Panera Bread flipped its menu into fall mode on September 2, and the marquee addition swaps the usual pumpkin spice everything for a bowl of melted cheese. The bakery-cafe chain’s fall lineup centers on a new Three-Cheese Lasagna Soup, a real departure from the squash-and-spice formula regulars expect this time of year.
The soup layers Italian sausage and ribbons of lasagna pasta into a ricotta-tomato broth, finished with parmesan and an asiago topping. It shows up on the menu next to a French or Chicken Pesto Ciabatta Dipper, built for dunking rather than eating on the side.
You still get the fall standbys Panera didn’t touch. The Autumn Squash Soup, made with butternut squash, pumpkin, honey, cinnamon and a hint of curry, is back on the rotation alongside the Rustic Baked Potato Soup. Both return the way regulars remember them.
On the bakery side, Panera brought back a childhood lunchbox pairing instead of another caramel or chocolate item. The new PB&J Cookie packs a peanut butter cookie with a grape jelly filling and a dusting of powdered sugar. It launches next to new Cinnamon Croissant Bites, mini croissants finished with a cinnamon crunch topping, and the returning Chocolate Chip Bagel.
Key Points: What’s New on Panera’s Fall 2026 Menu
- Three-Cheese Lasagna Soup (new) — Italian sausage, lasagna pasta and parmesan in a ricotta-tomato broth with an asiago topping
- PB&J Cookie (new) — peanut butter cookie with grape jelly filling and powdered sugar
- Cinnamon Croissant Bites (new) — mini croissants with a cinnamon crunch topping
- Autumn Squash Soup (returning) — butternut squash, pumpkin, honey, cinnamon and curry
- Rustic Baked Potato Soup (returning) — potato, bacon and chives in a creamy broth
- Chocolate Chip Bagel (returning)
- Ciabatta Dippers — French and Chicken Pesto varieties
- Sandwiches — Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt, Toasted Italiano, Chicken Bacon Rancher
- Harvest Medley Salad — mixed greens, arugula, pumpkin seeds, mandarin oranges and beets
Scott Uehlein, Panera’s vice president of culinary, framed the lineup in the company’s announcement: “When the temperature drops, Panera is the place to go – we’ve crafted a seasonal fall menu that brings warm comfort, nostalgia and exciting new flavors.” QSR Magazine corroborated the rollout, reporting the same nationwide start date and menu roster in its coverage of the launch.
The full lineup is available now at every Panera bakery-cafe nationwide, for dine-in, delivery, Rapid Pick-Up and drive-thru. If your go-to fall order is the squash soup and a bagel, nothing changed for you. If you want to see what a three-cheese lasagna actually tastes like in soup form, this is the season to find out.
