Updated January 2023! A couple of years ago, Panera Bread announced the end of its dairy-free milk beverage upcharge. They were the third brand under the JAB Holding Company to give dairy-free coffee drinkers a break. The first two were Stumptown Coffee Roasters and Pret A Manger. The executives at Panera have also vowed to expand their plant-based offerings over time. That’s good news, especially since they already have a pretty big menu of dairy-free options for breakfast and lunch. We’ve outlined them below for your quick reference.
Panera Dairy-Free Menu Guide with Custom Order & Vegan Options
The BIG menu below is for their dairy-free options specifically. If you have vegan needs, jump ahead to our custom made Panera Vegan Menu.
Kids Menu: We didn’t break out the Kids Menu for Panera because it is quite big and is just smaller portions of many of the menu items below. The ingredients and components appear to be the same.
More Allergen & Special Diet Notes: All of the following items are peanut-free by ingredients. All are also tree nut-free by ingredients, except the items with nuts specifically in the title, and the Fuji Apple and Asian Sesame Salads (which can each be ordered without nuts). All of the breads, bagels, smoothies, specialty coffee drinks, and warm bowls listed below are egg-free by ingredients. The Chili and Vegan Soup are too, but their Chicken Noodle contains egg. For egg-free breakfast items and customizing sandwiches and salads without eggs, use the sauce, spread, topping, and dressings listed on the Vegan Menu.
Bread
- Artisan Ciabatta
- Black Pepper Focaccia
- Classic Sourdough
- Classic Sourdough Bowl
- Country Rustic Sourdough
- French Baguette
- Tomato Basil Bread
- White Whole Grain Bread
Heads Up! In addition to their cheesy bread, the Classic White Miche and Brioche Roll at Panera do contain dairy. Also, the Flatbread used for their Flatbread Pizzas contains milk.
Bagels
- Blueberry
- Everything
- Plain
- Sesame
- Sprouted Grain Bagel Flat
Heads Up! Most of the sweet bagels at Panera do contain milk, including the Chocolate Chip, Cinnamon Crunch, and Cinnamon Swirl & Raisin.
Baked Goods / Pastries
Heads Up! Panera’s Pumpkin Muffins were dairy-free, but they reformulated their recipe to include a butter blend and natural flavors that contain milk. They no longer have any dairy-fee pastries available, but you can make our Panera Copycat Vegan Wild Blueberry Scones at home – they’re easy!
Breakfast
- Avocado, Egg White & Spinach Sandwich on Bagel Flat (no cheese)
- Bacon & Scrambled Egg on Ciabatta (no cheese)
- Chipotle Chicken, Egg & Avocado on Ciabatta – Over Easy or Scrambled (no cheese)
- Sausage & Egg on Bagel – Over Easy or Scrambled (no cheese, sub dairy-free bagel)
- Sausage & Scrambled Egg on Ciabatta (no cheese)
- Scrambled Egg on Ciabatta (no cheese)
- Steel Cut Oatmeal with Strawberries & Pecans
Heads Up! The Eggs Over Easy, Scrambled Eggs, and Egg Whites at Panera are made without dairy ingredients and are cooked in canola oil, not butter. But, as always, managers or franchise owners can take liberties at individual locations. Always make sure no dairy butter is used on your order.
Soup
- Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup
- Turkey Chili
Heads Up! Aside from the notably cream and cheesy soups, the Vegetarian Autumn Squash Soup and Creamy Tomato Soup do contain milk. Also, the French Onion Soup contains butter in the soup itself, in addition to the cheese on top.
