The Discontinued Holiday Food Starbucks Customers Miss

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Have you ever finally discovered your favorite item at a coffee shop or chain restaurant, only to have it be taken off the menu a few weeks later? Starbucks is notorious for introducing and retiring food and beverage items before some customers have even gotten to try them. Then all you're left to do is start sampling items again until you find one that hits just right. There are many discontinued foods at Starbucks that are sorely missed, with customers lamenting the loss of treats like the Morning Bun, Chocolate Hazelnut Croissant, Almond Croissant, and S'mores Frappuccino. Unfortunately, many of them are seasonal Starbucks items that we will never see again – and the Holiday Turkey & Stuffing Panini is one treat that has customers begging the chain to bring it back.

Starbucks' Holiday Turkey & Stuffing Panini (also referred to as the Thanksgiving Panini) was a grilled sandwich that was introduced in November of 2014. The chain called it "a classic holiday feast, re-imagined," and it featured roasted turkey, gravy, and herbed cranberry stuffing served warm on a focaccia roll. It was beloved by fans across the US, but in the fall of 2020, customers noticed that this seasonal item hadn't made its much-anticipated return to the Starbucks holiday menu.

It seems that the chain quietly discontinued this favorite Starbucks lunch sandwich without explanation. Customers were left to wonder in the comments of Reddit posts why it had disappeared, with some guessing it had to do with COVID-related supply chain issues, while others claiming it was still available in certain Canadian Starbucks cafés.

Luckily, you can make the Holiday Turkey & Stuffing Panini from Starbucks using a few leftovers and following copycat recipes found online. The recipe is actually similar to our own sweet and savory club sandwich, which includes roasted turkey breast and cranberry sauce. You'll just need to make a few adjustments like adding in leftover stuffing (or cornbread stuffing) and serving the sandwich warm on a toasted focaccia roll. You can make the cranberry sauce from scratch or just buy a pre-made preserve, like Mrs. Miller's Homemade Cranberry Jelly. However, Starbucks' version uses dried cranberries mixed into an herbed cornbread stuffing. 

You'll also want to heat up some leftover turkey gravy to use as an au jus for dipping to avoid making dry Thanksgiving sandwich. Some people even include cheese, like Brie or Swiss, even though Starbucks' Holiday Turkey & Stuffing Panini did not have cheese on it. The beauty of recreating this discontinued holiday sandwich at home is that you can customize it perfectly to your liking — and enjoy it any time you like.