We Tried Chick-Fil-A's (Sort Of) New Spicy Chicken Sandwich And Banana Pudding Milkshake

Gather 'round, chicken sandwich lovers: Chick-fil-A is rolling out a new crispy chicken sandwich. Starting at the end of August and for a limited time, Chick-fil-A's fall menu will include a spicy reboot of the Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich from 2023, as well as the relaunch of the fan-favorite Banana Pudding Milkshake after over a decade on hiatus. In addition, a Banana Frosted Coffee will also be joining the fall menu. (As of publication, this item was not available for me to try in person.)

Fans of the Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich will be happy to see that not only is it returning in its original form, but a spicy new twist will be available as well. In the Spicy Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich, the standard chicken filet is replaced with a spicy one, turning up the heat. The Banana Pudding Milkshake is also an exciting development, as fans have had to wait for years for this sweet treat to make its grand return.

I had the opportunity to try the Spicy Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich and the Banana Pudding Milkshake at Chick-fil-A's test kitchen and innovation center before they were made available to the public. In the spirit of back-to-school season, it's time for you to get educated on these two items and whether they're worth trying for yourself.

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

While the 2024 summer offerings from Chick-fil-A brought grilled chicken delights and sweet peach perfection, the fall offerings are a noticeable shift, with flavors and preparations far more suitable for the colder months to come. While the Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich had an original Chick-fil-A crispy filet drizzled with honey, topped with pimento cheese, and served on a toasted bun with mild pickled jalapeño peppers, the Spicy Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich swaps in a spicy chicken filet, evoking the popular trend of customer-invented menu creations that many fast food and fast casual establishments are quick to pick up on. The sandwich contains 620 calories.

In addition to the new chicken sandwich, Chick-fil-A is also resurrecting the Banana Pudding Milkshake, which has lain dormant for 13 years. The sweet and creamy milkshake is made with Chick-fil-A's Icedream dessert, bananas, and vanilla wafer cookies and is topped with a swirl of whipped cream and a cherry. The shake totals 730 calories when the latter two are included. If you've ever had the pleasure of indulging in a cup (or a bucket, no judgment) of NYC-based Magnolia Bakery's banana pudding, this is somewhat reminiscent of that, in milkshake form.

Chick-fil-A has a habit of syncing up its new menu offerings with memorable moments of the year, and this new fall menu is no exception. With the purchase of fresh school supplies and light jackets to tackle the inevitable chill that will be in the air sooner than we think, so, too, come new sandwiches and shakes to indulge in. Starting August 26, the Spicy Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich and the Banana Pudding Milkshake will be available for Chick-fil-A enthusiasts across participating restaurant locations in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. And just like all of the chain's seasonal releases, they will only be available for a limited time and while supplies last.

To find out if your local Chick-fil-A is carrying these new items, check the Chick-fil-A app or website to find the closest location to you and see if you can get it in-store or schedule it for a pickup or delivery. The Spicy Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich generally costs $7.25 and the Banana Pudding Milkshake $4.85; prices may vary by location.

The Spicy Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich is a mouthful, to say the least, and I don't just mean the name itself. This sandwich is hefty. Swapping out the original filet for spicy may not seem like a big change, but when you combine it with the bun, the pickled jalapeños, and the mound of pimento cheese, it becomes a weightier, saltier, and more flavor-packed bite. After about three bites, I was positively spent, and a little sweaty.

That said, it's a weirdly delightful mixture of crispy, salty, sweet, and spicy that is both cohesive and remarkable. Pimento cheese isn't featured in sandwiches as often as it should be, and it's a travesty. The spicy filet is juicy and crisp, the pimento cheese is cold and creamy, and the pickled jalapeños add another layer of mild heat as well as necessary acid for some balance. By no means is this the daintiest of bites, but it covers all the bases for what makes up a memorable sandwich. For that, I can't help but applaud, and grab some extra napkins.

Something this sandwich needs is a vegetable or two. A cold, crisp slice of lettuce, or a slice or two of Vidalia onion (this is a product of Georgia, after all) could cut through all the heaviness and heat without sacrificing any of the important flavor elements.

Banana, as both a fruit and a flavor element, tends to be pretty controversial. As a snack, the banana is exactly what you see and taste beneath the peel. As an element in recipes, however, a banana can add a unique flavor and creamy texture to elevate even the most common of desserts, including the simple milkshake. In the case of the Banana Pudding Milkshake, Chick-fil-A has added a real gift to its menu. Introducing it once again after 13 years kind of makes the number feel more lucky than unlucky. Coincidence? Probably. But I like to think it was pre-planned, just to have a bit of fun.

Rather than using banana extract or flavoring, Chick-fil-A uses real bananas to really take advantage of the full flavor and thick, creamy texture the milkshake provides. Notes of vanilla from the Icedream dessert complement it beautifully, and the use of crumbled up vanilla wafer cookies for added flavor and texture make this a milkshake I would go out of my way to order whenever my sweet tooth rears its head. Consider this my official petition for the Banana Pudding Milkshake to earn its rightful, permanent spot on the Chick-fil-A menu.

Spicy chicken sandwiches are like the leather jacket of fast food. They're bold and edgy yet have remained timeless and classic as trends and fads pop up around them. To see how Chick-fil-A's Spicy Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich stands up to the competition, we had to compare it with Popeyes' Spicy Chicken Sandwich to see which one is worth keeping in rotation.

Starting with the bun, Chick-fil-A and Popeyes both use toasted buttery brioche buns to cradle their spicy chicken filets. The spice in the Popeyes filet is far more pronounced and fiery, while Chick-fil-A's is a more well-rounded, flavorful heat, plus the drizzle of honey for added sweetness. Popeyes doesn't have any cheese on its sandwich, while Chick-fil-A has a sizable mound of creamy pimento cheese on top. Additionally, Popeyes adds a slick of spicy mayo to the top bun for an extra layer of heat, while Chick-fil-A doesn't add any additional condiments.

The biggest difference? The pickled element. Popeyes adds a few slices of barrel-cured pickles to cut through the richness of its sandwich, while Chick-fil-A uses pickled jalapeño peppers as its acidic component. This is where Chick-fil-A edges out the competition, leaning further into the spicy of it all, and doing so with far more style and flair than the common pickle.

If the Spicy Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich and the Banana Pudding Milkshake were running for president and vice president, I would put the milkshake at the top of the ticket. It's a creamy, dreamy dessert in beverage form and an absolute treat in every sense of the word. More than a decade is a long time to wait for a milkshake, but that wait is finally over. Not only is it worth it, but it deserves a permanent home on Chick-fil-A's menu.

Now, the sandwich. Considering the constant ebb and flow of the chicken sandwich competition, Chick-fil-A is putting forward a sandwich that looks at its competition and says, "You think you're the best out there? Hold my bun." It's the boldness, flavor, and overall memorability of the Spicy Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich that puts it in the "worth it" column, while supplies last. 

It's a bold sandwich that I do believe is worth trying, but it could benefit from some improvements. The flavor and spice are delicious and balanced, and that pimento cheese is the most welcome sandwich ingredient I've experienced in a long time. That said, the sandwich is so rich that a few slices of pickled jalapeño are not enough to balance out all that savory flavor and heat. It's screaming for something fresh. Give the Spicy Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich a try with an open mind, an empty stomach, and perhaps an order of lettuce and onion on the side.