16 Panera Bread Menu Items We Wish Would Return

Panera has given itself a tough reputation for its constant crack-down on menu items. Much like choosing a favorite character in “Game of Thrones,” having a beloved Panera dish is just asking for trouble — you’re bound to be devastated when it’s eventually taken away or the recipe is egregiously changed. The golden days of Panera (which many claim to be anywhere from around 2005 to 2015) are long gone — and even though we can’t help but appreciate a few staple menu items of today’s (Pan)era, many customers have made it clear that they’re not happy with the chain’s removal of certain menu items.

Panera’s much-mocked response? Attempting to train its employees to tell disappointed customers, “Tell me all about what that favorite meant to you.” Well, Panera, we’ll take you up on that (just not while we’re holding up the line in Panera stores). These are the discontinued menu items we’re desperate for Panera to bring back — even though we know in our heart of hearts that the brand never will.

Ah, tortellini Alfredo. This dish was so amazingly creamy and cheesy, it captured the hearts of many Panera diners. Its soul was in its simplicity — just a dish full of tortellini pasta drenched in a rich Alfredo sauce. You could also add in chicken for a little extra filling protein.

For most tortellini lovers, the tortellini Alfredo was their Panera go-to order. It’s a reliable staple, after all — whether you were visiting Panera for lunch or dinner. But Panera customers had a horrifying surprise waiting for them in stores after they were finally able to return to Panera post-pandemic: The tortellini Alfredo was gone. This was no mishap or store shortage; it left menus and has never returned since, devastating the many customers who claimed it as their absolute favorite Panera dish of all time.

Fortunately for Alfredo lovers, the pasta and sauce are relatively easy to replicate. Not to burst your nostalgia-fueled bubble, but Panera’s Alfredo sauce actually came frozen rather than being made in-house, which might make the dish seem a little less magical. At least you can go off the list of the best jarred Alfredo sauces to remake this Panera favorite.

Panera’s original French toast bagel was a marvel of nature (and not the same as the French toast bagel from Costco, either). Some Panera customers said it was the best breakfast item Panera ever debuted (although this is an admittedly hot debate in the Panera community that still rages on today). Take a classic cinnamon swirl bagel and add a rich, sweet maple flavor, and there you have it: a bagel that tastes just like a divinely crunchy version of French toast.

Despite the numerous bagel lovers who swore by the French toast bagel, Panera dropped it from its menus during the pandemic. Fans speculated that the reason for this was because, at the time, it had the similar cinnamon crunch bagel on its menus. Unfortunately, this bagel has since been lost to the sands of time, too.

Maybe you read the words “pecan roll” and think of Panera’s pecan braids, which are essentially the brand’s replacement for its original cinnamon-roll-like pastries. Unfortunately, these two pastries (despite their similar names) are nothing alike. The pecan roll used to be (as most customers would put it) just plain better than even Panera’s classic cinnamon rolls. It was warm, gooey, buttery, oh-so-sweet, and had a delicious crunchy pecan topping. Every pecan roll tasted like it was homemade.

These massive cinnamon rolls used to be baked fresh in the oven every single day, but Panera stopped its fresh-baked goods to cut down on costs. Now, the only alternative menu item you’ve got is the pecan braid — and while it may be pretty good, it’s just not the same as the long-lost pecan roll. It is, however, much easier on Panera’s bakers.

Who doesn’t love the tried-and-true turkey and cranberry combination? It’s a food hallmark of the holiday season (not to mention a great way to use up your Thanksgiving leftovers). Panera was no exception to the holiday spirit back in the day. Panera used to have many turkey sandwiches to choose from (the turkey apple sandwich receives another honorable mention due to its popularity), but the turkey cranberry flatbread is the Panera menu item that has extra fanfare around it thanks to its nostalgic holiday flavors.

Featuring roasted turkey, candied cranberries and mustard, spinach, and white cheddar, the Panera turkey cranberry flatbread was like a little miniature holiday feast. With warm, melty cheese, hearty folded flatbread, fresh crunchy spinach, and (of course) the perfect pairing of turkey and cranberry right in the center of the sandwich, the turkey cranberry flatbread is still the ideal Panera sandwich for many. Now, it’s merely another food ghost that haunts the chain after it was removed from menus for good.

