Sara Lee Bakery / Chef Pierre

Update Review, 2025

A year ago, I published my review of a slew of frozen pies from Sara Lee (some I found shockingly good, most were acceptably average), along with muffin reviews from their sister brand, Chef Pierre.  I thought I was done with Sara Lee, but then I stumbled upon their more upscale "bistro collection" ... which turned out to be another win.

Bistro Collection

"Bistro Collection® Gourmet Desserts are baked in small batches and decorated by hand to wow guests."

The Bistro Collection has some ho-hum items like dessert bars, but I was drawn to their individual size round desserts, although some of the layer cakes looked pretty enticing too.  The individual desserts are available in 4 varieties: chocolate peanut butter cream pie or key lime cream pie, or the two I tried, red velvet or tiramisu layer cakes.  I truly enjoyed them.

Individual Dessert Tiramisu Layer Cake (April 2025).

"Made with the finest ingredients, the Bistro Collection Tiramisu is a yummy, gourmet dessert option. This frozen cake has a flavorsome blend of mascarpone mousse, whipped cream, and cocoa."

"Light and airy sponge cake layered with espresso-flavored mascarpone mousse, whipped cream and cocoa."

Ok, so I have some mixed feedback on this.  Calling it "tiramisu" did set my expectations slightly, although they did call it a "layer cake", so perhaps that should have signaled more strongly to me that this wasn't really a tiramisu.  And yes, reading the description clearly says it has a sponge cake involved.  But, anyway, I went into it expecting, well, tiramisu.  That is, classic ladyfingers, an espresso soak, and rich thick mascarpone component.  This had none of those.

But it actually was quite good.  Just, not really tiramisu.

The base (about 1/3) of the dessert is a moist yellow cake.  It had a good crumb structure, was well baked, good basic cake flavor.  No real qualms with it, besides that it was cake, not the expected ladyfingers.  It also didn't have an espresso soak.  But it was perfectly fine cake. Higher end of 3/5.

Above that was the "espresso-flavored mascarpone mousse", which to me was really just a coffee mousse.  It had a decent coffee flavor, and great consistency.  However, I tasted zero mascarpone, although it is listed as an ingredient.  But tasty coffee mousse?   Absolutely.  4/5 even.

And finally, the topping, which to me tasted like a fluffy marshmallow frosting, but they call whipped cream.  It was incredibly sweet, in a marshmallow like way.  It was absolutely delicious, but very very sweet, and if you got a spoonful of just that, it was like eating a slightly more whipped form of Fluff.  I think dunking strawberries in it would be delightful.  3.5/5.

So put it all together, and you have a good cake, a tasty mousse, and enjoyable topping.  Is it tiramisu?  Absolutely not.  Do I even think it goes together all that well?  Eh, not sure.  But I did really enjoy the individual components, was happy to deconstruct another and use as 3 different desserts (cake with ice cream, mousse with fruit and whipped cream, and after snack fluffy topping with berries).  I'd gladly have another.  

Also, only 240 calories per serving, for a pretty large individual size.

Individual Dessert Tiramisu Layer Cake (May 2025).

A month later I had it again, and this time, I knew what to expect.

It was again quite good - the base cake was moist and not too airy, the coffee mousse was lovely consistency (although I'd love even stronger coffee flavor!), and the topping insanely fluffy and sweet.  Each layer enjoyable, easy to deconstruct into different desserts.  3.5/5.

Red Velvet Layer Cake (June 2025).

"Red velvet cake topped with cream cheese mousse, whipped cream and red velvet cake crumbs."

The Bistro Collection individual desserts layer cake line also features a quite similar looking red velvet cake, just with red components instead of brown.  Same fluffy white topping.  And it was equally good.

Moist red velvet cake, not particularly strong cocoa tang, but decent.  The layer above that was a thick cream cheese mousse, sweet but not too sweet, nice richness.  And the same fluffy very sweet whipped topping.  All layers were good, and much like the tiramisu cake, could be extracted to combine into other desserts, or consumed together as intended (personally, I really liked just warming up the red velvet cake and serving a la mode with vanilla ice cream, then spreading the cream cheese mousse on strawberries for a little snack, and using the fluffy whip on another dessert later, but that's just me being overly ridiculous).

Overall, 4/5, and it too is only 220 calories per serving, which again slightly surprised me.

Red Velvet Layer Cake (Oct 2025)

I gleefully snagged another of these when I saw them being served at an event a few months later.  They did have a slightly different look with even more red velvet crumbs on top.

The cake this time let me down a bit.  It was fine, not dried out, but just didn't have much flavor, and the crumb structure was a bit tight.  Again, fine, but not something I was particularly into.  I did again love hte sweet fluffy cream cheese mousse though, very light and airy, super sweet but in a way I was in the mood for, great tang.  So, 4/5 topping, very low 3/5 cake, kinda 3/5 overall really this time around.

Original Review, 2023-2024

You may start laughing now.  Yes, I'm reviewing Sara Lee.  Yes, that Sara Lee.  The Sara Lee that had that jingle that you probably thought said ".... nobody does it like Sara Lee", but it really said "Everybody doesn't like something, but nobody doesn't like Sara Lee"?  The Sara Lee that did really start as a bakery chain named after the founder's daughter, but grew into a huge corporation that sold tainted meat that caused deaths, and at one point included an apparel business among many other ventures, but then split back down into smaller companies to re-focus on their primary market.  The Sara Lee corporation still owns many food and beverage brands, a few of which I found interesting, including Ball Park Franks, Jimmy Dean sausages, Hillshire Farms deli meats ... yeah.  Dig into Wikipedia if you want to read all about the drama.   It is a fairly interesting story, of brands you likely know.

Nowadays, Sara Lee label itself is used for bakery items and frozen sweets.  Which is where I got interested.  Desserts? Baked goods? Who cares if they are frozen and low-quality? Who cares what drama the company has been through?  I love to try anything and everything in the dessert department.

The Sara Lee product line span a few categories: pound cakes, cheesecakes, cakes, pies, and breakfast sweets, but the pies and muffins are the only items I have tried.  If I could pick another product to try though, it would definitely be the streusel topped coffee cake or the cinnamon rolls.

Chef Pierre vs Sara Lee

"Chef Pierre has been baking fresh and delicious baked goods for commercial restaurants and diners for decades. The company is dedicated to remaining true to their original values and flavors, so they use time-tested recipes and real ingredients. Today, you can find Chef Pierre bakery products in restaurants, diners, grocery stores, and retail markets all over the United States.

