Discontinued Panera Bread Menu Items We'll Probably Never Eat Again

If you're a longtime fan of Panera Bread, you've likely noticed big changes on the menu. And though some menu items may be for the better (aside from ), the truth is that there are many items near and dear to our hearts that we lost way too soon. Muffins, soups, sandwiches, beverages — we've all probably had at least one Panera Bread menu item stolen from us that we can only hope to get back.

Ready to take a journey back in time? Stick with us. In the upcoming post, we're taking a stroll down memory lane to remember some of the most delicious menu items that were suddenly snatched from our clutch. And though this list won't cover all of the menu items Panera Bread has discontinued, we'll highlight many older favorites we're willing to bet you forgot about — or not.



Grab a box of tissues and join us as we mourn the discontinued Panera Bread menu items we'll probably never eat again. Deli Ham Sandwich In the mood for a simple deli ham sandwich from Panera Bread? Sorry, but it's no longer an option — at least not on the core menu. As of April 2024, folks craving a basic deli ham sammie have been denied the opportunity to savor the simplicity of such an order — a concept that has left many customers reeling.

We admit, it's rather odd to take something like a ham sandwich off of the menu — we understand and respect Panera Bread's desire to offer more sophisticated choices, but sometimes, less is more. We scanned Panera Bread's menu (and the kid's menu) for a replacement that was at least somewhat similar; thankfully, there are some deli-style options left. Try ordering the Turkey Cheddar Sandwich and subbing in ham instead of turkey.

It comes with white cheddar, mixed greens, red onions, tomato, and mayo, along with salt and pepper on Country Rustic Sourdough. If you're in the mood for something even more flavorful, you might consider giving the Toasted Italiano a try — it comes already topped with ham along with other tantalizing toppings like garlic aioli, sliced pepperoncini, and red onions. Chipotle Chicken Panini We know what you're thinking –- the Chipotle Chicken sandwich from Panera isn't actually discontinued –- is it? Well, yes, and no.

Once upon a time, there was a Chipotle Chicken Panini at Panera Bread that was quite different from the sandwich the chain currently carries. It came with chipotle sauce, cheese, bacon, and other ingredients, with a flavor that was truly top-tier. Sadly, the original Chipotle Chicken Panini was discontinued back in 2015, leaving devoted patrons scrambling to recreate its deliciousness at home.

If you're looking for a decent alternative, go ahead and try ordering Panera's new Chipotle Chicken Avo Melt; just be sure to keep in mind that the new rendition isn't quite like the old. With the addition of avocado, the sandwich looks and tastes different and may or may not scratch the itch of that old-school chipotle chicken flavor you're searching for. Your other option? Do your best to whip up the old-school chipotle chicken panini at home; grab some bread, cooked bacon, tomato, seasoned chicken, and chipotle mayo before assembling and grilling it on your panini press.

It might not be quite the same, but it'll do in a pinch. Cranberry Orange Muffin Probably one of the most lamented discontinued items from Panera Bread's menu is the Cranberry Orange Muffin. The internet is full of patrons expressing their discontent with Panera Bread for pulling such a sweet item, with a few customers even vowing never to step foot in the establishment again.

This immensely popular muffin was moist and tender with plenty of delicious citrus flavor and specks of cranberry strewn throughout. Why Panera Bread would decide to phase out such a popular pick is beyond us — but given that other cafés discontinue popular menu items all the time (including these ), we won't attempt to explain Panera Bread's motives. As far as alternatives for the now-discontinued Panera Bread Cranberry Orange Muffin, consider trying the Orange Cranberry Slice, instead, as it seems to be a direct substitute for the former fan fave.

Other options include the blueberry muffin or the newer orange scone available at the time of publication. Our hope is that Panera Bread will pick up on the mistake and reintroduce this tartly sweet option back to the menu — considering that the chain brought back the sesame bagel and blueberry bagel after having initially discontinued them, you never know what could happen in the future. Mediterranean Egg White Breakfast Sandwich Released in 2012, Panera's Mediterranean Egg White Breakfast Sandwich didn't look like much at first blush — but boy, was it delicious! It came layered with spinach, roasted tomatoes, and white cheddar atop egg whites and a grilled ciabatta bun.

And though this sammie might look like something you could only the health-conscience would enjoy, nothing could be further from the truth. The sun-dried tomatoes and basil pesto set the sandwich apart in such a way that it was easily one of the best breakfast sandwiches on the menu. Sadly, the Mediterranean Egg White Breakfast Sandwich was discontinued, though it's unclear as to exactly when this took place.

