Universal Orlando holiday food 2025: Best and worst seasonal menu items
Navigating the Universal Orlando holiday food menu? We rank the must-try treats and the biggest misses. Plan your perfect festive holiday theme park day.
The holiday season at Universal Orlando Resort is a spectacular feast for the senses. The holiday festivities take place Nov. 21, 2025 – Jan. 4, 2026 across all three Universal Orlando theme parks (including Epic Universe for the first time) and all 11 onsite hotels.
For some of us, the seasonal treats remain our most important quest. However, with a massive menu of limited-time offerings popping up across Universal CityWalk Orlando, Universal Studios Florida, and Universal Islands of Adventure, how does one decide which festive favorites are must-try indulgences and which are easy skips?
Disclaimer and methodology
Since Universal Epic Universe is not yet included with annual or season passes, we did not try the holiday food there. Our best and worst list covers the Universal Orlando holiday food at the usual primary spots that the theme park resort presents to guests.
Also, just to let you know, at the time of writing, Universal Orlando has not published a complete list of holiday food menu items. However, a complete list of Universal Orlando holiday food locations can be found under “Things to Do” on the official Universal Orlando webpage about the Holidays.
Still, on the opening weekend of Holidays at Universal Orlando, several dining locations listed were not prepared to sell the special holiday food item. For example, we ran into this issue at Bread Box and Voodoo Doughnut.
While several Universal Orlando holiday food items can be found at the full-service (table-service) restaurants, we focused on the quick-service options in the below lists. This decision revolved around trying the most likely Universal Orlando holiday food guests would try.
This year’s Universal Orlando holiday food majors on the sweet side. In fact, with Bread Box not having the Holiday Turkey Sandwich ready, our experience included no savory quick-service offerings.
Best Universal Orlando holiday food options
Snickerdoodle Crepe
- Location: Central Park Crepes (Universal Studios Florida)
- Price: $10.99
While we want to give a shout out to the Pumpkin Pie Crepe, exclusive to passholders, the Snickerdoodle Crepe stood out as a best Universal Orlando holiday food option. It consists of cinnamon mascarpone spread with snickerdoodle crumbles, whipped cream, and holiday sugar dust. It also comes with a snickerdoodle cookie on top. This combination of whipped cream and cinnamon brings a festive flavor. Additionally, it earns points for being sharable, if you do that sort of thing.
A Very Chocolate Christmas Bar
- Location: Today Café (Universal Studios Florida) and Croissant Moon (Universal Islands of Adventure)
- Price: $4.99
This vegan treat provides value and decent flavor. While many Universal Orlando holiday food bakery case items cost $6.99 or more, this one only costs $4.99. While the texture might throw some guests off, the flavors work. Based on being vegan, it is a bit dense. However, fans of chocolate and a light coconut flavor will enjoy this. The official menu description reads, “Moist chocolate vegan roulade with vegan dulce de leche and chocolate ganache.”
Honorable mention for best Universal Orlando holiday food
Red & White Nice Shake
- Location: Toothsome Chocolate Emporium and Savory Feast Kitchen (Universal CityWalk)
- Price: $19
Each season, Toothsome Chocolate Emporium and Savory Feast Kitchen creates limited-time milkshakes. In the past, we have not recommended the holiday shakes. However, this one deserves a positive mention. The menu description reads, “Mocha and peppermint shake that’s made with candy cane sprinkles, peppermint bark snowflakes, and a candy cane.” Fans of a light mocha and peppermint flavor will love this.
It fails to make our best Universal Orlando holiday food list for two primary reasons. First, the price point of $19 makes it less appealing. This rings especially true when groups can share an everyday menu sundae for far less money!
Second, this milkshake comes with a “wrapped” candy cane stuck in the milkshake. With the red dye already leading to messes, this factor does not help!
Worst Universal Orlando holiday food options
We covered the best items and gave an honorable mention. So, what made the naughty list regarding Universal Orlando holiday food?