If you’re looking to serve items like pie, croissants, cornbread, and other baked goods that feature traditional flavors, Chef Pierre bakery goods are the ideal choice. In recent years, Chef Pierre decided to remove artificial sweeteners and partially hydrogenated oils from their baked goods, which has resulted in better-tasting and more nutritious products. Additionally, Chef Pierre bakery products are all made with local ingredients when possible, which helps give them a fresh and premium flavor." 

It turns out, it is even more complicated than my brief history lesson above.  There is another player in the Sara Lee space, Chef Pierre.  The best I can tell, Chef Pierre was originally a sister company that distributed Sara Lee pies, and has actually been the producer of Sara Lee pies since 1979. They were originally marketed in the Midwest as Chef Pierre, and elsewhere under the Sara Lee brand.  You'll see both brands used now, although Chef Pierre tends to be for foodservice distribution, and Sara Lee a bit more consumer facing.  

Desserts

For desserts, the brands offer a variety of cakes, pies, and cheesecakes.  I've only had the pies.

Pies

For foodservice, Chef Pierre makes both fully baked and bake-and-serve varieties, in 8" and 10" varieties, available pre-sliced or not, depending on what you want for your operation and amount of effort you put in.  The Sara Lee branded retail versions are all fully baked and sliced.  The Chef Pierre range also has far more variety.

There are 3 categories of pies: Crème Pies, Fruit Pies, and Seasonal Pies.  The pies are all sold frozen.  I've tried nearly all of them.

Fruit Pies

"Sara Lee® Fruit Pies feature flaky, golden crusts filled with the finest fruit." -- Sara Lee 

For grocery retail, the fruit pies are all named "Oven Fresh", aka, "Oven Fresh Apple Pie", "Oven Fresh Blueberry Pie", etc, etc.  They make two types of apple (dutch or double crust), blueberry, cherry, raspberry, and peach. All but the Dutch Apple feature the signature double crust. The fruit pies are all frozen, and fully cooked, but designed to be warmed in your oven before serving, hence the Oven Fresh name I suppose.

"Traditional double crust pie crafted with carefully sourced ingredients. A high ratio of fresh, whole fruit slices to bits/pieces creates an ideal profile and eating experience." -- Chef Pierre

For foodservice, the range expands to include lattice tops (available with apple, cherry, or peach filling), a slew more double crust varieties (apple cranberry, apple "razzberry", blackberry, peach berry, caramel apple, caramel apple nut, rhubarb, strawberry rhubarb, "Wild Berry Blast with Zesty Lemon", "Fruits of the Forest"), no sugar added varieties of many, and a few in the "Krunch" lineup with crumble topping (apple, cherry, blueberry).

I've tried many from both brands, although mostly Chef Pierre.  And, well, I like them.  My stack ranking (best to worst): Blueberry Krunch, apple, blueberry, peach, cherry.  I'd gladly eat any again actually, but, the first three are dramatically ahead of the others.

Pumpkin and Apple Pies, November 2016.

The first time I had Sara Lee pie was at my office, when I walked by a conference room with tons of pie, whipped cream, and, rapidly melting ice cream sitting in it, unattended and unloved.  There clearly had been some kind of celebration, but the attendees did not do a good job of eating their pie!

I quickly took a photo, and sent a message out to the "extra food" mailing list in the office, so people could come enjoy pie.

It was only then that I tried a bite of each of the pies, which were apple and pumpkin.  The pies didn't look particularly good, so I just took small slivers, and started to walk away.

But ... I really liked the pies.  Both of them.  This was surprising in particular as I don't generally like apple pie (too much nutmeg).  I didn't get good photos, since I wasn't expecting to like them nor write this post, but, I remember turning right back around, going back into the room, and grabbing an entire pie pan full of a "Frakenpie", made up of both types, and then running away with it before anyone could judge me.  Finders keepers?

Apple, Blueberry, Cherry Pies (March 2017).

The next time I encountered the pies was Pi Day in my office, and we had an assortment of fruit pies.  This time I knew they were worth trying!

These pies all look the same at first glance, but, are actually three different kinds.  The nearest ones are apple, blueberry in the middle, and cherry on the end.

They are all good in a really strange way.  The defining element is certainly the crust.  There is a lot of crust on these pies, full double crusts, no lattice work, just, lots of crust.

The crust is a texture unlike any other pie I've had ... it isn't flaky and buttery.  It is a bit crumbly and crispy.  It is kinda ... chalky.  But I like it.  In a strange way.  I particularly like it when warm, with ice cream or whipped cream.

I know that makes no sense.  I don't know how to better describe these.  It is strange crust, but if you don't care that it isn't standard, actually bakery fresh crust, it is good in its own way.

Cherry Pie (November 2017).

"Brimming with juicy Montmorency cherries picked at the peak of freshness."

"Made with only our finest ingredients, Sara Lee Cherry Pie features a light and flaky crust filled with plump, juicy cherries picked at the peak of freshness." -- Sara Lee Retail Version

I first went for the cherry (because it was Pi Day, and I already had Blueberry Crumble and Classic Apple from Three Babes  earlier in the day, so I wanted something different).

Cherry Pie: Cross Section.

The cherry filling was simple, classic, sweet cherry goo. It wasn't trying to be anything more.  It had no complex flavor, no extra magic ingredient to make it pop.  I doubt the fruit was fresh.

And yet I liked the pie.  Sometimes, a simple cherry pie just has its place.  Particularly with whipped cream to balance the sweet. ***+.

Interestingly, when I had it several months later, I didn't care for it at all at room temperature.  It was just ... generic cherry goo (although, that crust I do like).

I tried warming it up to see how that would change things.  And it certainly did.  Warm, gooey, cherry ... uh, goo, with a tasty crust.  But I only really liked it when combined with equal parts ice cream or whipped cream (or both!).  It really had to be as much ice cream/whip as pie per bite to work, to balance the sweet.  ***.

Cherry Pie (November 2020).

"Our classic cherry pie filled with tart Michigan cherries between 2 golden tender flaky pie crust layers." -- Chef Pierre Version

I didn't have it for more than a year, never opting to get that pie, given where it fell in the "goodness" lineup compared to the others.

My reviews this time are very mixed.

The first time I had it this year, I was pleased enough.  Yup, sweet, generic style.  That I do like.  Soo much cherry goo.  I didn't have whipped cream nor ice cream when I had it though, so not quite glorious.  **+.

The next day I warmed up another slice.  I didn't like it warm, the fruit tasted odd.  It had a strange ... funk to it.  It was better cold with whip.  I wasn't very happy with it either way.  **.

Cherry Pie (December 2020).

A month later though, time for more cherry pie.  I guess places like to offer cherry pie around the holidays?  Cherry was never a pie my family really had, so it is still a bit novel to me to see it so commonly available.

