I Tried All of Panera's New Menu Items & the Best Tasted Homemade

One reason that Panera Bread feels a step above other fast-food chains is that it's constantly reinventing itself. Earlier this year, the popular café chain announced its "biggest menu transformation" ever, cutting over 40 items and introducing another 20 new and improved items.

A few months later, the restaurant rolled out a brand new breakfast menu, which included eye-catching options such as cinnamon roll sandwiches filled with eggs, cheese, and sausage. Then, in July, it tweaked its menu again by launching six new items, including a spicy chicken sandwich, a kid-sized grilled cheese, and two previously discontinued bagels.

The momentum is pretty impressive, considering Panera Bread's humble beginnings. Started in 1987, the now-national chain was once a community bakery called the St. Louis Bread Company. Fast-forward 30-some years and Panera Bread is now found in 48 states.

I've been a fan of Panera Bread for as long as I can remember, so when it announced this summer it was adding nine more items to its menu yet again, I knew I had to give them all a try. I tasted all nine new August menu additions—three new croissant breakfast sandwiches, two pastries, two macaroons, one cookie, and a piece of cake. Here's how they ranked, starting with the item I liked the least and ending with the overall winner.

Pumpkin Cookie

Sweater weather is just around the corner, and Panera Bread is wasting no time getting in the fall spirit. To usher in the new season, Panera Bread has added a limited-time pumpkin cookie to its menu. Although this sweet treat is a cute idea—who doesn't love a cookie in the shape of a pumpkin?—it left a lot to be desired. I paid $4.19 in New York City for a cookie that could use some tweaks.

The look: In theory, this cookie is a great idea, but the execution could be better—what I received just missed the mark. A quick glance at Panera's menu shows that this treat is flat, medium-sized, and covered in bright orange and green icing to resemble a cute pumpkin. However, when I took mine out of its paper and plastic pouch, the icing was smeared, and the un-iced cookie portion looked crumbly. I immediately had a feeling this wasn't going to be something I'd order again.

The taste: Confusing. This cookie completely threw me off. I expected the base to be a semi-soft sugar cookie, but what I got was a pretty hard shortbread cookie that crumbled and fell apart when I took a bite. I ordered this cookie as soon as the shop opened. Could this have been one from the night before? The icing tasted synthetic, the shortbread base lacked flavor, and the texture was way off. If this cookie were reworked—for example, if the base was slightly softer and the icing had a hint of pumpkin or cinnamon spice—I'd order it again.

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Croissant Sandwich with Bacon, Egg, and Cheese

I thoroughly enjoy Panera's lunch sandwiches—the turkey and chicken and toasted frontega chicken are two of my go-to's—so I was intrigued to try its breakfast offerings, specifically the newly added croissant breakfast sandwiches. The first one I tried was the bacon, egg, and cheese croissant sandwich that, unfortunately, was too plain for my liking, even though it came with bacon. I dropped $8.89 on a breakfast item that has potential but tasted overall lackluster.

The look: When I unwrapped this croissant breakfast sandwich, I was surprised by how small and flat it was. Other past croissant sandwiches I've enjoyed, either from bakeries or other chains, were usually large and fluffy, unlike this pocket-sized one. When I took off the top half of the croissant, I noticed that this egg sandwich had a few slices of very thin bacon on it, a small amount of scrambled, folded egg, white cheese, and not much else.

The taste: Good, but it could be better. The croissant had an expected slightly buttery, greasy taste, and the eggs and bacon lacked flavor. Although I appreciated that this sandwich didn't taste pumped with salt, I do like a little salty edge to my bacon, and this bacon didn't taste like anything.

It also had a slightly rubbery texture that made it hard to chew. My boyfriend—who asked for a bite—pointed out that the bacon was very thin, and although the sandwich had multiple slices of it, it still didn't feel like enough. I probably wouldn't order this breakfast sandwich again.

