (and Drinks) We Want Back
14. Sandwiches
How It Happened: Maybe less “accidental” and more “spur of the moment.” In the 18th century, John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, asked for meat between slices of bread so he could eat while gambling.
Fun Fact: His name lives on in every sandwich we eat.
Related: 10 Foods That Have More Vitamin C Than an Orange
15. Yogurt
How It Happened: Milk stored in warm conditions fermented naturally, creating a tangy, thick substance. Early humans embraced it as a new food.
Fun Fact: Yogurt’s probiotics weren’t understood until centuries later!