Holidays 2022: Food Freebies and Deals From McDonald’s, Popeyes, Chipotle and More

Christmas is almost here. There are a lot of great things about the holidays — gifts, parties, spending time with family. The wear and tear on your wallet, though, isn’t so wonderful.

Fortunately, many restaurant chains are offering the chance to refuel while giving your bank account a much-needed break with freebies, discounts, exclusive menu items and more. 

View the growing list of treats below and check back for more updates in the weeks to come.

For more on holiday shopping, get the scoop on great present ideas, how to avoid holiday scams, and restaurant gift cards that give you money back.

Auntie Anne’s

Every day until Dec. 25, the popular pretzel purveyor is offering another giveaway or gift from the Auntie Anne-vent calendar, including free delivery, BOGO pretzels and more.

Check out Auntie Anne’s Instagram for daily deals.

Baskin-Robbins

Baskin-Robbins has ushered in the 2022 holiday season with a new peppermint cocoa shake and the return of the peppermint ice cream with crunchy peppermint candy pieces. 

Also returning is the Brrr the Snowman Cake, a six-inch or nine-inch customizable cake with an icing carrot nose, tree branch arms and a smile made of fudge. Get $5 off any cake purchase of $35 or more throughout December in-store and online when you use the promo code SNOW at checkout.

Need to tackle your Christmas list? Shop Baskin-Robbins has an array of branded socks, tees, scrunchies, beach towels and even a Baskin-Robbins beach cruiser.

And on Dec. 31, get 31% off all scoops as part of the company’s monthly “Celebrate 31” deal.

Carvel

For a limited time, Carvel has two new Sundae Dashers inspired by Kit Kat Duos candy bars. Choose mint or strawberry soft-serve ice cream layered with crunchy Kit Kat pieces, hot fudge and whipped cream.  

Chevys

Both Chevys Fresh Mex and El Torito are offering a dozen tamales for $24 from now until Jan. 1. Choose from chicken, carnitas or sweet corn — or mix and match. Tamales are available to order online or in the restaurant, though 24 hours’ notice is required. 

Chipotle Mexican Grill

Chipotle is offering free queso blanco through Dec. 23 when you use promo code QUESO22.

The creamy cheese spread — made with aged Monterey Jack and white cheddar cheese and serrano, poblano and chipotle peppers — was first tested in Dallas, Detroit and San Diego in 2019 before being added to Chipotle menus nationwide in February 2020. 

Culver’s 

Through Feb. 12, visitors to Culver’s can enjoy a Frozen Cocoa Concrete Mixer —  a thick, small-batch vanilla custard topped with cocoa and real whipped cream — for $5.70.

Dairy Queen

Dairy Queen is only getting chillier as winter arrives: The nationwide chain has launched its 2022 holiday lineup, including the new Frosted Sugar Cookie Blizzard — soft sugar cookie pieces and icing blended with soft-serve vanilla — as well as returning faves like the Oreo Hot Cocoa Blizzard and the Candy Cane Chill Blizzard.

Dunkin’

Every day through Dec. 24, Dunkin’ Rewards members can get one free doughnut with a medium or larger drink as part of Dunkin’s 12 Days of Donuts.

Godiva

Get a holiday truffle flight or eight-piece holiday gift box for only $15 when you use HOLIDAYEXTRA at checkout on the Godiva website.

Great American Cookies

Great American Cookies has a lineup of holiday morsels, including Mint Cookies & Cream Cookies, Red & Green M&M Cookies, Red Velvet Stuffed Cookies with Oreo and Gingerbread Cookies.

Customers at co-branded Marble Slab Creamery locations can mix up their cookies with Red Velvet Stuffed ice cream and shakes.

Hardee’s

Through Feb. 7, 2023, get two Hardee’s Breakfast Biscuits for $5. You double up or mix and match your favorites: Sausage & Egg Biscuit, Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit, Biscuit ‘N’ Gravy, and Country Fried Steak Biscuit. 

Insomnia Cookies

Insomnia Cookies is serving up a collection of limited-edition sweet treats through Jan. 1, with flavors like Deluxe Filled Hot Cocoa, Jinglebread, Red Velvet Cookies N’ Cream and vegan pecan pie. 

The Holiday Delight Big Dipper includes Gingerbread and Red Velvet Cookies N Cream cookies with your choice of buttercream or cream-cheese frosting, plus holiday sprinkles.

Jack in the Box

As part of Jack in the Box’s 24 Days of Jackmas, Jack Pack Rewards members enjoy daily deals on drinks, sandwiches, tacos, desserts and more through Dec. 24, with new discounts revealed daily.  

KFC

Kentucky Fried Chicken is offering its Famous Bowls — mashed potatoes, bite-sized crispy chicken chunks and sweet corn, drizzled with hot homestyle gravy and a three-cheese blend — for just $5. (For $7.99, you can get a Famous Bowl, a regular drink and fries.)

And for a limited time, KFC is adding six free cookies to its 12- and 16-piece meal deals, served in special-edition “Sharing is Caring” holiday buckets. 

Krystal

To help inflation-struck shoppers, this burger chain is offering 10 Krystal sliders for $9.99 at select locations through Jan. 16, 2023.

Founded in 1930 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Krystal has more than 300 locations across the South today.

McDonald’s

Every week in December, McDonald’s is offering holiday discounts, like BOGO Big Macs and a free 6-piece Chicken McNuggets with purchase. From Dec. 22 to 23, you can grab a 50-cent Double Cheeseburger through the chain’s mobile app.