This time it didn't have the strange funk to it.  It was ok cold with whip, I did want it warm a la mode.  I kinda liked the top crust on this one, but not the back.  Still just **+ though.

Cherry Pie (December 2020).

I didn't seek it out again later that month, but it came to me. So of course I had it.

Conclusion? Yeah, this isn't very good. It didn't have the "funk", but just isn't good.  Crust is very ... pasty, at least the top crust.  I liked the back crust more this time.

*+.

Apple Pie (November 2017).

"Made with only our finest ingredients, Sara Lee Apple Pie features a light and flaky crust filled with hand-picked, sun-ripened apples tossed with cinnamon."

"Filled with hand-picked, sun-ripened, fresh apples tossed with cinnamon and sugar."

Back to the first cherry pie encounter, 2017.  When I saw there was still plenty leftover, I also took a slice of apple, to bring home and enjoy later.  And enjoy I did.

Again, same strange crust that I actually like.  The filling is sliced apples, soft but not mushy.  The apples are surrounded by sweet spiced goo, with plenty of cinnamon, but not too much.  No other seasoning.  Simple, classic, and again, it has its place.  Don't judge.  It was excellent warmed up with a little bit of ice cream and whipped cream. ***+.

Sara Lee actually makes two different apple pies, this one, the "Oven Fresh Apple Pie" which is just like the other fruit pies with the double crust, and a "Oven Fresh Dutch Apple Pie" with a streusel topping.  Even though I do like the strange crust, I'd love to try the other style sometime too, because, who am I to say no to streusel?

Apple and Cherry Pies (June 2018)

I had the apple again the next year, when we had it for Thanksgiving.  I skipped it alongside the feast (we had 11 pies to choose from, so, apple wasn't at the top of my list), but saved a slice for breakfast the next day.

I really liked it for breakfast, both cold (I couldn't wait!) and warm, sans whipped cream even.  Don't judge.  ****.

Apple Pie (2019).

The same was true later in the summer, when we had it yet again.  Great cold for breakfast.  Good warm with ice cream or whip.  It is just a winner.  Yes, we keep requesting it!  ****.

Update review: we had it again as part of our holiday pie lineup in 2019, and, although it wasn't the pie I choose to eat alongside my feast, you know I saved a slice for breakfast, and again just loved it cold in the morning.  The apples have the right "bite" the spicing is good and I do like the crust.   ****.

Peach Pie (August 2018).

"A golden filling of luscious, orchard-grown peaches fill our tender, flaky crust."

The peach pie was the last that I tried, never a top priority for me for some reason.

It looked identical to all the other fruit pies, double crusted, same crust that is just odd, but strangely good.

Peach Pie (August 2018).

I, uh, plated it up all real nice for myself, in the pie pan of one that had been depleted.  Don't judge.  Its way more fun to eat this way.  I promise.

The filling was definitely "peaches from a can quality".  They were cut the same size, were the same color on all surfaces, were soft but not too mushy, and were in a very, very sweet goo.  Very clearly not made by hand, not with peaches of assorted ripeness, just no real character to it at all.  And wow, so sweet.

It was what it was, matching the style of all the other pies, really, but this time I didn't love it.  I liked it, but, it wasn't amazing.  And needed *lots* of whipped cream to balance the sweetness!  ***.

Blueberry Pie (November 2018).

"Bursting with plump, summer-sweet, wild blueberries."

The blueberry pie was exactly like the other fruit pies.  Double crusted, tons of crust, strange crust, but I didn't mind it when dunked in copious whipped cream.

The filling is average sized blueberries (e.g. not small Maine blueberries, not large juicy ones), in a sweet goo.  Not fresh amazing fruit, no question, but, I still like it.

This was good cold with whipped cream.  It was better warm with vanilla ice cream.

This was a winner, and one I'd gladly order again.  Of the fruit pies, second only to the apple (for breakfast). ****.

Blueberry Krunch (November 2020).

"The All-American blueberry pie filled with ripe northern Michigan blueberries, finished with a rich and crunchy streusel topping."

I finally got to try a Krunch version, with a lovely crunchy streusel on top.  It was even better than the double crust version, and my hand's down favorite of every fruit pie I had.  Far better than I ever expected.

Great blueberry filling, sweet but not cloying (but yes very sweet), soooo gooey.  It was very nice warm with ice cream, just, classic and good.

And the crumble!  Buttery and sweet, huge chunks.  I really liked it.  So much better than double crust.

As for the rest of the crust (back/bottom), it was fine, a more crumbly texture than the other versions.  Not great, not awful.

The warm pie and topping, minus the back crust crust, with ice cream ****.  A better crust would have made this ****+.

Didn't try it cold with whip but I think that would be great too.

Seasonal Pies / Nut Pies

"Sara Lee® Seasonal Pies deliver the traditional tastes that have become synonymous with certain times of the year. Celebrate these seasons with the pies that are sure to please." 

The seasonal Sara Lee pie lineup is the most exciting to me, with pumpkin, southern sweet potato, southern pecan, and mince, all also dubbed "Oven Fresh".  The pecan is suggested to just thaw and serve, and the others should be baked, including helpful instructions like "The key to pumpkin pie is not to overcook it."

The Chef Pierre lineup has all of the same as Sara Lee (although their pecan pie is just "pecan", not "Southern pecan"), plus a few other nut pies (turtle - pecan and chocolate, "dream bar" - coconut, pecans, chocolate, and cinnamon walnut whiskey).

As a seasonal pie lover, this category really made me happy, although I wasn't able to try the mince ... yet.

Pumpkin Pie (2016).

"A traditional favorite with rich, smooth pumpkin and our special blend of cinnamon and spices."

Pumpkin pie has been part of my life as long as I can remember.  My mom always makes pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  She also makes about 10 other pies, and we always have TONS leftover to enjoy over the next few days, but since it has one of the shortest shelf lives (compared to fruit pies and nut pies), we always make a point of eating it first.  And for me, uh, sometimes that means for breakfast.  Really though, of all the holiday pies, pumpkin really is the healthiest!

Anyway, my mom always made the classic Libby's pie.  Not the one made with "pumpkin pie filling", but the one made with canned Libby's pumpkin, and the recipe on the back of the can.  She tried many other recipes over the years, many far more complicated, roast-your-own-pumpkin recipes, but always kept coming back to Libby's, and has determined it is the best.  So, for me, pumpkin pie is a pretty simple classic.

And this pie was very much like that.  Smooth, creamy pumpkin, with the usual spices.  I could taste the expected cinnamon and nutmeg, and the spices were fairly strong, but not too dominant.  There really was just nothing offensive about this pie.  Simple, and classic.

