Panera Bread's Best Pastry Will Get You In The Holiday Spirit No Matter What Time Of Year

The holidays are bright with days off work, delicious aromas filling our homes, and plenty of sweet treats to indulge in. Thanks to some of the baked goodies at Panera Bread, we don't need to wait for a seasonal date to partake in some of these delicious delights. After reviewing a lineup of Panera Bread's pastries, we were thrilled to experience one treat in particular that reminded us of the most wonderful time of the year.

Panera's pecan braid is heaven for lovers of pecan sandies and classic pecan pies. The braided pastry is woven with butter and sugar, and pecan pieces speckle the treat. If the perfectly baked dough that is crisped to perfection on the surface and soft and chewy in the middle doesn't send your taste buds into overdrive, the sugary glaze drizzled on the surface will have you dreaming of sugar plum fairies and boxes of unwrapped presents. Roasted nuts are sprinkled on top of this gem, rounding out the overall flavor profile of the pastry so that this treat isn't only a mouthful of sweetness but also delivers the right touch of earthy, savory texture.

While some pastries can turn into crumbling messes, Panera's beautiful pecan piece remains intact until it is completely devoured. And a devouring it is, so much so that netizens have taken it upon themselves to produce copycat recipes and post them online so these tasty morsels can be enjoyed alongside morning coffee and as after-dinner treats without a trip outside of the home. Should you feel ambitious and want to take on this kind of culinary task, you can replicate Panera's recipe to make a braided breakfast pastry that will last several days, if you can summon enough restraint. You can choose the kind of glaze you'd like to coat your pastry creation with and dress up your homemade treats with added sprinkles of cinnamon or cocoa powder, or flaky pieces of sea salt.

For those moments you want a taste of the holidays stat without needing to step foot in the kitchen, Panera Bread is ready to rise to the occasion. You may want to pick up an extra two or three pastries to reheat at home when sweet cravings strike — no need to wait for any particular date on the calendar to arrive.