What Exactly Is Wendy's Secret Krabby Patty Sauce Formula?

In a surprising twist that echoes the antics of Bikini Bottom, the once-elusive Krabby Patty formula has made its way into the public eye — though not without a splash of controversy. In a Reddit thread titled "Is this the Krabby Patty sauce you imagined," a Redditor describing themselves as a Wendy's employee shared a photo of a bag filled labeled "Secret Krabby Patty Sauce." The sauce, which has a beige hue with black specs, doesn't exactly scream appetizing. However, the Reddit poster claimed it actually resembled Wendy's Red Ghost Pepper Ranch.

Now here's the kicker: Plankton can retire from his formula-hunting escapades. The second image in the post featured the ingredients of the sauce on its shipping box. The ingredients, which prominently feature eggs, oil, and tomato paste, seem to indicate that the sauce is a blend of mayo and ketchup, along with various seasonings, making it a classic burger "secret sauce" similar to In-N-Out and Shake Shack. The sauce also includes the usual preservatives include xanthan gum for binding and potassium sorbate for freshness — definitely not the top-secret concoction fans imagined. 

Wendy's Krabby Patty Kollab with Paramount celebrates "SpongeBob SquarePants'" 25th anniversary. The limited-time partnership features a Pineapple Under the Sea Frosty — a mango and pineapple puree blended into a Vanilla Frosty — and the Krabby Patty Kollab Burger consisting of "a quarter pound of Wendy's fresh, never frozen beef, two slices of melty American cheese, crisp lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion, and a top-secret Krabby Kollab sauce on a toasted premium bun," Wendy's stated in a recent press release.

Though SpongeBob has always toyed with the concept of the secret Krabby Patty formula, it was never fully unveiled. Now that the meal is released, the disappointment among some fans about the lack of originality is palpable (though we enjoyed the Krabby Patty Kollab when we tried it). One Redditor fretted, "I'm 40 but the disappointment this whole thing has given me hit me right in the teens." Another user, @seasonextension, went as far as to compare the sauce to a classic Thousand Island dressing. This is a far cry from the way Krabby Patties are depicted in the animated television show, where the secret formula seems much more complicated and arcane.

Now that people can sample the Krabby Patty Kollab promotion, fans are divided on the revelation of the secret sauce. While the sauce's ingredients are now public, the essence of what creator Stephen Hillenburg envisioned remains elusive. He never divulged the formula in the series, instead focusing on the adventures of SpongeBob and his friends as they protected the recipe from Plankton's relentless pursuits. 

"SpongeBob SquarePants" always hinted at the formula rather than revealing outright, whether it was through a math problem in the Season 5 episode "Spy Buddies" or a paper with an unintelligible language written on it in Season 6. Either way, whether you reside in a pineapple under the sea or a condo in suburbia, you can still dive into the new Krabby Patty Kollab. You may discover that, even knowing the secret, the taste still captures the whimsical spirit of Bikini Bottom.