There also aren't any surefire replacements for this star of a sandwich unless you consider the Garden Avocado and Egg White Sandwich a worthy alternative. Don't bother trying to customize your sammies to mimic the original Mediterranean Egg White Breakfast Sandwich, either — unfortunately, neither the pesto nor the sun-dried tomatoes were available at the time of publication. The positive in all of this is that the sandwich is quite easy to replicate at home.

Simply take some ciabatta bread (or bread of your choice) and add sun-dried tomatoes, pesto (we love ), white cheddar cheese, and, of course, cooked egg whites. It might not be exactly the same thing, but it'll get you pretty darn close. French Toast Bagels The French Toast Bagel had many fans and it's no wonder why — who doesn't love the sound of French toast encapsulated in the goodness of a thick and chewy bagel? Even so, customer adoration couldn't prevent Panera Bread from cutting the beloved menu item out of its menu, leaving former buffs both disgruntled and grieved.

Back then, the speculation was that the bagel simply was pulled off of the menu in response to COVD-19-related cutbacks, but here we are years later with no sign of its return. And while some menu items that Panera Bread gets rid of are easily to recreate at home, French toast bagels aren't exactly the easiest to pull off, making their disappearance even more heartbreaking. With that said, there is at least a little light at the end of the tunnel.

Though not the French Toast Bagel per se, you can still enjoy the warm notes of cinnamon in your bagel by purchasing the Cinnamon Crunch bagel, instead. The bagel comes with cinnamon and vanilla-flavored "chips" along with an extra helping of cinnamon topping. Add to it plain cream cheese (skip the surcharge by making your own ) or dress it up in Panera Bread's honey walnut cream cheese for even more decadent flavor, and you might just have a feasible French Toast Bagel replacement.

Modern Caprese Sandwich If there's one thing to love about Panera Bread, it's that the chain knows how to achieve tons of flavor using some of the most unassuming ingredients. Case in point: the deeply missed Modern Caprese Sandwich. We've seen fans all over the net lamenting the loss of this one, and though we never got a chance to try it, we know it must've been pretty great, considering how hard fanatics took the news.

So, what was the Modern Caprese Sandwich from Panera Bread, anyway? The sandwich was presumably meant to emulate the flavor of an , containing the likes of tomato, mozzarella, and basil. The chain took things up a notch by also incorporating arugula, tomato confit, and basil white-bean purée, thus adding an unexpected twist to the usual caprese getup. Fortunately, unlike some of the other options on this list, there is a very similar alternative on Panera Bread's menu at the time of publication, and that's the Toasted Garden Caprese sandwich.

It doesn't come with basil white-bean puree, nor does it contain the flavorful tomato confit that accompanied the original sammie; instead, the new recipe seems to stick closer to its traditional roots featuring basil, arugula, balsamic vinaigrette, garlic aioli, (regular) sliced tomato, and of course, mozzarella. We'll take it. Flatbread Pizza Panera Bread hasn't always been associated with good pizza, and because of recent updates to the menu, it still isn't.

The company released its line of flatbread pizza to the public in 2020, with options like Margherita and pepperoni pizza up for grabs. As far as taste goes, we thought the pizza was just okay, but that doesn't mean it didn't have a fan base. Like so many other offerings on this list, the now-discontinued Panera Bread Flatbread Pizza was a surprise deletion, evoking a tearful goodbye from stealthy fans.

Its removal led to additional complaints about the company deleting other beloved menu items within a short span of time, leaving patrons feeling frustrated and dissatisfied with the Panera Bread chain. One could argue that it's easy enough to order from some of the without having to depend on a cafè, and to an extent, that's true. Even so, if you still can't find it within yourself to forgive Panera Bread's pizza pull, consider trying the Toasted Italiano, instead.

It is by no means a replacement for actual pizza, but it's possible that the Italian-inspired ingredients (soppressata, provolone, pepperoncini, and Greek dressing) will satiate your tastebuds in the meantime. Charged Sips While some Panera Bread menu items were presumably discontinued on the sheer will of the company, others have more specific reasons for why they were pulled. Panera Bread's Charged Sips, including the Charged Strawberry Lemon Mint, Charged Lemonade, Mango Yuzu Citrus Charged Lemonade, and Blood Orange Charged Splash, were all taken from Panera Bread's menu due to several lawsuits claiming that the drinks' high caffeine content was causing undesirable health effects, including death, in some individuals.

The intensely caffeinated drinks were seemingly the perfect grab for non-coffee drinkers in search of a little pick me up, but some gulps may have contained a little more caffeine than necessary. A regular-sized Charged Sip could contain as much as 178 milligrams of caffeine, while a large size could get you up to 302 milligrams. For reference, the average cup of coffee contains only 95 milligrams of caffeine.