Cherry Pastry

Besides its broccoli cheddar bread bowl and lunch sandwiches, I'm also a fan of Panera Bread's bakery options. In fact, I don't think I've ever visited a Panera without ordering a chocolate chip "muffie"—the chain's muffin top treat that's part cake, part muffin, 100% delicious. However, the restaurant's brand-new cherry pastry didn't have the same effect on me. I paid $5.49 for a fruit-packed pastry that, although tasty, I don't think I'll order every time I stop at a Panera.

The look: It was pretty standard for a pastry, although smaller and flatter than I expected. I was anticipating more of a soft, pillowy pastry base, but this pastry had no bounce to it and appeared hard and dense. Cons aside, the cherry filling wasn't messy, which was a plus, and the aesthetically pleasing icing drizzle gave it a "cute" look.

The taste: It was flavorful, but the texture threw me off—if the pastry's texture was adjusted, I think I'd enjoy its flavor more. For starters, the cherry filling was, for lack of better words, nice. It wasn't overly sweet or congealed and had the consistency of smooth jam with bits of fruit throughout. The thin drizzle of white icing, which reminded me of Toaster Strudels, also complemented the cherry filling well. But back to the texture—this pastry was simultaneously flaky yet had more "chew" than I expected. Overall, I wish this one was bigger, thicker, and airier.

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Croissant Sandwich with Egg and Cheese

The chain's croissant breakfast sandwich with egg and cheese is good, but you might want to look elsewhere if you want a breakfast item with all the bells and whistles. I spent $7.19 on a breakfast sandwich that might be too simple, and expensive, for some people's liking.

The look: One of the first things I noted when I unwrapped this sandwich was "not very nice looking." This breakfast sandwich, made using a simple combination of eggs and cheese, had a slightly greasy sheen to it. Like the other croissant sandwiches I tried from here, this one was also smaller and flatter than I expected. It also had just a thin layer of scrambled, folded eggs but, nonetheless, was assembled well.

The taste: Pared down and simple. This one would be an ideal option if you want a breakfast sandwich on the go that tastes "cleaner" and less oily than your run-of-the-mill fast-food ones. Like the other sandwiches I tried from Panera, this one also wasn't salty, which was a nice departure from other breakfast sandwiches that tend to be packed with sodium. I think this option would taste better with some ketchup or extra toppings on it, as it feels like it's missing something. I'd order this sandwich again if I could get some ketchup packets with it.

Almond Pastry

Panera Bread's almond pastry scored higher than its newly added cherry pastry, but still didn't feel totally worth the $5.49 price tag. This sweet treat is flavorful and does the job if you want a snack in a hurry, but doesn't taste as good as a local bakery's.

The look: I tried the almond pastry shortly after I gave the cherry pastry a go, and instantly noticed some similarities. Firstly, this pastry was also on the smaller, flatter side. It also wasn't bouncy or airy, which is something I look for when choosing a pastry. I did notice, however, that there was a generous amount of almond topping with a drizzle of vanilla icing—the same one used on the cherry pastry.

The taste: Pretty good, but not as good as something you'd get from an independent baker. The bready pastry portion was flaky and tasted slightly of buttery. Like the cherry pastry, this treat wasn't as bouncy or airy as I would have liked. It also skewed on the small side.

The sweet almond filling in the middle had a smooth, slightly earthy, nutty taste and wasn't overly sweet. I thought the almond topping, which included sliced almonds, was a welcome touch as it provided some crunch and texture to the otherwise soft-leaning dessert. Overall, this option is acceptable for a Panera Bread pastry, but if I'm in the mood for an almond pastry in the future, I'll probably go somewhere else.

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Coconut Macaroon

Coconut macaroons are a great option if you have a sweet tooth but want something other than the usual cookie or cake. I'm happy to share that Panera Bread's version is fantastic, and this is coming from someone who made coconut macaroons more times than she can count when she was a kid. Panera's chocolate-dipped plain coconut macaroon cost me $2.39 and is easily one of my new favorite desserts from the brand.

The look: Unlike the misshapen ones I whipped up in grade school, this one was much more cylindrical and square, with a thick, sturdy chocolate base. The coconut portion was a light brown-tinged cream color and didn't appear gooey or flaky. All in all, this macaroon was neatly presented and larger than other macaroons I've enjoyed in the past.