Well, ok, there is something offensive.  The ingredients.  Most pumpkin pie recipes call for pumpkin and spices obviously, and white sugar, eggs, and evaporated milk.  This though?  The second ingredient is whey.  The third is high fructose corn syrup.  There is also regular corn syrup and dextrose.  Clearly, a commercial product.

But still, I enjoyed this pie, more than I really want to admit.  ***+.

Pumpkin Pie (2017).

"Made with only our finest ingredients, Sara Lee Pumpkin Pie features a light and flaky crust filled with rich, smooth pumpkin and our special blend of cinnamon and spices."

Another year, more pie.

I liked this less this year, as I found the spicing a bit too aggressive.  It wasn't bad, just, very, very spiced.

The pumpkin was still creamy though, and the consistency was good.

Mediocre slightly cardboard like crust. ***.

Update Review (2018): I had it again the next year, and again wasn't quite sure how I felt about it.  The texture, the creaminess, those were perfect.  But it was a bit more spiced than I wanted, really, I think I was just over "pumpkin spice" at the time. ***-.

Pumpkin Pie (2019).

Another year, another pumpkin pie.  I again just was not into it as much as the other pie options.  Again, too spiced.  And this one seemed a bit over cooked, a firmer texture. **+.

Sweet Potato.

"Made with only our finest ingredients, Sara Lee Sweet Potato Pie features a light and flaky crust filled with tender sweet potatoes and a blend of nutmeg and cinammon."

The sweet potato is a lighter color than the pumpkin, but similar good creamy consistency.  Very mildly spiced compared to the pumpkin, with a slightly different set of spices.

The sweet potato was a more mild flavor in general too, more like, well, mashed sweet potatoes than squash.

At room temperature, I didn't really care for this that much (cold sweet potatoes is just ... strange), but once I warmed it up, it was a satisfying, slightly savory (but still quite sweet), not so decadent, treat.  Like pumpkin pie, it took whipped cream well.

I thought it was fine, but I think I preferred the pumpkin. ***.

Southern Pecan.

"Made with only our finest ingredients, Sara Lee Southern Pecan Pie features a delicious flaky crust filled with Southern-style rich filling and loaded with crunchy, toasted pecans." -- Sara Lee Retail

And then ... pecan.

I loved the pecan pie.  Pecan is usually one of my favorite pies, and this was exactly the style of pecan pie I like - super sweet, loaded with gooey filling, topped with full pecan halves.  Did I mention, crazy sweet?

It is all about the corn syrup sometimes, and this one delivers in that department.

It is also a pie that *needs* whipped cream or ice cream.  You have to balance the sweet with something, so, sorry, this pie, notorious for being one of the highest calorie pies you can eat, needs more.  It is glorious warm with vanilla ice cream melting in to it.

If you prefer your pecan pie room temp/chilled, or just don't want to take the time to warm it, it also works that way fine too, but in that case, I always pick whipped cream, as for me, it is all about the hot and cold combo with my pie and ice cream.  But that is just my way.  You do you. ****.

Southern Pecan (2019)

I've had this several more times, and all times enjoyed, but do always find it quite sweet, and needing ice cream or whipped cream to pair with it.  Warm with ice cream is definitely my favorite way.  ****.

Pecan (November 2020).

"A tender golden flaky crust is filled with naturally sweet filling, topped wall-to-wall with delicious pecan halves." -- Chef Pierre

Um.  Um.  This is *not* a slice of pie!!!  This is a nibble.  I know pecan pie is high calorie, and people like to take small slices, but, um ... nibble!  A nibble!  (I purchased this from a store, not my slicing job).

Anyway.  Again, a decent enough pecan pie, classic, gooey and sweet.  The crust was a little bit over cooked, and it is the hard style, I still liked it. 

There is nothing remarkable about this pie, but pretty solid standard execution. I will gladly eat more of it.

***+.

Pecan (December 2020).

Luckily, the next time I got a slice, from the same place, it was a proper size.

I again really did enjoy it.  Sweet, definitely needs some whipped cream alongside, but, I really truly enjoy it.  The filling is soft, classic pecan pie filling, gooey and sweet, and the crust, not remarkable, not flaky, but somehow I do kinda like it sometimes.

Enjoyable, but, you need the whip, and need to take it slow.  Side note: also goes great with red wine!

***+.

Cream Pies

"Whether it is ready-to-serve or thaw and serve, it doesn’t get any easier than Sara Lee® Crème Pies. Enjoy these favorites, perfect for any season!"

For creme pies, Sara Lee makes banana, chocolate, coconut, key lime, lemon meringue, and "turtle" with caramel and pecans.  I can't help but laugh at the crème vs cream distinction.  No simple banana cream pie here, nope, these are banana crème pies!  The crème pies are made to be served either frozen or thawed in the fridge before serving.  They are basically pudding pies, e.g. no real banana slices in the banana cream, and all have whipped cream on top.

Chef Pierre on the other hand is where the fun begins.  And I really do mean that.  This line up actually seems entirely different, even where there is overlap (e.g. banana cream), the topping style is different.  The offer banana, lemon, coconut, strawberry, and chocolate, all under the "Classic" style.  And some meringue versions (lemon, chocolate, coconut, key lime), and some no sugar added.  But it is the layered pies that caught my eye as more interesting, with a chocolate cream layer pie with 3 different chocolate layers and a cookie crust, or, um, the chocolate mint cream with chocolate cookie crust, chocolate layer, mint layer, and cream layer ... or the Gourmet Silk chocolate peanut butter ...

Then there is the lofter, fluffier, "Crème de la Cream" line, again with banana, chocolate, and coconut varieties (but now actually featuring more actual banana, etc), plus some stunners - like the cookies & cream or Fruit de la Cream Strawberries & Cream.  

From both brands, all are thaw and serve.

I haven't tried any of the Sara Lee offerings, but, omg, the Chef Pierre ones are extraordinary.

Fruit de la Cream Strawberries & Cream.

"We start with a graham crust, a decadent layer of strawberry cream with real strawberry chunk, finished with real dairy whipped cream."

One bite and I was sold on Chef Pierre cream pies.  

This is good.  Really good.

Crumbly sweet crust.  It didn't hold together but who cares.  Fruity creamy strawberry pudding with real bits of strawberry throughout.  Ridiculous sweet fluffy whipped cream.  Looked homemade even.

I liked this.  Really liked it.  Needed no embellishment.  Just, great as it was.

****.

Chocolate Mint Cream.

"We start with a chocolate cookie crust piled with chocolate and mint fillings, finished with chocolate whipped cream and topped with chocolate shavings."