Lunch Sandwiches
- Bacon Turkey Bravo (no cheese)
- Deli Turkey
- Mediterranean Veggie (no cheese)
- Napa Almond Chicken Salad
- Roasted Turkey & Avocado BLT
- Smokehouse BBQ Chicken Sandwich (no cheese, sub dairy-free bread)
- Steak Arugula (catering only)
- The Signature Take Chicken Sandwich (no parm crisps, sub dairy-free bread)
- The Spicy Take Chicken Sandwich (no buffalo sauce, sub dairy-free bread)
- Toasted Frontega Chicken (no cheese, sub dairy-free sauce)
- Toasted Steak (no cheese)
- Toasted Teriyaki Chicken (seasonal)
- Tuna Salad
Heads Up! The Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt can be ordered without cheese and without chipotle sauce (another spread can be added), but it will no longer be chipotle or a melt!
Salad
- Asian Sesame Salad with or without Chicken
- BBQ Chicken Salad (sub dairy-free dressing)
- Caesar Salad with or without Chicken (no cheese)
- Citrus Asian Crunch Salad
- Cobb Salad with Chicken (sub dairy-free dressing)
- Fuji Apple Salad with Chicken (no cheese)
- Greek Salad (no cheese)
- Seasonal Greens with or without Chicken (catering only)
- Tomato Basil Cucumber Salad (catering only)
Dairy-Free Salad Dressings: Caesar, Greek, Asian Sesame, Lemon Tahini, Tangerine Soy Ginger, White Balsamic Apple
Heads Up! Panera Croutons are made with their Black Pepper Focaccia, and are made without any milk ingredients. Their Frizzled Onions are also made without dairy. Please verify in store if the Caesar Dressing at your location is dairy-free. It contains “nisin,” which can be derived from dairy. If so, the Caesar Salads can be ordered dairy-free without cheese.
Warm Bowls
- Teriyaki Chicken & Broccoli
- Baja Bowl with or without Chicken (no cheese, no Greek yogurt)
- Mediterranean Bowl (no cheese, no Greek yogurt)
Sides
- Apple
- Banana
- Fruit Cup
- Hard Boiled Eggs
- Kettle-Cooked Potato Chips
Sauces & Spreads
- Apple Cider Vinegar BBQ Sauce
- Chipotle Aioli
- Combo Sauce
- Garlic Aioli
- Horseradish Sauce
- Hummus
- Lemon Tahini
- Mayonnaise
- Mustard Horseradish
- Salsa Verde
- Signature Sauce
- Spicy Mustard
- Teriyaki Sauce
Heads Up! Though the Chipotle Aioli at Panera is made without dairy, their Chipotle Sauce contains dairy. Both are used on sandwiches. Their Buffalo Sauce, Green Goddess Dressing, and Market Tomato Bell Pepper Sauce also contains milk.
Smoothies
- Green Passion
- Peach & Blueberry with Almond Milk
Specialty Coffee Drinks
- Caffe Latte – hot or iced (sub almond milk)
- Chai Tea Latte – hot or iced (sub almond milk)
- Cinnamon Crunch Latte – hot or iced (no whip, sub almond milk) (seasonal)
- Madagascar Vanilla Almond Cold Brew (special order; no whip)
- Madagascar Vanilla Latte – hot or iced (no whip, sub almond milk)
Heads Up! The Madagascar Vanilla Syrup for their coffee drinks is dairy-free, but the Caramel and Chocolate syrups are not. The seasonal Cinnamon Bark Syrup and Cinnamon Sugar Topping appear to be made without any milk ingredients.
Vegan Menu for Panera Bread
We have outlined the vegan options in categories and included custom order variations.
