Holiday flavors like peppermint, eggnog, apple pie and gingerbread have jumped from the dessert menu to the drink menu at fast-food restaurants, and we tried them all.
1
/
7
7. Panera Frozen Signature Hot Chocolate
This holiday season, Panera has introduced its first-ever frozen hot chocolate. It’s a fun and refreshing twist on the signature cozy classic. The $5.99 new menu item is made with half-and-half, chocolate sauce and ice, topped with whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate.
Panera was likely inspired by the viral popularity of the frozen hot chocolate at Serendipity 3 in New York City. However, I didn’t find this to be an equivalent experience, mainly because the chocolate syrup the chain used had a fake aftertaste. The drink didn’t feel as elevated or hand-crafted as I would have liked. A higher-quality chocolate could have ranked this much higher on the list.
2
/
7
6. Dunkin’ Cookie Butter Cloud Latte
This limited-edition item was inspired by a menu hack from previous seasons. Cookie butter sweetens the iced espresso drink, and it’s topped with a layer of cookie butter cold foam and crunchy speculoos cookie crumbles. If you love Biscoff, then this beverage is for you, all for around $5.70.
The crumbled cookies on top added a fun texture, but I can’t say I could detect the cold foam as much as I would have liked. The flavor highlighted the brown sugar notes from the cookies as well as a subtle hint of cinnamon. Overall, I found this Dunkin’ iced latte to be delightfully sweet and creamy, but it felt more like a lovely anytime drink rather than something that really shouted holiday.
3
/
7
5. Dairy Queen Holiday Nog Shake
If you don’t normally visit Dairy Queen in the colder months, you are missing out! The chain’s 2025 holiday menu is filled with so many festive flavors, it was difficult to choose which one to sample. There is a new Peppermint Bark Holiday Blizzard, a Caramel Toffee Cookie Blizzard, a Maple Cookie Shake and a Holiday Nog Shake, to name a few. Ultimately, I sampled the Holiday Nog Shake since there weren’t any other eggnog-flavored items on this ranked list.
The Holiday Nog Shake is new this year, made with a blend of DQ’s soft-serve ice cream, nog syrup and milk. The shake is served with whipped topping and a sprinkle of nutmeg, all for around $4.99. As a fan of anything eggnog, this shake was right up my alley. I loved the nutmeg on top as well as the notes of the spice in the drink. I would gladly return to DQ for another one this season.
4
/
7
4. Arby’s Apple Pie Shake
Apple pie is my favorite fall dessert, so when I heard Arby’s was launching this brand-new limited-edition treat, I couldn’t get to the drive-thru fast enough. The chain’s Jamoca shake has been my go-to favorite for years, so I knew that Arby’s shakes were legendary.
For a very reasonable $3.59, this shake highlights flavors of baked green apple and warming spices. It is topped with a gorgeous spiral of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar. Even though I know there wasn’t an actual apple pie blended in the beverage, I was hard-pressed to tell. The authentic flavors lured me right in, sip after sip. I think this is the perfect ice-cold drink to pair with other holiday menu treats like the Deep-Fried Turkey Gobbler or the Deep-Fried Turkey Club.
5
/
7
3. Starbucks Gingerbread Chai
I confess, I am not always the biggest fan of the special Starbucks holiday drinks, but the chain’s $5.75 Gingerbread Chai is a game-changer in my book. It’s available hot or iced and can be customized with different milks to suit your dietary needs and preferences. The drink is made with chai tea spices and gingerbread syrup, with the iced version topped with a gingerbread-flavored cold foam and spice topping.
I opted for the hot version to add something warm to this ranked list, and I’m so glad I did. Normally, I find the chain’s syrups cloyingly sweet, but here the gingerbread syrup was in perfect balance with the chai tea spices. I also loved the generous sprinkle of winter spices that topped the beverage. The warm chai brought all these aromatic notes to the forefront of my palate, and it made the whole experience feel like a cozy hug. I can’t wait to go back for more.
6
/
7
2. Wendy’s Snickerdoodle Frosty Fusion
The iconic Frosty from Wendy’s has been a favorite for generations, and diners have been dipping their fries for just as long. If you haven’t tasted a Frosty Fusion yet, now is the time to hit the drive-thru. These blended treats take the classic Frosty to a whole new level with the addition of sauces and mix-ins. This holiday season, Wendy’s added a $4.19 snickerdoodle version to the lineup, and the result is outstanding. You can’t really go wrong with the cinnamon and sugar cookie pieces blended into the vanilla Frosty, along with a swirl of cinnamon sauce.
Part of me is glad this is a limited-time-only menu item because otherwise, I’d be ordering it once a week. It was rich and thick, with a generous amount of cookie pieces for texture and flavor in every bite. I found myself scraping around the cup to try and eke out every last drop of the cinnamon sauce.
7
/
7
1. Chick-fil-A Peppermint Chip Shake
It’s no surprise that a special-edition shake from Chick-fil-A topped this list. Its products are consistently of the highest quality. I presumed the $5.39 peppermint shake would be no exception, but it exceeded my expectations. The flavor was refreshing and authentic, and I loved the minty bits in every sip. The ice cream was rich and creamy—exactly what you’d want in a shake.
What I loved most about this creation was the fact that it was made with pieces of peppermint bark, rather than crushed candy canes. This added a whole new level to the treat beyond just mint, with chocolaty notes hitting the tongue as well. Add a swirl of whipped cream and a cherry on top, and you have holiday perfection in a cup.
