Christmas 2022: Last-Minute Food Freebies and Deals From Popeyes, McDonald's, Hardee's and More

Christmas is finally here. There are a lot of great things about the holiday -- like gifts, parties and spending time with family. The wear and tear on your wallet, though, isn't so wonderful.

Fortunately, many restaurant chains are giving your bank account a much-needed break with freebies, discounts, exclusive holiday menu items and more. 

View the full list of restaurant deals below. And, of course, make sure the location is open before heading over.

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.

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 one day's notice is required. 

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.

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.

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.  

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.

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.)

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.

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.

TGI Fridays

Through Dec. 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.)   

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.