Kraft Mac & Cheese is coming for the ramen aisle, and the blue box brand is betting that cheese-covered noodles are more than a late-night kitchen experiment.
According to Kraft Heinz’s official announcement, Kraft Mac & Cheese Cheesy Ramen will launch nationwide in early 2027 in three varieties: Spicy, Chicken, and Pork. The move marks the brand’s first expansion into a new food category in nearly 20 years.
The new lineup takes Kraft’s signature cheese flavor and drops it into a ramen format. Spicy pairs the cheese sauce with heat, while Chicken and Pork lean into savory umami flavors. Kraft says all three varieties contain no artificial flavors, preservatives, or dyes. The company says its goal is to bring “the familiar cheesy taste fans have loved for nearly 90 years to the ramen aisle in an entirely new format.”
And Kraft Cheesy Ramen did not come out of nowhere. The company says it noticed consumers were already adding cheese to ramen to make the noodles creamier and help cool down spicy flavors. Kraft also says the broader ramen category is valued at $2.7 billion, while the cheesy ramen segment has doubled over the past three years, citing Circana data.
Nicolas Henault, vice president of marketing for Kraft Mac & Cheese, explained the thinking behind the launch.
“Consumers are increasingly looking for bold flavors and new ways to enjoy the foods they love, and we’re seeing growing demand for cheesy ramen in the U.S.,” the company said. “As a brand that has been delivering cheesy comfort for nearly 90 years, we saw a natural opportunity to bring our cheese expertise to ramen and give consumers a uniquely Kraft Mac & Cheese take on a format they’re already embracing.”
The timing makes sense because instant ramen has spent the last several years getting increasingly experimental.
In 2023, Nissin Foods introduced Cup Noodles Breakfast, a limited edition ramen combining the flavors of pancakes, maple syrup, sausage, and eggs. According to Nissin Foods’ launch announcement, the company positioned it as an all-day breakfast option and sold it through Walmart.
Then things got even stranger. In 2024, Nissin released Cup Noodles Everything Bagel with Cream Cheese, mixing noodles with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, garlic, dried onion, caraway seeds, and a cream cheese-flavored sauce. The product was saucy instead of soup-based, basically turning a bagel shop order into microwave ramen.
That same year, Cup Noodles went full dessert with Campfire S’mores. According to Nissin Foods, the limited edition noodles combined chocolate, marshmallow, and graham cracker flavors with a smoky note. Consumers were even encouraged to add graham cracker pieces or mini marshmallows on top.
By summer 2025, Cup Noodles Dill Pickle had joined the chaos, pairing savory noodles with sharp pickle flavor. Nissin said that release joined previous unconventional flavors including Campfire S’mores, Everything Bagel with Cream Cheese, Breakfast, and Pumpkin Spice.
Compared with dessert ramen and pancake-flavored noodles, Kraft Cheesy Ramen almost feels traditional. Cheese has already become a popular ramen add-on, particularly alongside spicy noodles, giving Kraft an opening that feels less like a stunt and more like a packaged version of something consumers were already making themselves.
Kraft says the launch is part of its push into “categories and occasions where consumer interest is growing.” The company has also expanded Mac & Cheese recently with PowerMac, which adds protein and fiber, and Restaurant Editions built around flavors including Parmesan Pesto, Romano Cacio e Pepe and Monterey Jack Caramelized Onion.
Kraft Cheesy Ramen is expected on shelves nationwide in early 2027. Before then, Kraft says select fans will have opportunities to get an early taste through the brand’s social media channels.