Wegmans vs Panera: Sugar cookies have their place in every season, but they are certainly the most iconic dessert during Christmas time. Cut into classic Christmas shapes and intricate designs with sprinkles and frosting allows the sugar cookie to completely transform into the perfect holiday treat. Since not everyone has the time to craft the perfect sugar cookie during this busy season, we compared iced sugar cookies from two notable retailers, Wegmans and Panera, to determine where the best holiday sugar cookies can be found this Christmas season.

Taste

Wegmans: The cookie-to-icing ratio is pretty much equal, giving the cookie an overwhelmingly sweet taste. However, the cookie and icing go together perfectly, with both parts of the cookie sharing flavors equally, allowing tasters to enjoy both the cookie and icing.

Panera: The cookie-to-icing ratio is fairly extreme and favoring the cookie, making the initial bite feel dry and only mildly sweet. The cookie falls apart in your mouth and combines slightly with the thin layer of icing, making it taste a little bit sweeter.

Price

Wegmans: Wegmans prices their sugar cookies by weight, with one pound costing $16.09. The serving size for one cookie is 91 grams, or 3.2 ounces, making one cookie about $3.23

Panera: The cost of one of Panera’s iced mitten cookies is $3.29.

Look

Wegmans: The cookie was cut into the shape of a Christmas tree with piped green icing on top mimicking the look of pine leaves. Sprinkles were evenly dispersed on top to represent ornaments with an edible star to serve as the topper. These details gave the cookie a charming look.

Panera: Cut into the shape of a mitten, the icing was perfectly spread on top of the cookie with a beautiful red and white marble pattern that gave it a classy look. Furthermore, the icing was smooth and shiny, making it very presentable.

Accessibility

Wegmans: The closest Wegmans to John Carroll is in Abingdon, a 4.6-mile drive that takes about 17 minutes.

Panera: The closest Panera to John Carroll is in the Festival at Bel Air, a 4.2-mile drive that takes about 13 minutes. It is on the way to Wegmans, with both drives using route 924 as their main roadway.

THE WINNER IS: Wegmans! For one cookie being approximately the same price at both locations, the taste of Wegmans’ cookies blows that of Panera’s out of the water. The attention to detail in the presentation of the Wegmans cookie was also a determining factor in its victory, with its appearance giving the impression of something homemade. Although further from JC than Panera, the incredible taste of the Wegmans cookie cannot be beat.