So, are there any similarly caffeinated Panera Bread drink replacements? Not really. As of the time of publication, most of the flavored tea and lemonade options contain little to no caffeine, with a regular-sized plain iced tea offering 75 milligrams. Thus, if you're looking for a pick-me-up in the form of lemonade, Panera Bread is no longer an option — but considering the alleged side effects of the previously discontinued drinks, that might be a good thing.

Asiago Focaccia Bread The Asiago Cheese Focaccia Bread is one of the beloved options that Panera Bread discontinued alongside a flurry of other menu items back in April 2024. As its name implies, the bread was chock full of flavorful asiago cheese, making it the perfect foundation for all your favorite Panera Bread sammies. All isn't lost though –- Asiago bagels and the new Black Pepper Asiago Focaccia are still available as of the time of publication.

And while some fans state that the new alternatives aren't quite the same as the old favorite, others claim that the Black Pepper Asiago Focaccia is actually an amazing and worthy replacement fully deserving of your attention. So, while Panera's traditional Asiago Focaccia Bread is gone for now, you do at least have a few alternatives to choose from. Whether or not you'll like those options as much as the O.

G. Asiago Focaccia Bread — we'll leave that up to you and your taste buds. Broccoli and Cheddar Macaroni Panera Bread's macaroni and cheese certainly stirs up cravings.

The chain has been serving up its rendition of cheesy mac for years but has made subtle changes to it over time, with various stir-ins featured to make macaroni and cheese fans go wild. And while Panera Bread hasn't discontinued its macaroni and cheese completely, they have gotten rid of several varieties, and that includes its Broccoli and Cheddar Macaroni. Panera Bread's Broccoli and Cheddar Macaroni had many fans, and of course, they aren't happy about its removal.

The bright side? Panera Bread Broccoli Cheddar Mac & Cheese still appears to be sold in stores, though you shouldn't be surprised if it's sold out at the retailer near you. As for whether or not it tastes the same as the kind sold in the Panera Bread restaurant, most customers seem to think so. According to reviews online, it tastes deliciously similar to the original.

If you must get your broccoli and cheddar cravings satisfied in-store, you may wish to consider the following hack — apparently, you can ask for Panera Bread to combine broccoli and cheddar soup with regular mac and cheese to achieve a similar flavor. We haven't tried it ourselves, but considering that the Panera Bread Broccoli Cheddar Mac & Cheese sold in markets claims to be a combination of the broccoli and cheddar soup and macaroni and cheese itself, we think the hack, as unusual as it sounds, might be worth trying out. Chicken Tortellini Alfredo Panera Bread might have done away with the Chicken Tortellini Alfredo, but fans still remember its deliciously rich flavor.

Some claim to have spent hours online trying to find a similar recipe as a last-ditch effort to recreate its magic at home. A combination of tender chicken and creamy Alfredo sauce over tortellini noodles, the Chicken Tortellini Alfredo has even garnered signatures from petitioners as early as a week prior to this publication demanding the dish be brought back. Unfortunately, the closest thing you'll get to Chicken Tortellini Alfredo pasta these days is the white cheddar mac and cheese, which does not include chicken, by the way.

Of course, there was once a BBQ Chicken Mac and Cheese (also discontinued), but, as you might imagine, it didn't quite pack the same essence as the chain's chicken tortellini. Ah, well. Our hope is that Panera Bread realizes its error and brings back menu items like these, especially given that there aren't great alternatives for it on the current menu.

Until then, homemade options like this might help stave you over until Panera Bread decides to bring back this deliciously creamy fan favorite. Mustard A sandwich shop without yellow mustard? Yep, its a thing — and patrons aren't happy about it. Though not technically a menu item like the other offerings on this list, yellow mustard was put on Panera Bread's chopping block a while back.

It's unclear exactly when this change happened, but we've spotted folks complaining about it from as far back as 2015. Those complaints continue with many shocked that such a change to the menu could take place. We took to the Panera Bread App to double-check that the rumors were true and sure enough, there was seemingly no option to add mustard as a condiment to any sandwich.

As for replacements, we don't know what to tell ya. You could always order a Panera Bread sandwich and take it home to top with mustard as you please, but of course, that won't always be feasible. Panera Bread currently has other flavorful condiments like apple cider BBQ, chipotle aioli, and garlic aioli at the time of publication, but if those don't fit the bill, you may need to head to another sandwich shop to get your mustard fix.

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