Coquito Crunch
- Location: San Francisco Pastry Company (Universal Studios Florida) and Croissant Moon (Universal Islands of Adventure)
- Price: $7.49
Each year, Universal Orlando Resort rolls out a coquito (pronounced koh-KEE-toh) holiday dessert. In the past, our group has not been overly impressed. That pattern continued. Still, this was a better attempt.
Coquito, which literally means “little coconut” in Spanish, is a rich, creamy, and spiced alcoholic beverage traditionally served in Puerto Rico during the Christmas and New Year’s season. The Universal Orlando holiday food option (non-alcoholic) consists of “moist yellow cake with coquito mousse, coconut, and toasted almonds.”
We had this three times on the opening day of the Holidays at Universal Orlando. It did improve as the day went on. However, the texture failed to be positive. The cake hinders it with as lack of being “moist” as the menu description indicates. Also, the almonds failed to be noticeable all three times we tasted this.
Elegant Ornament
- Location: Today Café (Universal Studios Florida) and Croissant Moon (Universal Islands of Adventure)
- Price: $7.49
Universal Orlando promoted this holiday sweet treat in advance. It looks great. The menu description reads, “Chocolate crème brûlée that has a white chocolate peppermint center.” We tried this twice. In fairness, it offers exactly what it says it is. The Universal chefs should get credit for that. At other major theme park resorts, this sometimes fails to happen.
One member of our group said it tasted like burnt chocolate on the interior. That might be too harsh. The chocolate crème brûlée interior makes a fabulous idea, but it failed to work on the opening day of Holidays at Universal Orlando Resort. Also, unless guests know the menu description (not shown in any bakery case location), the small peppermint portion in the center will be a shock. Still, the peppermint flavor does not provide a robust flavor.
Annual passholder exclusive Universal Orlando holiday food
For the 2025 Holidays at Universal Orlando, several food and beverage options were created exclusively for the theme park’s passholders. These options are available from Nov. 21, 2025 – Jan. 4, 2026. Guests must present a valid annual or seasonal pass at the time of purchase.
Universal CityWalk
- Gridiron Chop at NBC Sports Grill & Brew – ($26.95) Herb-crusted pork chops, sweet potato hash, braised cabbage, parsnip chips, apple gastrique
- The “Big” Burger at Bigfire Restaurant – ($23) 8-oz. beef patty, BBQ rub, caramelized onions, mushrooms, white cheddar arugula, sherry vinaigrette, Alabama BBQ sauce
- The Samurai Roll at The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar – ($19) Jalapeno cream cheese, kani, panko crust, diced salmon, spicy mayo, scallions, eel sauce
- Pozole Verde at Antojitos Authentic Mexican Food – ($19.95) Tomatillo chicken, hominy, green chili broth, radish, cabbage, lime, avocado, serrano pepper, blue corn tostada, cilantro sprouts
Universal Studios Florida
- Seafood Charcuterie at Lombard’s Seafood Grille – ($34) salmon Gravlax, smoked oysters, jumbo shrimp, tuna tartare, bread, pickled gegetables
- Pumpkin Pie Crepe at Central Park Crêpes – ($10.99) Pumpkin pie filling, whipped cream, speculoos cookie crumble, pumpkin pie
- Irish Puffin at Finnegan’s Bar & Grill – ($19) Whiskey, cinnamon whiskey, butterscotch liqueur, triple sec, and walnut bitters
Universal Islands of Adventure
- Peppermint, Dark & White Chocolate Dipped Churro at Natural Selections – ($7.49) Churros dipped in dark & white chocolate and crushed peppermints
Gingy Cookie returns for 2025
The Gingy Cookie returns this year, found at the Shrek’s Snacks kiosk in DreamWorks Land at Universal Studios Florida.
Gingy, the Gingerbread Man, is a sassy supporting character in the “Shrek” franchise. His most memorable scene involves his interrogation by Lord Farquaad, where his gumdrop buttons are nearly pulled off.
Based on that, Universal Orlando presents guests with their own chance to be Lord Farquaad by purchasing and eating the Gingy Cookie. Last year, this cookie made our best list. This year it’s $6.99, an increase of $1 from last year. Based on that price increase, it did not make our 2025 best list.
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