The Best Panera Bread Bagels, Ranked
By Lana Kisner | December 12, 2023
Panera’s bagels are perfect for breakfast or afternoon snack. They come in a variety of flavors, and you can pair them with one of their cream cheese spreads for a sweet or savory treat. You can even order them in a “Bagel Pack” and mix and match the flavors, which makes them great for sharing. Here are all the bagels at Panera Bread ranked from worst to best. I also included my pairing recommendations for each bagel.
9. Cinnamon Crunch
Panera makes this bagel with cinnamon and vanilla-flavored chips and finishes with a cinnamon crunch topping. It will definitely satisfy any sweet tooth, but I like to enjoy this one in moderation. I usually pair it with butter, but you can use plain cream cheese to balance out the sweetness or even make it sweeter with honey walnut cream cheese spread.
8. Plain
Whether you’re in a sweet or savory mood, you can’t go wrong with a plain bagel from Panera. You can dress it up, dress it down, or toast it – whichever way you enjoy your bagel, you can get it with this option. Panera is known for its breads, so there’s no surprise that their plain bagel is delicious. It’s lightly sweetened with brown sugar but pairs perfectly with any of their sweet or savory cream cheese spreads.
7. Chocolate Chip
Freshly baked with milk chocolate chips, the Chocolate Chip bagel blurs the lines between breakfast, snack, and dessert. I highly recommend toasting it and adding some butter to treat your tastebuds with creamy, chocolatey goodness with each bite.
6. Asiago
This bagel is for all cheese lovers. It’s baked with chunks of asiago cheese melted inside and on top of the bagel. It’s perfect as a light breakfast or an afternoon snack when it’s toasted and buttered. This bagel is also featured in two of Panera’s breakfast sandwiches.
5. Blueberry
We’re now getting into the fruity bagel flavor territory. This recipe uses dried infused blueberries and blueberry flavors baked inside the bagel to double the fun. I love to pair this bagel with butter or the honey walnut cream cheese spread.
4. Multigrain Flat
There’s a lot to love about this bagel flavor. It starts as a multigrain bagel that includes whole wheat, rye, and seeds. These are topped with oats for additional flavor and texture. I recommend pairing it with the plain cream cheese spread.
3. Everything
The Everything bagel is a traditional flavor and one of my favorites. Panera’s version is topped with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried garlic, toasted onion, and kosher salt. I love this bagel with their chive and onion cream cheese spread, which perfectly complements the flavor of the toppings.
2. Sesame
The Sesame bagel is a true classic, and Panera’s version doesn’t disappoint. You should definitely toast this bagel to bring out the extra nutty flavors. I love pairing it with their honey walnut cream cheese, but you can have it with any cream cheese spread or butter, and it’ll just taste as delicious.
1. Cinnamon Swirl
The Cinnamon Swirl is my favorite bagel at Panera hands down. It has just the right amount of sweetness that doesn’t overwhelm you. It’s a sourdough bagel made with swirls of cinnamon, cinnamon-flavored chips, brown sugar, and raisins. I highly recommend pairing it with the honey walnut cream cheese for an explosion of flavors!