Vegan Breads & Bagels
- Artisan Ciabatta
- Black Pepper Focaccia
- Classic Sourdough
- Classic Sourdough Bowl
- Country Rustic Sourdough
- French Baguette
- Blueberry Bagels
- Everything Bagels
- Plain Bagels
- Sesame Bagels
- Sprouted Grain Bagel Flat
Vegan Breakfast & Lunch
- Steel Cut Oatmeal with Strawberries & Pecans
- Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich (no cheese)
- Baja Bowl (no cheese, no Greek yogurt)
- Mediterranean Bowl (no cheese, no Greek yogurt)
- Asian Sesame Salad (no chicken, no wontons)
- Citrus Asian Crunch Salad (no chicken)
- Greek Salad (no cheese)
- Fuji Apple Salad (no chicken, no cheese)
- Seasonal Greens (catering)
Vegan Sides
- Apple
- Banana
- Fruit Cup
- Kettle-Cooked Potato Chips
Vegan Sauces, Spreads & Dressings
- Apple Cider Vinegar BBQ Sauce
- Asian Sesame Dressing
- Greek Dressing
- Hummus
- Lemon Tahini Dressing
- Salsa Verde
- Spicy Mustard
- Tangerine Sesame Vinaigrette
- Teriyaki Sauce
- White Balsamic Apple Vinaigrette
Vegan Smoothies & Coffee Drinks
- Green Passion Smoothie
- Peach & Blueberry Smoothie with Almond Milk
- Caffe Latte – hot or iced (sub almond milk)
- Chai Tea Latte – hot or iced (sub almond milk)
- Cinnamon Crunch Latte – hot or iced (no whip, sub almond milk) (seasonal)
- Madagascar Vanilla Almond Cold Brew (special order; no whip)
- Madagascar Vanilla Latte – hot or iced (no whip, sub almond milk)
Heads Up! The Chai Tea Concentrate, Sprouted Grain Bagels, Whole Grain Breads, and Tomato Basil Bread at Panera are egg-free, but contain honey.
This Post is for Informational Purposes Only
Menus, ingredients, kitchen procedures, management, food sourcing, and restaurant protocols are subject to change at any time. Always read the menu and discuss your dietary needs with the staff before ordering. Make sure they can accommodate your situation. This post is for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as advice.
There is always a risk for potential cross-contamination of allergens in any commercial kitchen. If cross-contamination is an issue for you, always speak with the manager to ensure that your meal can be safely prepared. Listings here do not guarantee that a restaurant is safe enough for your individual needs. Only you can make that decision.
Each location of a chain restaurant has different management and staff, and some might have different owners. This means differences in processes, ingredients used, menu options, and food sourcing can occur. Always verify the safety of your order for your needs at your current location.
Where to Find Panera Bread Company
Panera Bread Company has over 2000 locations, and they are all located in the United States and Canada. See their website below for addresses, hours, and online ordering.
Website: www.panerabread.com
Average Reader Review
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What Others Are Saying ...
items thatare dairy free
appreciate the list of foods that are dairy free
Dairy free
Dairy free
Thank you for having dairy free choices on your menu. I can’t have almonds so I would prefer an Oatmilk choice
Location specific
Panera aka Bread Co. here in St. Louis Mo, is usually an excellent restaurant locally. I have never had a bad experience at the one closest to me. Though I was heart broken when they changed the pumpkin muffin recipe, but thankfully the change was pointed out to me when I was ordering. Outside of St. Louis its been a very mixed bag of whether or not its safe. Worst experience was “you can just pull off the cheese”
They changed the recipe for Pumpkin Muffins so they are no longer dairy free.
My go to establishment for a dairy free option – delicious pumpkin muffin. The only pastry that was dairy free so what do they do, change the recipe and add butter. Thanks alot! I will have to find other options as I am not a bagel fan. And by the way, I never saw any update on this change in store. The last two times I bought pumpkin muffins I was sick for the next two to three days and never new why. Now I know. Adios!!
Response from Go Dairy Free
That’s disappointing they didn’t alert customers to a new recipe in store. We did update this a few months ago when alerted to the recipe change. I’m glad we were able to help you now, but so sorry you had bad expriences!
Very fresh food but please increase options for those with lactose issues.