I saved the best for last.

This was good.  Very good.

Crumbly chocolate crust, thick chocolate pudding, mint pudding, fluffy milk chocolate whipped cream, shards of chocolate.

The chocolate crust was mostly like crushed Oreo-like, not what I go for normally, but it went well in this context.  I liked to mix it in with the creamy layers for some texture.

The chocolate pudding layer was quite thin, which is a bit unfortunate, as I wanted more chocolate (although there were plenty of other chocolate components too obviously).  It was thick and chocolately, rich pudding, and I liked it quite a bit.

The mint layer was the standout, really great mint flavor, thick pudding style, and even though dominated by so many chocolate layers, this one actually really did come through.  I adored the minty flavor.  A shame this layer too was fairly thin, but also didn't extend as far back.  But so good.

And finally, the fluffy chocolate whipped cream, super sweet, but it it was sooo light and really completed the whole thing.  As did the chocolate shards.

This pie really just came together beautifully. It reminded me of dirt cake in many ways, but just so much better, and I loved the mint aspect.

Summary? So freaking good.  Minty, chocolately, delicious.  Best super chilled.

****+.

Cobbler

Chef Pierre also offers cobblers and dumplings, for a break from pies.  Cobblers come in a large assortment (apple, blackberry, blueberry, peach, cherry, strawberry), while dumplings only come in apple form.

The pies were glorious.  But the cobbler on the other hand ... not so much.  Although to be fair, the peach pie was my least favorite too, and the only kind of cobbler I tried.

Peach Cobbler.

"Ripe sweet peaches in a rich slurry, sit below a tender flaky pie crust layer, giving this cobbler a sweet homemade appeal."

This was pretty meh. 

Much like the pie, the peaches were kind of seemed like from a can, and the topping didn't have much flavor to it.

I didn't hate it, but it certainly wasn't very good.  Shockingly, it was even worse warm.

**+

Peach Cobbler: The Peaches.

Here you can see the peaches, and way too much cobble.

Meh I say.

Breakfast Baked Goods

Then there are the breakfast baked goods, including muffins, cinnamon rolls, and danishes.

Muffins

The muffins are all distributed under the "Chef Pierre" brand.   Muffins are available in a smaller 2 ounce size or larger 4 ounce full size, individually wrapped or not.  All are fully baked, just ready to thaw-n-serve.  They make all the classic flavors: blueberry, banana, banana nut, bran, carrot nut, lemon poppyseed, corn, apple cinnamon, along with fun ones like chocolate chip, double chocolate, cheese streusel, cinnamon pecan, and cookie dough.  Some in streusel topped varieties, others with whole wheat base options.  There are about 40 options total.  I've tried an assortment.  I'd gladly try more (like the carrot nut, cheese streusel, and cookie dough!)

Assorted Muffins.

These muffins are a staple of foodservice vendors, I've frequently seen them at hotels, cafes, and gas stations.  Honestly, they aren't bad.

Apple Cinnamon, Large 4 Ounce.

"Few things in life are more tempting than a soft, fresh-baked muffin. Our apple cinnamon muffin is filled with the perfect amount of delicious Michigan Rome apples topped with crumbly butter oat streusel for a sweet crunchy taste."

When I took this one, it came individually wrapped by the hotel in plastic wrap, so I was not sure what kind it was.  I expected something like banana nut, but it turned out to be ...  apple cinnamon, with a slight streusel top.

It was a decent enough muffin, quite moist.  I love a fresh baked muffin with a crispy top, and this had a soft, slightly mushy top instead, but it worked for the style.

The top obviously was um, *not* generously coated in streusel, just a slight scattering of oats and a few flecks of crumb.

Inside however is where it got interesting.

Apple Cinnamon: Inside.

Yes, inside I found that it actually was two types of muffin dough, swirled together.  Both seemed to be the same flavor, but I think the dark one was supposed to be cinnamon.  The cinnamon flavor was not very strong.

And the apple?  Instead of just little chunks throughout, it was actually *filled* with apple pie goo!  Sometimes a goo/filling like this can be extremely generic and off-putting, but this was actually quite good.  Soft but not mushy apple, well spiced.  I kinda liked just eating it with a spoon with some whipped cream.

Overall, a better than average muffin, and I liked it best warm, with butter.  ***+.

Banana Nut. 4 Ounce.

"Made with real bananas for a moist treat, topped with crunchy walnuts."

The banana nut muffin was ... well, a banana nut muffin.  Better than average hotel buffet?  It was quite moist.  Good banana flavor, present but not overwhelming.  Tasted like real banana.  Sweet but not too sweet.  Nothing tasted fake nor too processed.  Slight crunch from some nuts (pecans and walnuts), although I'd like more.

Was it a fresh made muffin?  Nah.  But it really was a petty good version of a classic, and I think anyone would be convinced it was baked on-site, that is, if they didn't have them sitting out in the wrappers like this.  ***+.

I noted that it didn't taste processed, but, reality is, these *are* mass produced highly processed muffins.  Vegetable oil, high fructose corn syrup, all sorts of gums and ingredients I can't make sense of *do* abound, at least in small quantities.  That said, it is certainly no worse for you than a baked good from any chain coffee shop or bakery (e.g. Starbucks, Panera), lower calorie and about half the fat.

Bran Muffin.  4 Ounce.

"A moist bran muffin base, sprinkled with natural oats for a made-from-scratch appearance."

And next, bran.  This really did look sorta homemade, with the oats strewn about the top.  

It was a reasonably average bran muffin.  No surprises like raisins, no particular depth of flavor from molasses, but, a solid, reasonable, muffin.  ***+.

[ No Photo ]

Small Muffin Blueberry. 2 Ounce.

"Sweet, juicy wild blueberries packed inside each muffin, providing intense flavor and superior moistness."

The blueberry muffin I somehow failed to get a photo of, but it was one of the mini size, and came streusel topped.  Before I found out about the other individually wrapped ones, I actually *did* believe it was baked in house at the hotel I was staying at, so, good on ya, Chef Pierre!

It too was a fine muffin.  Moist.  Juicy little berries.  I liked the bit of streusel on top, although there wasn't much.  I liked to dunk this one in sugar, how I always had my blueberry muffins as a child for some reason.

A decent muffin. ***+.

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Pastries from Panera

Update Review, 2025 Visits

Another year, another birthday freebie treat to redeem at Panera, so I tried a new item fairly randomly, and then returned a few days later for another new item when they gave me another random free credit.  Both were average, but fun to try new things.

Cranberry Orange Slice. $4.59.