The taste: Very good! I loved its flavor and texture. Its interior was moist and soft but didn't fall apart in my hands. The exterior was slightly dry, which was nice as I wasn't left with sticky hands after eating it. As for the taste, it was the perfect blend of sweet and nutty coconut with a rich middle-of-the-road sweetness level. If you love Almond Joys, you'll love this new Panera item.

Chocolate Macaroon

Oh, chocolate-dipped chocolate coconut macaroon, how I love thee. Seriously though, this macaroon checks off all boxes—it has a wonderfully chocolate flavor, great texture, and is hearty enough to feel like you got your money's worth. I paid $2.39 for this macaroon, which I know I'll order again soon.

The look: Like the plain coconut macaroon dipped in chocolate, this all-chocolate version had a similar mini tower-like shape, a thick chocolate base, and a slightly hard exterior. It also was on the larger side and featured a dark-brown hue. These macaroons came in a paper and plastic pouch together. A Panera staffer even threw in a free one for me!

The taste: Holy moly, I'm already thinking about when I can order this again. If you love chocolate and coconut, try this macaroon stat—it's so delicious. Like it's plain chocolate-dipped counterpart, this one was bursting with rich chocolaty flavor without being too sweet or overwhelming. The taste reminded me of a cross between a chocolate truffle and hot chocolate with hints of nutty coconut. Not to be dramatic, but this may be one of the best coconut macaroons I've ever had that wasn't homemade.

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Croissant Sandwich with Sausage, Egg, and Cheese

I'll be honest: I didn't have very high hopes by the time I got to this sausage, egg, and cheese croissant sandwich. Sure, the other croissant sandwiches were alright, but they all lacked something. I'm happy I tried this one, however, because it proved me wrong. It was definitely the best croissant breakfast sandwich of the trio and was well worth the $8.89 pricetag.

The look: Unlike the other croissant breakfast sandwiches on Panera's menu, this sandwich had heft. Although it felt a bit like Groundhog Day—trying the same small, flat croissant for yet a third time—the egg portion was thicker in this sandwich, and the sausage patty was substantial. Plus, there was more cheese on this one.

The taste: Outstanding! Like the other sandwiches, it wasn't salty, which was pleasant, and the sausage patty had a savory, slightly peppery taste. It also had an excellent texture—none of the eggs, sausage, or cheese had a rubbery mouthfeel. After stealing a few bites, my boyfriend couldn't stop raving about this one. "This tastes and feels like real food," he commented. Even better? I didn't feel uncomfortably full after eating this sandwich.

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Cranberry Orange Slice

I didn't expect to love this piece of cake from Panera Bread as much as I did, and yet here I am. The restaurant's newly-added cranberry orange slice far exceeds what you'd expect from a national chain, and instead has a small hometown bakery feel to it that I can't stop thinking about. I paid $5.49 for a wonderful slice of cake made with bittersweet cranberries, bright orange flavor, and, perhaps unexpectedly, sour cream.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

The look: This slice of cake was thick and hearty (no tiny slivers of cake here!) with a red-pink smattering of cranberries baked into it and a sprinkling of large sugar crystals along the top. I could tell this cake was moist and bouncy just by looking at it—it thankfully didn't come across as dry or crumbly. A delightful surprise was that it resembled cakes my grandmother likes to bake.

The taste: Incredibly good. It had a light citrusy flavor punctuated by bittersweet cranberry pieces. Some citrus cakes are too overpowering, but this had the perfect hint of orangey zest to it. It also wasn't overly sweet and didn't taste chemical-y at all. Not only did it look homemade, but it also tasted homemade, which I loved. As for texture, the inside was soft, pillowy, and moist—reminiscent of the inside of a muffin—while the top had a slight crunch to it thanks to the sugar crystals.

This one nabs first place because it's a simple yet scrumptious cake you could eat during any time of the day—enjoy a slice of it with your coffee in the morning or grab one to go for an after-dinner snack. I could definitely see myself ordering this again. In fact, I'm pretty bummed it's only on the menu for a limited time!