SunChips were first introduced to consumers in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area in 1989.
Frito-Lay began the regional market test on October 9, 1989, positioning the rippled, multigrain chip as a potentially healthier alternative to conventional potato and corn snacks. The product grew out of a research project aimed at appealing to aging baby boomers and consumers interested in more grain-based foods.
The idea had an earlier predecessor: Frito-Lay introduced a multigrain chip called Prontos in 1974, but manufacturing problems and weak sales led to its discontinuation in 1978. The SunChips name had also been used for a short-lived corn-chip line introduced in 1976, so the modern product was not the first snack to carry that name.
The Minneapolis–Saint Paul test was highly successful. Nearly 20 percent of area households tried SunChips, and more than 40 percent of those buyers purchased them again. Frito-Lay expanded the brand nationally in March 1991, which is why some references cite 1991 rather than the original test-market year.