The original chipotle chicken panini was a Panera superstar, which is why so many Panera customers were shocked when it was abruptly removed from menus. With its citrusy marinated chicken, flavorful mayo aioli, and perfectly crispy panini bread, the chipotle chicken panini was an instant hit when it first made its debut on Panera menus. It was later replaced with a significantly less popular version of the sandwich (at least according to those who had the chance to try the original), and copycat versions of Panera’s original chipotle chicken panini still float around the Internet today.

One former Panera employee explained on Reddit that the sauce Panera used for the panini was ancho chipotle spread (made from ancho chiles) rather than just chipotle mayo. They also stated that Panera’s citrus pepper chicken was the staple of the sandwich, rather than plain chicken. To recreate the rest of the sandwich, you just need some bacon, cheese, and roasted tomatoes.

Panera’s black bean soup was a staple for many customers, especially since it was one of Panera’s main vegetarian meal options. Spicy, rich, warm, and comforting, black bean soup became the new go-to order for Panera soup fans — regardless of whether they were following a meatless diet or not. Though the item was actually seasonal, even when it did grace Panera’s menus, it was so popular that customers still lament its disappearance today. Especially when paired with a warm and soft baguette, the spicy black bean soup was pretty much unbeatable by most people’s standards. It’s true that you can buy a grocery store version of Panera’s black bean soup today, but most say it’s not the same.

Though the black bean soup was delicious, if one soup had to win the title of Panera’s best soup of all time, it might just have been baked potato soup (sorry, black bean fans). Keep in mind that we’re talking about the old baked potato soup here, not the new one — which is an entirely new recipe (not to mention not as beloved as the old one). What people loved about the original was that the potatoes weren’t entirely blended into a soup — they were nice and chunky, reminiscent of an actual baked potato. The soup was loaded up with bacon bits and tasted so rich and creamy. Plus, it featured homey notes of onion and cheese, too. Fans were devastated when the baked potato soup left menus, although they might have been even more upset about the new version of the soup that returned later on.

The speculation around Panera’s Napa chicken salad sandwich is that it was removed because it had too many one-use ingredients featured in it, which meant that it was costly and ineffective to make. This didn’t stop fans from making plenty of angry posts online when it was discontinued, of course.

The salad-filled sandwich featured flaked chicken with crunchy toasted almonds, red grapes, and mayonnaise, a heaping pile of which was placed on sourdough bread. The classic cold salad was just like the one you might find at a family potluck or summer picnic — no wonder it had so many devoted fans. The Napa chicken salad sandwich was a Panera menu item for many years, but it was discontinued without any warning in 2024, leaving Panera customers reeling.

Just because Panera’s frozen cold brews were considered a Panera drink classic didn’t mean that they weren’t removed in the blink of an eye. The frozen caramel cold brew and frozen chocolate cold brew had dedicated fanbases. The creamy, sugary cold brews were topped with whipped cream and respective flavored drizzles — an indulgent treat for Panera customers. The drinks were preceded by other ancestors (aka, alternative versions of each), but Panera then decided to ditch these types of frozen drinks for good, making these two cold brews the most recent (and the most fondly-remembered) frozen drink items.

Panera’s Charged lemonades were a controversial menu item for many reasons. While they were popular during their time on menus, with many customers singing their praises the entire time they were available, things changed for Panera when two customers passed away after drinking the lemonades. Though this was due to pre-existing medical conditions that were exacerbated by the caffeine in the Charged lemonades, this didn’t stop the lawsuits and bad press from overwhelming the company.

Because of this, Panera made the decision to remove the Charged lemonades from its menus for good. The summery strawberry mint lemonade, tart Fuji apple cranberry, and tangy mango yuzu lemonade were taken off menus in 2024. While it’s understandable that it was time for these drinks to make their exit, fans of the drinks were still upset to know that they would never be returning to Panera.

Hibiscus teas are admittedly a bit controversial in general — not everyone appreciates a strong, fruity tea. But those who do fell in love with Panera’s line of hibiscus teas that were later replaced by the brand’s Charged lemonades. Prickly pear and plum ginger were the two hibiscus teas of choice for many, with well-balanced fruity and floral notes in each.

The biggest thing to miss about Panera’s hibiscus teas was that they provided a sugar-free, caffeine-free alternative for customers who weren’t able to enjoy Panera’s coffee or lemonade menus. Once these were replaced with Panera’s Charged lemonades, gone were many of the flavorful options for customers who were trying to stay caffeine-free. We’ll especially be missing the prickly pear flavor — a uniquely sweet yet melony flavor that’s completely irreplicable.

