’Tis the Season for Fast-Food Franchises to Show Off Some Holiday Cheer

To celebrate the 2022 Holiday season, franchise brands are getting festive with seasonal products, menu items, and limited-time offers. With fun packaging and delicious seasonal spices, these new products and menu items will surely get anyone in the holiday spirit. Below we look at fast-casual brands that have released holiday menu items, products, and limited-time offers for 2022. 

Fast-Food Holiday Menu Items, Products and Limited-Time Offers

Gigi’s Cupcakes

Gigi’s Cupcakes is celebrating the 2022 holiday season with a joyful winter menu. New additions to the menu include the Jingle Box (cover image) and New Year Box, each containing 16 mini cupcakes. Through Christmas Eve, you can enjoy the snowman, reindeer, and Christmas tree mini cupcakes in the Jingle Box. As a post-Christmas treat, you can indulge in the top hat and champagne designs of the New Year Box from Dec. 26 through Jan. 1.

Chicken Salad Chick

This 2022 holiday season, you can enjoy your favorite drinks from Chicken Salad Chick in new festive cups. The chicken franchise also added red and green frosted buttercream cookies for a limited time. Additionally, Chicken Salad Chick is bringing back its Deck the Holly salad, similar to the chicken franchise’s cult-favorite Jalapeno Holly with the addition of cranberry. 

Krispy Kreme

Nothing quite says Christmas like doughnuts inspired by Mr. and Mrs. Claus. As part of its Santa’s Workshop Collection, Krispy Kreme released three new doughnuts: the Sugar Cookie Doughnut​, an original glazed doughnut with sugar cookie icing and topped with a sugar cookie sprinkle blend; the Gingerbread Cookie Crumb Doughnut​, filled with gingerbread cream cheese, dipped in white icing and topped with gingerbread cookie crumbs and holiday sprinkle blend; and the new Red Velvet Cake Doughnut​, a glazed red velvet cake doughnut topped with red velvet cake crumbles and cream cheese icing. ​

KFC

Fried chicken may not be considered a holiday staple, but KFC is looking to change that. For a limited time only, KFC is offering the Holiday Bucket that sends an inspirational message, according to a press release. This year’s message is “Sharing is Caring.”

Baskin-Robbins

As a nod to the classic winter snowman, Baskin-Robbins brought back its Brr the Snowman Cake. Like Frosty the Snowman, Brr has a nose, arms, buttons, and a friendly smile. The ice cream franchise also introduced the new Peppermint Cocoa Shake, made with whole milk, peppermint ice cream, and chocolate syrup.

Panera Bread

Festive holiday packaging is arguably as important as its contents. For the 2022 holiday season, Panera Bread unveiled its new cup collection. In addition to its fun and festive mitten and gift illustrations, the new cups highlight Panera Bread’s Unlimited Sip Club. According to a press release, this is the first-ever nationwide beverage subscription for all self-serve drinks and is $11.99 a month. Panera also offers a $10 bonus card for every $50 in gift cards purchased or reloaded online or in-store through Dec. 31.

Chick-fil-A

Chick-fil-A fans can enjoy the fast-food giant’s Peppermint Chip Milkshake and Chicken Tortilla Soup this holiday season 2022. The Peppermint Chip Milkshake puts a twist on peppermint with a hand-spun Chick-fil-A Icedream dessert topped with whipped cream and a cherry. The Chicken Tortilla Soup includes shredded chicken breast and beans with spices and vegetables topped with tortilla chips and seasoned corn.

Whataburger

Whataburger allows you to deck the halls with its new line of products. These new winter products include sweaters, snow globes, holiday socks, and more. There is even a 7-ft. inflatable snowman that you could use as an outdoor decoration.

Dunkin’ 

Dunkin’ has been in the holiday spirit since early November with new winter menu items. These additions include the Cookie Butter Cold Brew and Cookie Butter Donut. They also launched the Pancake Wake-Up Wrap, a tortilla wrapped around an egg and cheese that can include bacon or sausage. Fan favorites have returned for the holidays, including the Peppermint Mocha and Toasted White Chocolate Lattes and the Cranberry Orange Muffin and Holiday Blend Coffee. 

Better Than Sex

The Better Than Sex franchise is turning up the heat with its new Winter Sex dessert. This 2022 holiday menu item takes bread pudding to the next level with sweet cherries that swim in dark chocolate, pumpernickel bread and butter. For added va-va voom, it is topped with rum-spiked cherry compote and cheesecake ice cream. Winter Sex is available for a limited time only. 

Wendy’s

Who says that you can’t enjoy a frozen drink during the winter? Not Wendy’s. The legacy fast-food franchise introduced the new Peppermint Frosty just in time for the holidays. This new holiday treat is available for a limited time only. 

Starbucks

Starbucks got into the holiday spirit in early November, with Peppermint Mocha, Caramel Brulée Latte, Toasted White Chocolate Mocha, and Irish Cream Cold Brew. The coffee giant also offers limited-edition holiday merchandise, including tumblers, mugs and more. 

Main Squeeze Juice Co. 

Main Squeeze Juice Co. offers healthier options for the holidays. The Louisiana-based juice franchise released two new lattes: Hot Chai Cookie and Frozen Mocha Mint. These drinks are made with plant-based ingredients and satisfy holiday cravings in a healthy way. Main Squeeze also has a promotion on gift cards. Through Dec. 31, customers get a free $25 bonus card with the purchase of $100 in gift cards or a free $10 bonus card with the purchase of $50 in gift cards.

IHOP

To celebrate the 2022 holiday season, IHOP is releasing several new menu items. The Gingersnap Apple French Toast features two pieces of bread topped with apple cinnamon compote, gingersnap cookie pieces, and more. The new Gingersnap Hot Chocolate is topped with whipped cream, crushed gingersnap cookies, and red currants. To round out the new additions to the menu, the Gingersnap Milkshake blends vanilla ice cream, gingersnap, caramel syrup, and crushed gingersnap cookies. If you’re looking for a fruitier option, the Red Passionfruit Splasher combines lemon-lime soda, lemonade, and red passionfruit syrup with red currants.  

McDonald’s 

McDonald’s is bringing back its Holiday Pie just in time for Christmas. This holiday item is available for a limited time only and has been a staple of the Golden Arches since 1999. It is similar to Baked Apple Pie, except it has a vanilla custard filling and is topped with rainbow sprinkles.

Red Robin

In honor of the 2022 holiday season, Red Robin released the new OREO Peppermint Crunch Milkshake. This new holiday menu item blends vanilla soft serve with milk, peppermint bits, and OREO crumbs. Whipped cream, peppermint, and OREO cookies top this new seasonal treat. The OREO Peppermint Crunch Milkshake is available for a limited time only at participating locations. 

16 Handles

16 Handles and Oatly partnered to introduce the Chocolate Peppermint Soft Serve for the holidays. Customers can appreciate that this new flavor is dairy-free with oat milk and blends cocoa and peppermint. The Chocolate Peppermint Soft Serve is available for the rest of the year. 

Red Lobster 

As a gift to its customers, Red Lobster released a new menu item called Cheddar Bay Shrimp. This 2022 winter menu item combines the franchise’s fan-favorite Cheddar Bay Biscuits and shrimp. Red Lobster is also offering seasonal specialty cocktails: the Snowglobe Sangria, Fireside Martini, and Cran-Apple Smash. You can even get a Cheddar Bay Biscuit ornament or a Cheddar Bay Sleigh Ugly sweater from the brand’s new collection of holiday apparel.