Meta Description: Ready-made frozen pizza from Panera Bread bakery reviewed in detail – cheese, pepperoni & margherita. How they compare to fresh, nutrition info, where to buy, baking & storage tips.
Pizza is among the most eaten food in America, every week 93% of Americans eat pizza. It’s a classic dish that has always been a great quick meal for busy people. Panera just recently entered the frozen pizza market with its line of high-quality frozen pizzas. They are known for their fast-casual soups, salads, and sandwiches. I love panera so when I found out they started making frozen pizzas I knew I had to give them a try.
An Overview of Panera's Frozen Pizza Selection
Panera Frozen Pizza Varieties and Sizes
Pizza Variety | Pizza Variety Serving Size | Calories per Serving |
|---|---|---|
Cheese | Single | 320 |
Panera currently offers three varieties of frozen pizza: Cheese, Pepperoni, and Margherita. The pizzas are made with Panera’s signature dough, tomato sauce, and cheese blend. They are available in both single serving and family size options. Here’s a quick rundown of Panera’s frozen pizza offerings:
Cheese Pizza
Made With Panera’s signature cheese blend it’s simple but satisfying on their crispy crust.The single serving size contains 320 calories per pizza while the family size contains 160 calories per 1/4 pizza.
Pepperoni Pizza
Cured pepperoni on top of tomato sauce and cheese makes this option perfect for spicy lovers.The single serving packs 350 calories and the family size has 170 calories per serving.
Margherita Pizza
This pie gives you a taste of Italy with its fresh mozzarella tomato sauce Parmesan and basil.Topped on top of their signature dough with their signature sauce.It has340 calories for the single serve version while the family pack has 160 calories.
In addition to these set varieties, Panera also occasionally offers limited-edition specialty frozen pizza flavors, so be sure to keep an eye out!
My Review of Panera's Frozen Pizzas
As someone who loves panera food I was excited to try their new menu items.They have many different types of foods so I was curious to what the taste would be like in a pizza. Here’s my review on Panera’s frozen pizzas:
Cheese Pizza
As soon as I took it out of the oven, that familiar, mouth-watering aroma of melty mozzarella and toasted crust filled my kitchen. The generously applied cheese blend was perfectly gooey and offered a rich, tangy flavor. The sauce tasted fresh, with a vibrant tomato flavor. The thin, crispy crust held up well to the voluminous toppings and had the ideal texture – cracker-like crunch on the bottom with a soft, airy interior. This simple cheese pie definitely satisfies a comfort food craving!
Pepperoni Pizza
Pepperoni is my go-to pizza topping, so I had high hopes for Panera’s take on this classic. At first glance, this frozen pizza looked absolutely packed with pepperoni, and I was not disappointed when I took a bite! Each spicy, cured pepperoni slice delivered little hits of salty, savory flavor. The pieces had a nice crisp around the edges while still maintaining a tender almost melt-in-your-mouth texture in the center. The generous layer of pepperoni brought out the herby savory notes in the sauce and cheese as well. This pizza is for hardcore meat lovers!
Margherita Pizza
Craving something a little lighter, I tried Panera’s Margherita next. Beautiful green basil leaves decorated the top of this pizza alongside thick slices of fresh mozzarella. I loved how the creamy, soft mozzarella contrasted with the crunchy Parmesan and complemented the sweet, acidic tomato sauce. The fresh basil added a wonderfully aromatic element too. Each bite delivered a tasty medley of flavors and textures that transported me straight to an outdoor cafe in Naples! This margherita pizza offers a fresher, lighter option while still satisfying cheesy, saucy pizza cravings.
Panera's Frozen Pizza Versus Fresh Panera Pizza
So how did Panera’s frozen pizza creations stack up against their fresh pizza offerings available in store? Overall, I was really impressed with how the frozen pizzas captured those familiar flavors I love from Panera’s fresh bakes. The thin, crispy crust mimicked the texture of a freshly baked pane. The cheese was melty and gooey, the sauce was vibrant and herbaceous, and the toppings were generous. The convenience of being able to throw one of these pizzas in the oven at home and enjoy Panera-quality flavor is awesome.
That said, I did notice some slight differences compared to the in-restaurant experience:
- The crust on the frozen pizzas wasn’t quite as blistery and airy as a fresh bake. But it still had a pleasant crispness and great flavor.
- The cheese and toppings didn’t have that exact “just pulled from the oven” melted quality. But they were still high-quality and tasty.Â
- The sauce, while very flavorful, was a little more one-note than the herb-infused sauces on the fresh pizzas.
- I missed the options to customize my toppings or try more unique combinations only offered on the fresh pizzas.
Considering the convenience factor though, these frozen pizzas come remarkably close in replicating Panera’s coveted pizza recipe. I would absolutely recommend Panera’s frozen pizza to anyone craving their pizza fix at home!
Baking Instructions for Panera's Frozen Pizzas
Nutritional Information for Family Size Pizzas
Panera’s frozen pizzas couldn’t be easier to cook up at home. Here are the simple baking instructions:
For the single serving pizzas:
- Preheat oven to 425°F
- Remove pizza from packaging and baking paper
- Place directly on oven rack
- Bake for 12-14 minutes
For the family size pizzas:
- Preheat oven to 425°FÂ
- Remove pizza from packaging and baking paper
- Place on a baking sheet or round pizza pan
- Bake for 14-16 minutes
The pizzas are done when the cheese is completely melted and the crust is golden brown around the edges. For extra crispy crusts, I recommend placing the pizza directly on the oven rack. Using a baking sheet will result in a softer crust.