For people with lactose intolerance, it’s helpful for an ingredient list to specify the type of milk product, such as condensed or powdered milk, whey, butter, or something that is solely an ingredient of aged asiago cheese. Some can tolerate aged asiago or aged parmesan due to the way it is made. I was previously very thankful that you had one type of dairy free muffin — pumpkin — but hearing now, that you changed it two months ago, explains alot. Wouldn’t it be best to have at least one dairy free option per category? I’m glad that almond milk is now the same price as other types of milk. I’m also thankful for the black pepper focaccia bread and the freshness of the food I’m able to eat. This article was very useful in highlighting changes so that people don’t become ill, over and over. I try to read and study ingredient lists before each online order, when possible. Thank you!
Response from Go Dairy Free
Panera does list ingredients. This is a guide for dairy-free specifically.
Found a vegan meal.
Came to Panera Bread yesterday for lunch the first time. As a vegan, I wasn’t sure what I would find to eat. After a few questions to the order taker, I had the ten vegetable soup. It came with a big piece of bread, and was very good. I’m here to double check, and I’m still pleased with the meal I had there.
Poorly informed
I called ahead to ask dairy free options. The sandwich I ordered not only had cheese on it, but also the bread I was told was dairy free is not. My daughter is lactose intolerant and it was her sandwich. I am most angry that I purposely called and was given dangerous misinformation. Panera’;s staff needs to be better versed with information like this.
Pretty Accurate!
I have worked at Panera Bread for 3+ years now and a couple months ago when I went dairy free I found our nutritional information binder at the cafe and wrote a list of everything that is dairy free and it matches up with yours well! As to the dressings, it is hard to regulate what allergens they are exposed to. Ideally, to-go dressing cups wouldn’t normally be contaminated with other allergens, but this isn’t always the case. If you are really sensitive to dairy (or anything allergy-wise), I’d advise someone to tell the cashier/online order that there is an allergy, because the people in the kitchen are much more cautious with what they touch/what things are put on the food when they are informed of an allergy.
On another note, I am seriously impressed by the variety of menu items you listed, as our menu varies every couple months, it’s nice to see a lot of variety in what we have!
Salad dressings
I can’t find the list of safe salad dressings? You used to have one I thought.
Response from Go Dairy Free
The dressings for the salads listed above are dairy-free. We can’t say what is “safe” for any one person. Unfortunately, they no longer list their salad dressings separately, so we will have to research that.
Missing information
Hello,
I was impressed by your thorough article and hoping to use it as a guiding point. However I did double check Panera’s menu and their sandwiches that include scrambled and over easy eggs do in fact have dairy products in them. This is common for most restaurants using liquid eggs but please be more careful in the future with what information you claim.
Response from Go Dairy Free
I’m so sorry if you are confused, but our information is correct and we are VERY careful! And indeed, their eggs are made without dairy! I think you looked just quickly at the allergen chart rather than looking at the ingredients and reading our listing carefully. Our lists are not just based on allergen charts. Whenever possible, we comb through ingredients and get more information from the company to give you a complete picture. Please note that for the breakfast items we state “no cheese” – you must order them without cheese. Their eggs are all dairy-free. Here are the egg ingredients: Scrambled Egg (Liquid Whole Eggs (Whole Eggs, Citric Acid [To Preserve Color]) and Over Easy Egg (Pasteurized Eggs, Soybean Oil And/Or Canola Oil). See no dairy! That said, it’s possible that some franchise owners could use butter on the grill. Always check at the location before ordering, and double check the ingredients before ordering. Also, we do not make “claims.” We are merely sharing information with you that comes direct from the company being covered. Remember, this is just a guide to offer you options and should not replace your own due diligence. But it is a correct and frequently updated guide (see the last updated date stamp)!
For More Dairy-Free Guidance, Get Go Dairy Free!
21 Comments
Just had the most terrible lunch at Panera’s. The sandwich I ordered didn’t even resemble what I thought I’d ordered and I took it back to see if they got the order wrong. Was informed it really was what I ordered. Tasted awful. Soup I wanted wasn’t available that day, but cashier never mentioned it when I ordered. She was extremely slow and people were back up even though wasn’t lunch time. Forgot to give us our drink glasses before leaving the front counter to go in the back, so had to go behind the end register to pull out cups. Had always enjoyed eating there, but not today!
