Chick-fil-A’s New Holiday Foods & Peppermint Chip Drinks, Reviewed by a Food Editor

• What It Is: hot or cold brew coffee with peppermint flavoring and milk
• Price (iced): $4

I hate to say it, but I really didn’t enjoy this pick. Granted I only tried it iced, and the peppermint syrup would’ve likely dissolved better in hot coffee, but I found the flavoring very medicinal, astringent and bitter. I’ll give them points for the pebble ice, though.

• What It Is: 30 chicken nuggets with your choice of large side, dipping sauce and drink
• Price: $22

I had high hopes for this Chick-fil-A holiday item, considering the chain took the crown in my fast food chicken nugget ranking. But this time around, they were soggier, a bit rubbery and inexplicably sweeter in their seasoning than I remember. Maybe it’s luck of the draw (they’re asymmetrical pieces of boneless chicken breast, rather than molded uniform nuggets of mechanically separated poultry, so they’re inconsistently sized), but this wasn’t the best Chick-fil-A nugget experience I’ve ever had. That said, it’s very shareable and a good option for chowing down with loved ones without breaking the bank. 

• What It Is: shredded chicken breast, navy beans, black beans and vegetables in a creamy, spicy white soup base, topped with seasoned corn tortilla strips
• Price (cup): $6

Admittedly, I’m not one of those bona fide soup people. However, I love tortilla soup. Crispy chips! Creamy-yet-spicy base! Satiating beans and meat! Zesty veggies! What’s not to love about this edible fiesta? Here, the heat was pretty tame, and the soup had a very starchy mouthfeel from the beans. I wouldn’t have minded a cheesy element, and I thought the chicken would have looked and tasted more appetizing if it were shredded into larger pieces, instead of teeny-tiny bits. But overall, it was comforting, flavorful and not what you’d expect from a fast food joint.

• What It Is: vanilla Icedream soft serve (a Chick-fil-A special) blended with peppermint bark chips, topped with whipped cream and a cherry
• Price: $5

Back when I was a Starbucks barista, I learned what a dreamy combination vanilla and peppermint make. (Why should mocha have all the fun?) This milkshake proves it, with its luscious consistency, gentle mint notes and overall sweet flavor profile. The bark chips offered texture without getting stuck in the straw, and the chocolate brought slight earthiness to every few sips. I also loved the pink color, which reminded me of a blush-colored peppermint stick ice cream I used to get from a local shop as a kid. Yum, nostalgia.

• What It Is: frozen coffee, vanilla Icedream soft serve and peppermint bark chips, blended by hand
• Price: $5

It’s no Frosted Lemonade (aka the most delectable dessert on Chick-fil-A’s entire menu, IMO) but the Peppermint Chip Frosted Coffee is impeccably balanced and offers more textural contrast than you’d expect. It’s indeed sweet with notes of vanilla and chocolate, but the coffee adds just enough bitterness to the mix. The peppermint is crisp and refreshing without being overwhelming, and I adored the crystalline crunch of the peppermint chips. They didn’t stick to my teeth like a piece of candy cane, but rather broke up in a crispier, thinner fashion.