Pro Tip: For food safety, make sure to fully cook frozen pizzas until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
Who Should Buy Panera Frozen Pizzas
Here are the types of customers I recommend trying Panera’s frozen pizza selection:
- Panera fans – If you already love Panera’s soups, sandwiches, salads and fresh pizza, you will certainly enjoy replicating those flavors in the convenience of your own oven.
- Frozen pizza lovers – Fans of brands like DiGiorno, Tombstone, and Red Baron who are looking for a higher-quality frozen pizza made with premium ingredients.
- Busy households – Panera’s frozen pizzas get dinner on the table fast with no cooking required.
- People who want choices – The single-serving pizzas make solo meals or lunches to reheat at work.
- Dieters, but not diet food eaters – These pizzas offer a healthier, lighter option compared to standard fatty, greasy frozen pizzas.
- Vegetarians – Both the cheese and Margherita varieties offer flavorful vegetarian options.
Where to Buy Panera Frozen Pizza
Curious about where you can find these new frozen crusts from Panera? Here are the top places to try:
- Your local Panera bakery-cafe – Most locations with in-store dining have a freezer section that stocks the frozen pizzas.
- Major grocery store chains like Safeway, Kroger, Publix, HEB, etc. Check the frozen pizza aisle.
- Warehouse clubs like Costco, Sam’s Club, BJ’s. Look for multi-packs of Panera frozen pizzas here.Â
- Online at Amazon.com with free 2-day shipping for Prime members.
- The Panera Bread online shop – Order individual pizzas or bulk packs straight from the website.Â
Call ahead or check your grocer’s website for availability before you go out of your way. Supply can vary by location.
Nutrition Information for Panera Frozen Pizzas
Compared to other brands’ frozen pies at this price point, these stand out for their quality ingredients and more balanced nutrition:
- The crust is made from Panera’s signature dough recipe — water, flour, yeast and salt — not artificial additives.
- 1/4 of the family size cheese pizza contains 160 calories, 6g protein, 2.5g fiber and 620 mg sodium; decent stats for a single serving of frozen pizza.
- A quarter slice of the family size pepperoni pizza contains 170 calories, 10g protein and 790g sodium; better than your average frozen pepperoni pizza.
- Single serving Margarita pie has 340 calories and 5g fiber thanks to the fresh veggies. It also has fewer calories than most single serving frozen pizzas.
- The pizzas are free from artificial colors, flavors and sweeteners. No high fructose corn syrup either.
- While not low in sodium by any means, these pies have less sodium than many leading brands of frozen pizza.
- The thinner, individual size crusts keep carb counts reasonable at around 40g carbs per pizza.
So while a frozen pizza won’t ever be considered health food, Panera’s offers one of the healthier ones available with quality ingredients and a decent balance of carbs, protein and fiber.
Storing and Reheating Panera Frozen Pizzas
Follow these tips for safe storage and reheating of your Panera frozen pizzas:
- Store unopened packages flat in a freezer at 0°F or below.Â
- Avoid storing pizzas on freezer door shelves which can lead to temperature fluctuations.
- Use within 2-3 months for best quality; expiration date is printed on package.
- Do not refreeze partially cooked or thawed pizzas for food safety reasons.
- To reheat, follow package oven baking instructions until internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- For quick reheating: microwave single serving pizzas on high for 1 to 2 minutes. Check the temperature before eating.Â
- Leftover slices can be refrigerated and reheated later within 4 days if desired.
Following these steps will ensure your Panera frozen pizzas stay safe (and tasty) at home.
On their own, Panera’s frozen pizzas are delicious. However, I like to kick things up a notch by coming up with different pairings and hacks. Here are some of the craziest ones:
Pairings
- Panera’s signature mac and cheese is the perfect cheesy side to go along with their pizza.
- Eat it with a fresh Panera salad such as the Modern Greek with Hummus for an ideal pizza night combo.
- If you’re feeling something lighter, try pairing it with Panera’s Black Bean Soup loaded with veggies.
- For those who can’t resist a refreshing drink, squeeze in some lemons to make your very own freshly squeezed lemonade or agave lemonade for a sweet touch that’ll balance out all the richness from your food.
Hacks
- Personalize your pie by adding toppings like jalapeños, artichokes, or even roasted red peppers.
- Swap out plain old tomato sauce for more unique spreads like cream cheese or pesto.
- Feeling adventurous? Mix up your cheese blend with stuff like feta, goat cheese, and even those plant-based shreds everyone goes crazy about!
- To end things on a sweet note, top it off with fresh berries, cookies, and finish it off by lightly drizzling honey all over it.
The sky’s the limit when it comes to adding creativity to these already amazing frozen pizzas.
Final verdict on Panera Frozen Pizza
I’ve tried every single one of Panera’s pizza flavors and my final verdict is pretty simple – they’re good. The convenience that comes along after purchasing one of these exceeds any expectations I had. From prepping them at home and baking them in my oven I managed to compete against restaurant delivery pizza. Although having said that, nothing will ever replace my cravings for pies straight from my local Panera bakery. If these frozen pizzas are readily available for me to just pop into my oven and enjoy at home I’d take it in a heartbeat. My advice is that if you haven’t tried them already, you definitely should as soon as possible. You won’t be disappointed!
Jazz up your frozen pizza night with one of the many flavors Panera offers. Trust me when I say this, even though they taste nothing like your regular frozen pizza, they’ll get the job done faster than any other option out there.