Plus, through Dec. 25, every app order gives you a chance to win a McGold Card, which grants the owner — and three friends — free McDonald’s food for life.

And any $1 purchase on the McDonald’s app gets you access to special merch drops — including Chicken McNuggets stockings, a Hamburglar tee, McDonald’s Dream Order PJs and more.

Peet’s

Get your caffeine-loving friend a Peet’s frequent brewer subscription for Christmas and take 30% off by using code NEWSUB30 at checkout.

The offer includes Peet’s small batch series, single origin series and signature blend series. (K-Cup pods and Espresso Capsules are excluded.) 

Pinkbox Doughnuts

Pinkbox has a bevy of holiday doughnuts available through Dec. 26 — from a frosted Star of David with blue sprinkles and a white frosted Santa Face to a vegan New Year’s doughnut with cherry filling and topped with sprinkles and NYE décor. (There’s even a Reindeer Pooh cake doughnut, glazed vanilla topped with vanilla buttercream and covered in maple icing.)

Pinkbox’s Doughnut of the Month for December is the Candy Cane Face DoughCro, a croissant-doughnut hybrid rolled in powdered sugar, topped with a candy-cane whip and candy-cane bits.

Pieology

Through Dec. 24, Pieology Pie Life Loyalty members who purchase a signature or create-your-own three-topping pizza get another one free to enjoy in January.  

Pizza Hut

Hosting for the holidays? Pizza Hut has brought back its Triple Treat Box — two medium, one-topping pizzas, plus five breadsticks and ten Cinnabon mini rolls — for just $25 and wrapped in Christmas packaging.

Popeyes

Through Jan. 1, Popeyes is bringing back its buy one, get one deal on chicken sandwich combos. You can choose among the classic, spicy, or blackened chicken sandwiches — or mix and match — when you place an order through the Popeyes app or on Popeyes.com.

The $6.99 combos also come with fries and a beverage but the deal is not available at Popeyes in Alaska, Hawaii or Los Angeles.

Red Lobster

Red Lobster’s 2022 holiday collection includes a snow globe, Christmas ornaments and a unisex Cheddar Bay Sleigh Ugly Sweater with an insulated pocket to hide a stash of warm Cheddar Bay Biscuits.

Items are available through Dec. 31 — or while supplies last — at RedLobsterShop.com.

Shake Shack

Shake Shack is offering free delivery through Dec. 31 when you use promo code GETSHACK on the Shake Shack app.

This year’s lineup of holiday drinks includes the Christmas cookie shake, chocolate milk and cookies shake, and chocolate peppermint shake.

Sheetz

Get a free coffee or Cup’occino every week during the month of December at any of Sheetz’s 670-plus locations.

Just become a My Sheetz Rewardz member by downloading the Sheetz app, then enter the offer code COFFEEME.    

Smashburger

For every $25 you spend in-store or online at Smashburger through Jan. 2, you’ll get $5 in SmashCash points, good toward fries, wings, milkshakes and other menu items.

Sonic Drive-In

Through Dec. 31, get two grilled cheeseburgers, two regular Fritos Chili Cheese Wraps or two small Jumbo Popcorn Chicken meals for $5. Can’t decide? You can also mix and match your order.

Taco Bell

Sign up for Taco Bell Rewards and earn 80 bonus points when you recycle sauce packets through Dec. 31.

Taco John’s

Only around for the holidays, Taco John’s Nachos Navidad features red, green and yellow tortilla chips topped with ground beef, refried beans, melted nacho cheese, guacamole and sour cream. Prices vary, though a small order is typically $5.50 and a regular is about $7.50.

You can also order Nachos Navidad with sirloin steak or grilled chicken for an additional charge.

TGI Fridays

From Dec. 22 to 25 and again on Dec. 31, TGI Fridays is offering 25% off platters, party trays and family meal bundles when you use code JOLLY25OFF (Dec. 22-25) or NYE25OFF (Dec. 31).

Wendy’s

Fridays through Dec. 30, DoorDash DashPass members get a free Frosty when they order at least $15 — including the new, limited-edition Peppermint Frosty. 

On the Wendy’s app, you can get deals like a free small chili with any purchase, $2 off an Italian Mozzarella Combo, BOGO $1 spicy or classic chicken sandwiches and $4 off in-app delivery orders of $20 or more. And if you buy a $2 Frosty Key Tag, you’ll get a free Jr. Frosty with every purchase for a year.

Plus, on Dec. 30, National Bacon Day, get a free junior bacon cheeseburger with any mobile order. (You can also get a free Breakfast Baconator on New Year’s Eve.)   

White Castle

White Castle has brought back the Sloppy Joe Slider in three varieties:

• The Sloppy Joe Slider, lean ground beef topped with onions, tomatoes and bell peppers.
• The Smoky Joe Slider, topped with smoked cheddar cheese and crispy fried onions.       
• The Spicy Joe Slider, topped with jalapeño cheese and jalapeño crisps.

Pair a slider with White Castle’s new Mac and Cheese Nibblers, covered in batter and filled with cheese-covered macaroni. And wash it down with The Sprite Puffy Mix, a new Freestyle drink combining Sprite with notes of grape and raspberry, available through Dec. 31.

Plus, use promo code PUFFY on the White Castle app and get a free small soft drink.

Zaxby’s

Zaxby’s is celebrating its new Zax Rewardz loyalty program by offering free delivery on orders of $35 or more from Dec. 26 through Dec. 31.

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