Whatever Happened To Hardee's Cinnamon N' Raisin Biscuits?

Is anything better than a crisped on the outside, moist and cloud like on the inside classic Southern biscuit? Many Americans think not, and biscuits have devoted fans who flock to the restaurants near them that serve up the best versions. One of these destinations is Hardee's — see our list of the best North Carolina spots for biscuits and gravy.

Hardee's is often confused with Carl's Jr. but is different — the two share owners, but Hardee's has more locations on the eastern half of the United States compared to the more western Carl's Jr., and it's more known for those hot biscuits. For years, Hardee's was known for a specific kind of biscuit: the Cinnamon N' Raisin biscuit. Introduced in the 1980s, this was a sweet companion to the restaurant chain's standard biscuits.

The Cinnamon N' Raisin biscuit had a huge following, as it appealed to both biscuit lovers and cinnamon roll enthusiasts. But today, you can't get one of these sweet treats at Hardee's ... at least, most of the time. So what gives? Where did an item that was such a hit go and why?

Hardee's removed the Cinnamon N' Raisin biscuit from all of its menus in 2002, much to the horror of many devotees. It seems the decision was just business, as the chain looked to remain competitive and focus only on its best-sellers. But it's hard to imagine the Cinnamon N' Raisin biscuit wasn't one of those top performers considering the outcry its disappearance caused; people even started petitions for its return online.

Hardee's finally heeded the call of its customers and revived the Cinnamon N' Raisin biscuit in the fall of 2023. The biscuit had popped up here and there for a very limited time at various locations, but there had been no official roll-out in 21 years. Fans were overjoyed to be able to order Cinnamon N' Raisin biscuits again, especially those who remembered the menu item from the 1980s and 1990s, when Hardee's had partnered with the California Raisin Advisory Board to help find ways to get people to eat more raisins — the chain's biscuit was easily one of the most successful approaches. But the joy was rather short-lived, as the Cinnamon N' Raisin biscuit was only available from November 1 to January 2.

For now, biscuit enthusiasts must wait to see when the next Cinnamon N' Raisin biscuit revival might happen. With the cost of the ingredients necessary to make these biscuits presumably high, the chain has to feel enough demand to consider the investment worth it. So if you love Hardee's Cinnamon N' Raisin biscuits, get vocal about it online and maybe even start a petition. In the meantime, it's easy to find copycat recipes so that you can try making your own version at home.