Panera Just Launched 9 New Items, Including 3 Breakfast Sandwiches

This year is certainly a momentous one for Panera Bread, as the bakery-café chain has rolled out a series of exciting new sandwiches, salads, and breakfast offerings. Now, after the latest new launch at the chain this week, Panera fans have another slate of never-before-seen menu items to sample. 

The chain expanded its menu with nine new options on Aug. 21, including five brand-new baked goods, a popular returning cookie, and three croissant breakfast sandwiches. According to Panera, the new arrivals “feature a blend of beloved flavors and innovative twists on classics, making them perfect for breakfast or for a sweet treat at any time of day.”

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The new bakery items include an Almond Pastry (480 calories) and Cherry Pastry (340 calories), both of which are made with a flaky, buttery dough and drizzle of icing. Panera is also offering new chocolate-dipped Coconut Macaroons (190 calories) and Chocolate Coconut Macaroons (190 calories), plus a Cranberry Orange Slice (360 calories) that features moist cake with whole cranberries, orange flavor, sour cream, and a sprinkle of coarse sugar.

The final new addition to Panera’s baked goods case is the returning Pumpkin Cookie (450 calories), a seasonal favorite made from shortbread and decorated with icing. To celebrate the launch of the new baked goods, Panera is offering 50% off a bakery treat with the purchase of its new Spicy Fiesta Chicken Sandwich (840 calories)—which debuted in July—and a beverage at participating locations.

As for the new breakfast sandwiches, Panera is now offering a Croissant Egg & Cheese (450 calories); Croissant Bacon, Egg & Cheese (510 calories); and Croissant Sausage, Egg & Cheese (660 calories). Featuring scrambled egg and melty aged white cheddar on a flaky croissant, the new sandwiches offer customers an alternative to the ciabatta, focaccia, and bagel sandwiches already available at Panera.

“We are continuing to transform our menu in line with guest preferences and are excited to offer even more delicious reasons to visit Panera.  We are thrilled to bring these new croissant sandwiches to our breakfast menus nationwide, along with an expanded selection of delicious bakery treats,” Alicia Mowder, senior vice president of product strategy and insights at Panera Bread, said in a statement.

This big menu update comes less than five months after Panera rolled out its largest menu overhaul in company history. It added nine brand-new options as part of the April revamp, including a Toasted Italiano sandwich (1,280 calories) and Bacon Mac & Cheese (1,030 calories). It also debuted new-and-improved recipes for 12 existing menu items, such as the Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt (920 calories), Strawberry Poppyseed Chicken Salad (370 calories), and Bravo Club Sandwich (880 calories).

Several other exciting new options have hit Panera menus since then, including more breakfast sandwiches, avocado toast, and two previously discontinued bagels.

Zoe Strozewski