Craving some Panera Bread? If you have celiac disease or gluten intolerance, be sure to check out this post before heading out.
Remember, menus change often, so this is not guaranteed to be accurate. Always check with your server.
Panera Bread does not appear to be the best option for a gluten-free meal, as they do not offer any gluten-free bread. However, they do have a number of gluten-free options on the rest of their menu, including soups, salads, and various snacks.
It's also important to note that due to the preparation of gluten-containing foods, cross-contamination is a risk with almost everything.
Therefore, if you have celiac disease or are highly sensitive to gluten, Panera Bread may not be the best choice for you.
But, if you are simply looking to avoid gluten in your diet, Panera Bread can be a good option for a light meal or snack.
History of Panera Bread
Panera Bread, a popular bakery-cafe chain, was founded in 1987 in Kirkwood, Missouri.
Originally named the St. Louis Bread Company, it was rebranded as Panera Bread in 1997 when it began expanding beyond the St. Louis area.
The name "Panera" is a combination of the Italian words for "bread" and "time", symbolizing the company's commitment to traditional bread-making techniques and the time it takes to make good food.
Since its inception, Panera Bread has been a pioneer in the fast-casual dining industry, offering a variety of fresh, wholesome food options.
Over the years, Panera Bread has grown to include over 2,000 locations across the United States and Canada, serving millions of customers each year.
Despite this growth, the company has remained true to its roots, continuing to prioritize quality, freshness, and flavor in all of its offerings.
Is Panera Gluten Free?
Panera offers a variety of gluten-free options, including soups, bowls, salads, smoothies, and oatmeal.
However, it is important to note that these options are prepared in a kitchen that also handles gluten-containing ingredients.
Here is an official disclaimer from Panera Bread's website:
*Disclaimer: Panera Bread's gluten-conscious menu items are prepared in the same kitchen as our gluten-containing menu items. While we're happy to make your order just the way you want, we can't guarantee that there will be no cross-contact between ingredients. If you have celiac disease, a heightened gluten intolerance, or a wheat allergy, please consult with your doctor on the specifics of your gluten-free diet.
Cross contamination is a potential risk when eating at Panera.
However, it may be comforting to know that bread dough and many other baked goods are prepared in specialized facilities across the country before being shipped to individual restaurants for baking.
This means that flour particles are less likely to be flying around, but there may still be traces of gluten throughout the kitchen due to the baking process.
To sum up, if you have celiac disease or are sensitive to cross contamination, Panera may not be a safe option for you to eat.
However, suppose you are choosing a gluten-free lifestyle for personal reasons or have a minor allergy or intolerance that is not affected by cross contamination. In that case, you can still enjoy a delicious meal at Panera.
If you do decide to eat at Panera and are sensitive to cross contact, it is important to inform the staff that you have celiac disease or a gluten allergy before ordering.
You can ask them to change their gloves and possibly get ingredients from the back where they haven't come into contact with other ingredients like croutons.
Panera Menu Items Without Wheat or Gluten (2026)
Every item below is listed in Panera's own allergen guide with no wheat or gluten. The second column shows the other allergens it does contain. From the official Panera Allergen Guide, effective 9/2/2026.
Panera combines wheat and gluten into a single column, and uses three levels: contains, may contain, and blank. Only items with a blank wheat/gluten cell appear below.
Other
| Item | Other Allergens |
|---|---|
| Add on - White Icing Portion Cup | — |
Breakfast
| Item | Other Allergens |
|---|---|
| Broccoli Cheddar Frittata | Milk, Soy, Egg |
| Egg Styles - Scrambled Egg or Egg White | Egg |
| Five Cheese & Bacon Frittata | Milk, Soy, Egg |
| Fruit Cup | — |
| Hard Boiled Eggs | Egg |
| Parfait- Greek Yogurt with Berries | Tree Nuts, Milk |
| Steel Cut Oatmeal with Strawberries & Pecans | Tree Nuts |
