Panera Bread Cookies: Are they Worth it?

PHOTO CREDIT: STOCK PHOTO

BY KARINA MARTINEZ

These days, it’s hard to find someone who’s never heard of the fast-growing café chain called Panera Bread. It’s famous for its soups and paninis, but what’s the deal with Panera cookies? To answer this, I actually took it upon myself to buy one of each, warranting a strong look of judgment by the cashier.
Chocolate Chipper:
This is the original chocolate chip cookie, as the name would suggest. It’s a decent cookie and does a fair job of upholding traditional chocolate chip cookie standards. The center is definitely the best part. Skip the crust, however.
Oatmeal Raisin:
This one’s pretty great in my opinion. Almost tastes as great as my grandpa’s oatmeal cookies, which is the highest compliment in my book. The sweet raisins and soft, gooey oatmeal center make this a cookie worth your time.
Toffee Nut:
I’m not the biggest fan of toffee, but if you happen to be then you’ll love this cookie. This cookie is really soft and abnormally sweet. The toffee is abundant and the nuts are also a nice touch.
Chocolate Duet with Walnuts:
Entirely chocolate with more chocolate. This one looks and tastes like a brownie but with a white chocolate cream center and walnuts. I rightfully deem this a quality cookie.
Tulip cookie:
Buying this is a waste of money. It costs about twice as much as any other cookie and it lacks in every category except for its appearance, which is grossly misleading. Saying that it’s nothing special is the nicest thing I can say. Lemon-flavored chalk in the shape of a flower. Eat at your own risk.