A Cookie Blending Hack To Upgrade Panera Frozen Coffee
Panera Bread continues to be a well-known fast-casual restaurant, popular for its fresh baked goods, irresistible mac and cheese, and delicious coffee. With innovations like the Unlimited Sip Club, the company's subscription program that allows customers endless self-serve drinks, it's easy to see how this constantly evolving bakery-cafe rose to the 12th largest fast food chain in America in 2020 (via QSR Magazine).
But now it seems that the creative bug has rubbed off on customers, who have discovered a sweet hack for bringing their frozen Panera coffee beverages to the next level. This creation calls on an item from the bakery side to transform coffee into a drinkable dessert. The secret? Adding one of Panera's fresh-baked cookies into one of their cold brews.
The result, per Cheapism, is a sweet and creamy, delicious frozen drink with a boost of caffeine and a crunchy cookie twist. And if you're lucky, you can order it blended right in the cafe.
Hacking the drink menu
According to Cheapism, although the cookie hack is not officially recognized as a secret menu item at Panera, employees have been known to accommodate customers who ask for it, not minding the extra bit of work. However, your success with this dreamy coffee hack may vary depending on the store's location and policies. Either way, it may be worth a shot to get some extra sweetness in your indulgent frozen treat.
Alternatively, for those who prefer a more hands-on approach, you can order the coffee and cookie separately and blend it yourself. And, the cookie blending hack can be paired with another, more widely publicized Panera hack that will make your wallet happy. If you order a meal with a drink, any bakery item, including cookies, will cost you just 99 cents (via Insider).
The ultimate hack has less to do with how you choose to order and more to do with where you live: If you're one of the folks lucky enough to indulge in Panera's test of bakery-inspired milkshakes, including "The Kitchen Sink," "Fudge Brownie Swirl," and "Strawberry Cheesecake Swirl," you can enjoy the cold, the cookie, and the creamy all at once without having to ask for any special requests.