| Steel Cut Oatmeal with Strawberries - Without Pecans | — |
Salads & Stuffers
| Item | Other Allergens |
|---|---|
| Farmhouse Crunch Salad - without almonds | Milk, Egg |
| Fuji Apple with & without Chicken | Tree Nuts, Milk |
| Fuji Apple with & without Chicken - Without Pecans | Milk |
| Greek with & without Chicken | Milk |
| Green Goddess Cobb with Chicken | Milk, Egg |
| Southwest Chicken Ranch | Milk, Egg |
Market Bowls
| Item | Other Allergens |
|---|---|
| Carnitas Elote | Milk, Egg |
Sandwiches
| Item | Other Allergens |
|---|---|
| Pickle Spear for cold sandwiches | — |
Dressings, Sauces, Spreads & Soup Dipper
| Item | Other Allergens |
|---|---|
| Sauce - Apple Cider BBQ | — |
| Dressing - Asian Sesame vinaigrette | Sesame |
| Sauce - Balsamic Glaze | — |
| Sauce - Balsamic Vinaigrette | — |
| Sauce - Bravo Signature | Egg |
| Dressing - Caesar | Milk, Egg, Fish/Shellfish |
| Sauce - Cheese Hollandaise | Milk, Soy, Egg |
| Sauce - Chipotle Aioli | Egg |
| Dressing - Creamy Garden Herb | Milk, Egg |
| Sauce - Creamy Basil Pesto | Milk |
| Dressing - Farmhouse Ranch | Milk, Egg |
| Sauce - Garlic Aioli | Egg |
| Dressing - Greek | — |
| Sauce - Green Chile Salsa Verde | Milk, Egg |
| Dressing - Green Goddess | Milk |
| Spread- Hummus | Sesame |
| Sauce - Mayonnaise | Egg |
| Dressing - White Balsamic Apple Flavored Vinaigrette | — |
| Dipper - Creamy Tomato - Dipper Portion | Milk |
Soups & Mac
| Item | Other Allergens |
|---|---|
| Rustic Baked Potato | Milk |
| Autumn Squash - Vegetarian | Milk |
Non-traditional Grab N Go
| Item | Other Allergens |
|---|---|
| Hard Boiled Eggs | Egg |
Drinks
| Drink | Other Allergens |
|---|---|
| Additional Shot of Caramel Syrup | — |
| Additional Shot of Chocolate Sauce | Milk |
| Additional Shot of Chocolatey Hazelnut Flavored Syrup | — |
| Additional Shot of Madagascar Vanilla Syrup or Cane Sugar Syrup | — |
| Additional Shot of Pumpkin Spice Sauce | Milk |
| Additional Shot of Rocky Road Syrup | — |
| Additional Shot of Snickerdoodle Syrup | — |
| Agave Lemonade | — |
| Americano | — |
| Blackberry Hibiscus Iced Tea - Naturally Flavored Herbal Tea | — |
| Cafe Frozen Java | Milk |
| Caffe Latte (espresso - Hot or Iced) | Milk |
| Caramel Latte (espresso - Hot or Iced) | Milk |
| Chai Tea Latte (Hot or Iced) | Milk |
| Cherry Lime Fresca | — |
| Coffee/Decaf Coffee (Hot or Iced) | — |
| Dragonfruit Sunset Energy Refresher - Naturally Flavored | — |
| Hot Tea Bags | — |
| Iced Teas - Unsweetened / Sweetened / Passion Papaya Naturally Flavored Green Tea | — |
| Island Mango Energy Refresher - Naturally Flavored - With Dragon Fruit | — |
| Island Mango Energy Refresher - Naturally Flavored - With Pineapple | — |
| Madagascar Vanilla Latte (espresso - Hot or Iced) | Milk |
| Mango Smoothie with Greek Yogurt (Frozen) | Milk |
| Mocha Latte (espresso - Hot or Iced) | Milk |
| Passionfruit Paradise Energy Refresher - Naturally Flavored | — |
| Pumpkin Spice Frozen Java | Milk |
| Pumpkin Spice Iced Coffee | Milk |
| Pumpkin Spice Latte - (Hot or Iced) | Milk |
| Signature Hot Chocolate - (Hot or Frozen) | Milk |
| Strawberry Banana Smoothie with Greek Yogurt (Frozen) | Milk |
| Strawberry Basil Lemonade Fresca | — |
| Strawberry Smoothie with Greek Yogurt (Frozen) | Milk |
| Sweet Cream Cold Foam | Milk |
| Tropical Green Smoothie (Frozen) | — |
“May Contain” Wheat or Gluten
Panera flags these as possibly containing wheat or gluten rather than definitely. They are a judgement call — fine for a personal preference, not for celiac disease:
- Farmhouse Crunch Salad
- Hazelnut Flavored Mocha Iced Coffee
- Hazelnut Mocha Frozen Java
- Rocky Road Iced Coffee
- Rocky Road Frozen Java
- Snickerdoodle Iced Coffee
- Snickerdoodle Frozen Java
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Panera kettle chips have gluten?
Are Panera warm bowls gluten free?
Does Panera have an allergen menu?
Is the Caesar salad at Panera gluten free?
Does Panera salad dressing have gluten?
Find all my Gluten Free Menus here!
Karen Kelly
Karen Kelly is a nationally syndicated food and travel writer, founder of Seasonal Cravings, and co-founder of The Roam Report. She develops approachable seasonal recipes and covers travel and lifestyle trends. Her work has appeared in numerous media outlets, including Yahoo, Taste of Home, Apple News, NBC, FOX, and other national and regional publications.
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