Took my newly dairy-free daughter to Panera this morning for breakfast. The only allergen information they had handy for the customer was for peanuts/tree nuts. The cashier was very nice and helped us by looking up the food items in a giant binder. My daughter ended up settling for a blueberry bagel, as all of the sandwiches have dairy. A pleasant note, Panera offers almond milk (for an additional fee, but still…) as an option for lattes.
That’s great! Thank you for sharing this Emily.
It may be that Panera Bread once posted ingredients on their web site. But when I checked on 7/23/2015, ingredients were not posted. As far as nutritional information is concerned, all I found were calories, and macro-nutrients. Nowhere could I find allergen information – just a blanket policy statement. There was an “Eat Well Your Way” section of the menu that listed Vegan items. But there were no breads listed on the Vegan menu. As far as I can tell, a person with a dairy allergy would be limited to a few menu items that include: Steel-Cut oatmeal, a Green Passion Power Smoothie, Salad (without chicken, cheese, or croutons), Low-fat Vegetarian Garden Vegetable Soup, and Low-fat Vegetarian Black Bean Soup. Also, soups follow a daily rotation, so it’s possible that soup may not be an option on a given day.
Hi Steve, I just checked again and saw ingredients, allergens, etc on every menu item that I looked on via their website. As one other reader mentioned, perhaps you are looking at their mobile site. Via PC, everything is there.
I just visited Panera and the menu was extremely limited for vegan – all breads contain dairy :/- but I had a great server who helped me put a salad together that I could eat – I got it without the chicken since processed meats usually contain some form of lactic acid … No cheese or vinaigrette either
(I have a dairy allergy)
The Ciabatta bread has no milk!! I get the Italian Combo sandwich with no cheese and it’s awesome!
Thanks for sharing Miles!
There is just a blanket statement on allergens and not even ingredient lists available, and these links do not go to anything helpful. Makes me not want to eat here if they can’t publicize their info. I guess I will go and ask to see the binder.
Hi Alicia, I just double checked again, all ingredients are listed on their website for all the menu items that I clicked on (looked at some soups, breads, etc.)! Make sure you scroll down.
I was thinking the same thing as you, so I decided to see if – on the off chance – there were two different versions of the website.
My guess is that, like me, you’ve been checking Panera’s mobile site. Turns out that while their mobile site is completely useless for allergen info, they do in fact provide tons of info on their desktop site.
Hope this helps with all of the confusion!
That explains it! Thanks for checking on this Lia 🙂
I recently went to Panera to get soup for dinner and they listed on the giant in store menu which soups were vegan and had a big binder for employees to check ingredients and even offered to let me look through it. I got a yummy black bean soup with an apple on the side. Some of their breads are vegan, but I was in a rush and didn’t have time to look through the binder, that’s why I went with fruit. My experience was that the employees and manager were very accommodating even though they were busy. I was happy.
Fantastic! Thanks for sharing your experience Amanda!
They have gone back to their CYA blanket statement. I’m so disappointed in Panera.
That is disappointing! Is that in restaurant? On the website they still list full ingredients and an allergen alert for each product. They even note that cross-contamination is a possibility for many allergens.
they’ve made it really complicated to find something to eat. too bad, I was going to try them. I’m GF and DF, was so looking forward to the tortilla soup… will go somewhere else now. They don’t want me, I don’t want them….
If you go to http://www.paneranutrition.com, you can select individual items and see ingredients that way.
I have multiple food allergies and have always appreciated that Panera was the one fast food chain I could easily check ingredients. However, it looks like they may have removed the ingredient list from their website. Any ideas?
If you go into their store and ask to see the allergen binder, it still lists out all of the ingredients present in each food item. Most stores keep this binder pretty up to date, and the Panera online chat people are pretty good about fixing things if your local Paneras have let their binder get outdated.
Fantastic! Thanks for sharing Lia.