"A flavorful slice of cake with whole cranberries and sweet orange flavor, sour cream, and sprinkled with coarse sugar."

I often talk about how I don't like lemon/lime/citrus forward desserts.  And about how I dislike raisins and dried cranberries.  And how there is little place in my life for a loaf cake, a non-frosted cake.  And yet ... this year, for my birthday freebie, I chose to get just that: a citrus forward, non-frosted, loaf cake slice with dried fruit.  I was really strangely craving it, having had some really good lemon blueberry muffins a week prior, and a strangely good marble loaf cake a few days prior.  This just really called out.

And it did meet my mood.  It was moist.  The pearl sugar on top gave a nice extra burst of sweetness.  It tasted processed, and not like my mom had just made it, but not overly so.  The orange flavor was definitely the first thing I tasted, but it was a pleasant flavor, and what I was in the mood for.  The cranberries were nicely tart, and added a bit of sweetness.  All together, it was exactly what I wanted it to be, which was basically like a breakfast muffin, just in loaf shape rather than baked in a muffin tin.  Definitely not a cake nor proper dessert, but a nice morning item.  3.5/5.

Brownie Bite. $1.99.

"A mini chocolate fudge brownie topped with chocolate chips and brownie crumbles."

The brownie bite really is just that, a bite (ok, 2-3 bite) small treat.  It is covered in the brownie crumbles that are a slightly crunchy/firm style, not like a soft gooey brownie, but this makes sense for a coating, and adds good texture.  The description said it would be topped with chocolate chips too, but I didn't find those, perhaps mixed with the brownie rubble?

Since these are so small, they are also available in a 3-pack for $5.

Brownie Bite: Inside.

What is most interesting about this is what is under that crumble coating.

Yes, there is a brownie-like layer, but also ... a filling?  The description doesn't mention a filling.  And if you look at the ingredients for this, they say, as ingredient #1, "brownie cheesecake bite", yet the name of this is just "brownie bite" on the menu, and the description just calls it a brownie, no mention of cheesecake anywhere.  Yet there is most definitely cream cheese in this, and it is a very cheesecake forward item, as the entire center is a mild chocolate cheesecake.  So if you get this expecting what they describe, a fudge brownie, you'll be sad.  But if you want a bite of chocolate cheesecake with a little extra brownie alongside, this is for you.

I found it enjoyable with some whipped cream and raspberries, and would get it again if I had a free sweet treat on my account or something, but wouldn't seek it out otherwise.  3.5/5.

Update Review, 2024 Visit

Panera added a few new menu items in summer 2024, and most were a bit over the top.  Clearly trying to get attention.  Like the CinnaTops product line, that is full cinnamon rolls, topped with standard icing, and then either cookies (chocolate chip or candy chip, your choice) and more icing.  I'm all for mashups, but this didn't really seem like one that made sense.  They don't get particularly great reviews, but I still wanted to try.

Fudgy Brownie CinnaTop. $4.99.

"A deliciously crafted cinnamon roll made with our sweet dough, stuffed with cinnamon-sugar filling and topped with decadent icing, brownie chunks and finished with an icing drizzle."

Reviewers all say the brownie is the best of the bunch, and, since I never liked Panera's chocolate chip nor candy cookie as standalone treats anyway, that seemed like the best choice for me given the 3 options.

It was even more ridiculous when I saw it in person.  Yes, the base was an extremely large cinnamon roll, and it had 8 large hunks of brownie on top.

This was my first time trying a Panera brownie.  I believe this is the regular brownie, just chopped up.  Mine had 8 well arranged hunks on top.   The brownie was fairly moist, and pretty generic.  Rich and fudgey, and probably what I'd like better warm and a la mode, but I'm not generally one for brownies (I prefer blondies, or if I'm going for warm chocolate carb dessert a la mode, I prefer a nice chocolate cake as my base).  But nothing wrong with it.  Low ***.

Fudgy Brownie CinnaTop: Side View.

The amount of icing was ... um, over the top.  Er, over the sides?

Marketing Images.

For context, the marketing images show the icing on top, but not fully extending over the edges, still revealing a bit of cinnamon roll, which mine did not.  I think someone was over-zealous with the icing application on mine.

Now, getting to the base roll itself, which I was assuming was just the regular cinnamon roll I've had before a few times, however the moment I saw it I realized something had changed.  

Cinnamon Rolls: Old (left), New (right).

Yes, the base looked totally different from what I expected, and it turns out, about 5 months prior, in March 2024, Panera reformulated the cinnamon rolls, to be far less lofty and doughy.  The old ones (above, left) required proofing overnight, were baked in a pan and cut out, and were far more work for the bakers.  Now, they just bake from frozen (right).  My sources (e.g. Panera staff members on Reddit) say the icing is unchanged, which made me hopeful, as I liked the icing before.  I definitely prefer the more lofty style, but I was always let down by that element previously, so, hey, maybe this is a better change?

Fudgy Brownie CinnaTop: Cross Section.

I dug in first at room temperature, as served, but fully intended to warm it up too.

The pastry part was pretty lackluster, more of a danish/croissant dough than the puffy dough I prefer in a cinnamon roll.  It did not taste particularly fresh, even though I picked this up at 10am.   It did have plenty of cinnamon between the folds.  But, a pretty mediocre pastry really.  ** base.

The icing was the best part, it was sweet but not crazy cloying, and seemed to have light lemon notes to it?  I actually quite enjoyed the icing, comical quantity and all.  It was however quite hard.  *** icing.

So, what do you get when you put together a mediocre danish-style cinnamon roll, decent icing, and a generic brownie?  Yeah, this.  I wasn't particularly compelled to finish it, nor to get another.  **+ overall.

The regular cinnamon roll is 520 calories, and the brownie 470, so I guess it isn't a full size brownie, as this is "only" 790 calories, so I guess ~60% of a brownie?

Update Review, 2021 Visit

Vanilla Cinnamon Roll. $3.89.

"A freshly baked roll made with our sweet dough, stuffed with cinnamon-sugar filling and topped with decadent vanilla icing."

For my birthday freebie this year, I was in the mood for sweet, and was thrilled to see Panera still had cinnamon rolls when I visited in late afternoon (I got the last one!).  But uh ... I didn't like it very much.

I took a bite at room temp, and felt fairly "meh" about it, just like before - the dough was just boring, and yes it had plenty of cinnamon sugar filling between the folds, but it was just ... eh.  And the very very plentiful icing was just too sweet.

Still, I remembered liking it better heated, so I heated it up.  It looked great, the icing slightly melty.  But ... it still was just ... ok.  Not bad, but not very good, and not something worth nearly $4, or 650 calories ... (that said, now that I read my past review, I think I felt pretty similar, I just "saved" it that time by adding ice cream.