Panera’s frozen mango drink has a long line of nostalgia-driven fans who are still trying to perfectly replicate the slushy-style beverage. Not quite smoothie, not quite frappe, the drink featured a frozen tropical mango base mixed with swirls of raspberry puree. The concoction was then piled high with whipped cream and finished off with a dome lid. If it sounds like a sugar rush (and a brain freeze), you’re not wrong — but this was one of the most fun sweet treats on Panera’s menu. 

Panera’s frozen mango is a relic from the 2010s that isn’t likely to come back, given the chain’s new dislike of ultra-sugary drinks. The frozen mango was eventually replaced with a slightly more boring (but still lovably delicious) mango smoothie, which is still on the menus today. None of that, however, stops us from yearning for the sweet yet tart summery delight of a frozen mango.

The history of the Panera brownie is long and complicated, and there are many different versions that customers might consider to be original. However, the brownie with the most buzz was circulating menus in the late 2000s, back when Panera still baked every single one of its bakery items instead of receiving them frozen. This drop in quality definitely explains why Panera’s newer brownies aren’t quite as well-received as the originals.

The number one brownie that Panera customers seem to miss most is the fresh-baked Very Chocolate brownie, which came plain, drenched in salty caramel sauce, or covered in crunchy pecans. The brownies were so soft they would literally melt in your mouth. Warm, gooey, and rich, the Very Chocolate brownie was essentially the pinnacle of every customer’s dream brownie. It was a slight challenge for bakers compared to the frozen brownies of today’s world, but everyone could admit that the freshly baked quality was more than worth it.

Is it really fall without pumpkin spice? Of course not. Our taste buds need some sort of wake-up call to remind us of what season it is — and Panera’s pumpkin muffin was a much beloved fall-themed treat. Despite its autumnal origins, Panera’s pumpkin muffin was actually available year-round, delighting fans of pumpkin-flavored treats who were used to seeing their favorite pastries disappear as soon as December hit. According to former Panera employees, this muffin was one of the brand’s best-sellers.

The secret to the pumpkin muffin was the crispy, caramelized top. Sprinkled with pumpkin and brown sugar breadcrumbs and butter, the top would be torched before the muffin was ready for Panera’s pastry case. This created an extra flavorful, sweet, and crunchy muffin top that customers literally couldn’t get enough of. In fact, the tops were so popular that you could once purchase just a muffin top off Panera’s menu (called a “Muffie”). These were quickly axed a few years before the Panera pumpkin muffin was dragged off of menus for good. Though fans first thought that the muffin would return as a seasonal item, that hasn’t happened yet — we’re still hanging on to a thread of hope that it might someday grace Panera menus once more during fall.

Visit any post or forum talking about Panera, and you’ll eventually hear whispers of a long-lost cupcake that has almost disappeared from Panera’s history. Treat Panera’s old menus like an archaeology site, and you’ll find the carrot cake cupcake: a moist mini carrot cake topped with an adorable little carrot made of sugar. Panera’s cream cheese frosting generously topped this much-missed concoction.

It was around 2015 when these cupcakes left Panera’s menu for good. In fact, the chain did away with all of its cupcake creations, though you’re likely to find that the carrot cake cupcake is (arguably) the most missed. Panera has no plans to ever bring any kind of cupcake back to its menu. Unfortunately, some bakers agree, saying that the cupcakes didn’t sell while they were in stores. The carrot cake cupcake is something we were only truly able to appreciate after it left menus for a final time. Now, there’s just a metaphorical hole in Panera’s pastry case that can never be filled.

Filled to the brim with hearty buckwheat soba noodles, roasted vegetables, Panera’s grilled chicken, sesame seeds, and a classic umami broth, Panera’s soba noodle bowl was a truly one-of-a-kind Panera menu item. Rich, warm, and very filling, the soba noodle bowl was a good way to get a well-rounded meal for a low price. It appealed to everyone — slightly spicy, slightly umami, with a gentle broth base. There were lots of Panera customers who just couldn’t get enough of the noodle bowl.

Vegetarians were also fans of this menu item since you could order it without the grilled chicken for a vegetarian version. The broth was reportedly miso-based, which meant it didn’t use animal stock or bone broth, making it a simple customizable swap. Paired with Panera’s signature baguettes, this rich and comforting soup was a year-round classic for many.