Panera Bakery Menu

Panera bakers arrive around 4 AM to start the morning bake. Most locations have fresh items coming out of the oven by 6 AM. If you want the absolute freshest croissants and bagels that are still warm inside get there between 6 and 8 AM. That is when the first batches finish baking.

The Kitchen Sink Cookie takes the crown with 800 calories per cookie. It is basically a giant cookie loaded with chocolate caramel and pretzel pieces. That is more than a full sandwich in many cases so treat it as a special indulgence rather than a daily snack.

Yes the Asiago Cheese Bagel is your best bet at just 320 calories. That is about 100 calories less than the Cinnamon Crunch Bagel. You can also ask for half portions of most items or go with a single muffin instead of the larger specialty items.

Absolutely. Panera sells half dozens and baker dozens of their bagels. A half dozen runs about $7.99 and a full dozen is around $11.99. That works out to roughly $1 per bagel which saves you about $1.40 compared to buying them individually. Mix and match any flavors you want.

The bagels are your best bang for buck at $2.39 each. They are filling enough to be a light breakfast on their own and they are made fresh daily. Compared to the $4 plus croissants and specialty items the bagels give you the most food per dollar. Plus they toast up beautifully.

Unfortunately no. Panera does not currently offer any certified gluten free baked goods in their regular bakery lineup. Their kitchen handles wheat flour extensively so cross contamination is a real concern. For gluten free options you will need to look at their soups salads or power bowls instead.

Yes and you absolutely should for certain items. The bagels toast beautifully and get that perfect crispy outside while staying chewy inside. Croissants also benefit from warming because it brings back the flaky texture and makes the chocolate melty. Just ask when you order or use the warming option on the app.

It is massive for starters. About the size of a small plate. Then there is the everything but the kitchen sink concept. It has both semi sweet and milk chocolate chunks gooey caramel pieces crunchy pretzels and a sprinkle of flake salt on top. The sweet and salty combo is what makes people come back for it.

Most of the plain bagels are actually vegan friendly including the plain sesame and everything varieties. Just skip the cream cheese obviously. The ciabatta bread is also vegan if you want something simple. But pastries and cookies contain butter and eggs so those are off the list for strict vegans.

For the best taste eat them the same day you buy them. Bagels stay decent for about 24 hours if you keep them in a paper bag not plastic. Croissants really need to be eaten within a few hours to keep that flakiness. Muffins and cookies have a longer window of about 2 to 3 days. You can always freeze bagels for up to a month and toast them later.