I probably wouldn't get this again. **+.

Update Review, Early 2020

Yup, yup, yet another update review of the pastries from Panera, as I continue to work my way through their reformulated offerings.  See below for all my prior reviews.

Chocolate Croissant. $3.29. (Sept 2019)

"A freshly baked, perfectly flaky butter croissant stuffed with chocolate flavored cream cheese and topped with a chocolate flavored drizzle and powdered sugar."

When Panera re-vamped the bakery goods last year, they *radically* changed the chocolate croissant.  In very non-traditional ways.

Just looking at it, and reading the description, you can tell this is not a standard chocolate croissant.  Most chocolate croissants, or pain au chocolat, are rectangular, and filled with 1-2 bars of chocolate.  This was more  shaped like a traditional croissant, except covered in chocolate "flavored" drizzle and powdered sugar, and, um, filled with "chocolate flavored cream cheese".

The pastry itself is indeed improved from the past.  It was not oily, spongy, or stale.  The outside was slightly golden brown, and had a slightly crisp exterior.  Inside was moist, and faintly buttery.

I wanted more flaky layers, more significant butter flavor, but it was certainly better than what I've had anywhere like Starbucks, or hotel breakfast buffets.

The powdered sugar on top I don't think added much (besides messy fingers), but I did like the chocolate "flavored" drizzle, as I was really in the mood for chocolate when I got this.

So, I rate the croissant itself above average, but not the same calibre as a real bakery. *** so far.

 Chocolate Croissant Inside.

The filling however is the part I was most interested in.  As I said, I was really in the mood for chocolate, and I was curious what this would deliver.

What is "chocolate flavored cream cheese" anyway?

The answer seemed to be ... soft chocolate paste.  I liked the chocolate flavor, and the consistency was good, kinda like dipping bread into soft chocolate, but I didn't taste anything vaguely cream cheese like.  That was fine with me, but if you wanted to taste cream cheese, this wouldn't do that for you.

I liked the filling, but you need to know this is not standard chocolate croissant filling, and, despite the description, isn't really cream cheese-y.

I'm glad I tried this item, I enjoyed it enough given the chocolate-y mood I was in, but I wouldn't order another. ***+.

Update Review, January 2019

Hot on the heels of my amazement last month that Panera introduced basically kouign aman to their lineup, I tried another new pastry item, the cinnamon roll, and was even more impressed.

Vanilla Cinnamon Roll. $3.

"A freshly baked roll made with our sweet dough, stuffed with cinnamon-sugar filling and topped with decadent vanilla icing."

I've been eying these cinnamon rolls since Panera introduced them late last year.  They seem to be crowd pleasers though, or perhaps hard for Panera to make in quantity, as literally any time I have arrived post 11am they are completely sold out.  I only ever see them earlier in the morning, and they usually have them still in the baking pan, with only 1-1 left.

So I finally ordered one in advance, through the app.  It was ready and waiting in the rapid pick up area.  I knew that that the cinnamon rolls are large, because I had seen them before.  I still gulped when I picked up my box to see that it was literally full from the single cinnamon roll.  I laughed remembering that this was listed under the "pastries for one" section, as they also sell these as a four-pack.  You might ... wanna split it with a friend, or at least save half for after lunch?

It also had a rather generous amount of icing on top.  I hoped the icing would be good, and, it was.  Super sweet, actually vanilla flavored, and, as you can see, plenty of it.  I really enjoyed the icing, the best element at room temperature, as Panera serves it.

Vanilla Cinnamon Roll: Side Profile.

I was impressed when I cut into the roll to see that it truly was stuffed with cinnamon-sugar filling.  There was a generous amount of filling between the rolls.  It was well rolled.  Really, a nicely constructed pastry.

I was not particularly impressed with the dough itself, it wasn't fluffy or moist as I hoped.  At room temperature, I basically thought it was better than most chain cinnamon rolls, and applauded the construction and icing, but I figured I'd hand it off to my partner later.  ***.

But first, I had to try warming it up.

It was *much* better warm.  While the dough didn't improve in a dramatic way, it was certainly better warmer, and the icing melted into more of a sticky caramel, which I enjoyed.  Totally different from the already tasty icing, but, it worked well with the cinnamon, making it more like a sticky bun.  And then I added my favorite vanilla ice cream.

Warm cinnamon roll turned sticky bun with melty ice cream?  That was a winner. ***+.

So my protip: don't bother with it at room temperature.  If you want to consume it at Panera, consider a quick trip in the microwave (every Panera has one!) perhaps, although I didn't try that.  My partner does swear by microwaving (very briefly!) cinnamon rolls and glazed donuts.

I'd get it again, but only with intentions to eat it warm and a la mode, not for breakfast.

Update Review, December 2018

Thank you Panera.  That is what I have to say.  They finally re-vamped the pastry section of the menu, eliminating or changing so many of the items I never liked.  The lackluster Pecan Braid is reformulated.  The sad Cobblestone is gone.  So is the Pecan Roll I never liked.  Also removed are the old cheese and cherry and cheese pastries, which opened up space for new additions.

They ... added kouign aman?!  (As you know, I consider this, when done well, one of the best pastries ever!)  Really?  Really Panera?  Of course I was skeptical, because, um, they haven't ever impressed me with the pastries after all, and they don't actually call it a kouign aman (because, mass market, like people would ever learn to pronounce that!), and dub it a "Brittany" instead ... 

"We improved the dough quality of our previous Cherry and Cheese Pastries, then enhanced the product even more!"

They do seem to realize though that the dough left something to be desired before.  So that is something.  The Brittany comes in two varieties, cheese, or cherry cheese, the later of which I tried.

Cherry Cheese Brittany (December 2018). $2.99.

"A freshly baked, flaky butter pastry filled with cream cheese filling and topped with cherry filling."

Well, it didn't look half bad.  It didn't look soft and spongy, and really did look like a real kouign amann.  The powdered sugar on top was appealing, as were the cherries.

It was ... ok.  Probably most would even consider it good.

The problem for me was that it wasn't really a kouign amann.  It was, however, a much better pastry than they ever offered before.  The exterior was crisp, the dough came in nice layers, it was flaky.  But it wasn't nearly as buttery nor caramelized and decadent as I expect from a kouign amann.

The cream cheese filling was a good element, a decent portion, slightly sweetened, good texture.  Nothing wrong there.  And the tart cherries were juicy and flavorful, sticky in a good way.

Really, if you just wanted a better cherry cheese danish or croissant, Panera did a good job improving this item.  But if you want a real decadent deeply caramelized kouign amann ... look elsewhere.

***+.

Update Review, October 2015

If you didn't read my original Panera baked goods review, I suggest you start there, and then return to this update, since I'm skipping the background this time around.   See "Original Review, October 2014" below.

Assorted Baked Goods!

I recently attended a brunch where someone brought a platter full of Panera baked goods, nicely cut up into reasonable size chunks.  I used it as an opportunity to check in to see if the disappointing cobblestone sweet roll was still as lackluster as before, and to check in to see that the scones were still the best baked goods from Panera.  Answer: yes on both counts.

I also tried the pecan roll, which you can see peeking out of the front right and back left corners of the platter. Described as "Freshly baked sweet dough with cinnamon-sugar filling and topped with caramel and pecans."

Sadly, it went exactly the same way as the cobblestone. It looked good. It *should* be good, given the lineup of ingredients. But, just like the cobblestone, it was really dry. You could see cinnamon, but it had no cinnamon flavor. There were plentiful pecans, but they were bitter tasting. And yes, plenty of caramel, but even that wasn't very good.

Cinnamon Crumb Coffee Cake. $2.49.

"An old-fashioned butter coffee cake, swirled with cinnamon and finished with a butter crumb topping."

Ok, so this is weird.  I don't know what happened to me.  I headed to Panera, intending to get a blueberry scone, since I recently had one at brunch and I enjoyed it.

And then I got to Panera and didn't want a scone.

For some reason, the muffins called out to me.  And of all things, the cranberry orange muffin looked good.  I don't like orange flavor!  And I've never liked a single muffin I've tried from Panera.

I was paralyzed.  Logically, I knew I'd hate the muffin.  But I really, really wasn't feeling the scone.  And I had a birthday free pastry to use.  In my moments of total indecision, I saw the coffee cake.

It didn't actually look good.  And honestly, I don't generally like coffee cake.  Heck, I don't even really like cake. But somehow it seemed like I'd get the muffin satisfaction, and have a chance of trying something totally different?  I don't know what I was thinking.  I think I remembered the really great streusel topping I had on top of coffee cake recently, and it inspired me.  I just wanted streusel, really.

My decision was made when I asked the friendly worker what he thought of the coffee cake.  He told me, honestly, that all he does is eat the topping.  He said the topping was awesome, but the cake was, well, just frozen thawed cake, and not interesting.  But he loved the topping.  Done.

So I got it.  Even though I don't like cake.  Even though it didn't look good.  Even though the streusel layer looked piddly.

It ... wasn't awful at least.  Better than I expected, honestly.  But, really not great.

The cake itself was not dry.  Nor was it moist.  It was very homogenous, non-offensive.  There was slightly different flavors in the two colors, but I wouldn't be able to identify either as anything in particular.  It was just plain cake.  I didn't really taste any cinnamon.

The topping was decent.  It was sweet, slightly buttery.  Again, no cinnamon.  It was crumbly.  But there wasn't nearly enough, which I could tell just from looking at it.  The powdered sugar on top did help too.

So, overall, not horrible, but not particularly exciting.  Not that I expected it to be.  I wouldn't get it again.

The slice for $2.49 was in line with their other baked goods.  It is also available as a whole cake.

Original Review, October 2014

Last Monday, I reviewed a bunch of scones from Panera.  The week before, I covered some drinks.  A while ago, I reviewed their bagels and mufins.  I've also covered the cookies. I'm not one for sandwiches, soups, or salads, so, what else remains?

Of course, more baked goods.  I'm skipping a real intro here, because you can read all about Panera in my previous posts.

Pecan Braid.  $2.49.

"Our pastry dough, twisted and braided with butter and freshly ground pecans coated with light sugar syrup for sweetness."

I've had a thing for donuts, cinnamon rolls, and similar treats lately.  I'm really not sure what it is, but somehow sweet bready things are just really appealing to me, particularly when paired up with a coffee.  So when I entered Panera, although I was intending to get a bagel, I didn't make it past the pastry displays.  Whoops.

I was in the mood for a cinnamon roll, and Panera makes a cinnamon roll, but it hasn't ever looked good.  It always looks kinda dry, and clearly doesn't have enough icing.  They also make a pecan roll, which looks a little too far in the other direction, coated in sticky sweet caramel.  I kinda think I'd love it as a dessert, but it was morning, so I was trying to pick a "reasonable" breakfast pastry.  I went for the pecan braid, it looked like a compromise, as it had an icing so it would meet my sweet need, and it looked sorta like a twisted donut.

I know the description didn't say anything about cinnamon, but I somehow thought that the filling was going to have a cinnamon flavor, and be a cinnamon-sugar mix with the ground pecans.  It wasn't.  It was really just ground pecans, so it totally didn't meet my cinnamon roll craving.  Whoops.  It also wasn't donut-style dough, more like a croissant dough, although not really light and flaky and buttery.  So it didn't meet that craving either.  Double whoops.

As I said, the dough wasn't flaky, it wasn't buttery, it was a bit dried out even.  It made me very glad I haven't bothered try any of their croissants, as those always look dry, and I'm pretty convinced now that they must be.  I don't understand though how it was so stale seeming, as I got it at 10am, and they said their baked goods are all baked fresh at each location every morning?  How could it be stale already?

Anyway.  The form factor for this pastry was a success, I did like how much pecan filling there was, and the way it was twisted made every bite nicely distributed.  But the filling didn't really have much going on, I wanted more spicing of some sort.  The whole thing was coated with a sweet glaze that seemed to have a bit of an orange essence to it, although I'm not certain, and a single pecan half perched on top.

Like many of the other pastries I've had at Panera, I really wanted it to be warm.  It was just so unremarkable and dry at room temperature.  I saved a chunk to bring home and stick in the toaster oven, because I was curious if it would be better.  Indeed it was, it even seemed to get more moist this way.  But it still wasn't that great, and I wouldn't get another.

Unlike most pastries at Panera, I was not surprised by the nutrition stats, as they seemed fairly resonable: 470 calories, 26g fat, 24g sugar.  Since the filling wasn't sweetened, the only sugar was the light glaze on top, so it made sense that the sugar wasn't off the charts like most of their goods.  And the plentiful amount of ground pecan explains the fat content.  An actual reasonable choice, compared to the rest of the sweet rolls, muffins, and scones.

It turns out that I'd had this once before, as I discovered some tasting notes once I went to write this up.  They read: "Icing on top not particularly good.  Kinda soggy and not flaky dough.  Didn’t pick up on much pecan.  Meh."  Whoops.  While my notes weren't identical in context, I would have known better if I'd read them.

The $2.49 price was fine for a baked good of its size.

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