There have been many stories and claims involving McDonald’s and some of its most iconic food items swirling for years.
One question that you might be wondering is McDonald’s ice cream real? Well, we have the answer and other pertinent information about McDonald’s ice cream below!
Is McDonald’s Ice Cream Real?
McDonald’s ice cream is real and made primarily with reduced-fat dairy ice cream. Additionally, McDonald’s ice cream contains natural flavors, milk, cream, and sugar, along with corn syrup, which are all real ingredients. On top of this, ice cream from McDonald’s also has no artificial preservatives, coloring, or artificial flavoring.
Now that we’ve answered whether or not McDonald’s ice cream is real, keep reading to learn more about the delicious sweet treat that’s been a staple at McDonald’s for decades!
What is McDonald’s Ice Cream Made Of?
McDonald’s ice cream contains vanilla reduced-fat ice cream, cellulose gum, guar gum, milk, sugar, cream, vitamin A palmitate, and carrageenan.
In addition to that, the ice cream also contains natural flavors, corn syrup, and mono and diglycerides.
Further, McDonald’s switched out the artificial flavoring several years ago and moved to natural flavoring.
Why is McDonald’s Ice Cream So Soft?
McDonald’s ice cream is much softer than other restaurants due to McDonald’s only using 5% milk fat in their ice cream.
Further, the percentage of milk fat used for ice cream is normally 10%, but McDonald’s lowered the amount to make the ice cream much softer and gives the vanilla ice cream that iconic texture.
Moreover, the ingredients for the ice cream used by the fast-food chain are specifically designed for McDonald’s, including using glucose to replace some of the sugar content.
Is There Pig Fat In McDonald’s Ice Cream?
There is no pig fat used in McDonald’s ice cream, and that’s one of those rumors that has been around for years, even though the company has dispelled this myth many times.
Is McDonald’s Ice Cream Dairy-Free?
Unfortunately, McDonald’s ice cream is not dairy-free since the base is reduced-fat vanilla ice cream, and it also contains milk and cream.
Does McDonald’s Use Real Ice Cream in Their Shakes?
McDonald’s does use the milk fat from real ice cream in their shakes, which is why the milkshakes are creamy and thick.
Additionally, the shakes use reduced-fat vanilla ice cream, just like their soft-serve ice cream cone.
Why Aren’t McDonald’s Shakes Called Milkshakes if Real Ice Cream is Used?
McDonald’s never labels their shakes as milkshakes due to the dairy regulations that differ from one state to another in regards to milk fat content in order for it to be legally a true milkshake.
Further, the legal variances in milk fat content would make it nearly impossible for McDonald’s to keep a consistent name for their milkshake, so they chose simplicity.
Is McDonald’s Ice Cream Frozen Yogurt?
McDonald’s ice cream isn’t frozen yogurt since it’s reduced-fat vanilla ice cream.
Additionally, McDonald’s ice cream contains both milk and cream, whereas frozen yogurt is made only with milk and no cream.
However, if you want a dessert similar to frozen yogurt, you can order any of the McDonald’s smoothies on the menu since the smoothies contain low-fat frozen yogurt.
Further, McDonald’s offers a variety of smoothie options, including Mango, Pineapple, Strawberry, and strawberry banana.
Is McDonald’s Ice Cream Vegan?
Unfortunately, McDonald’s ice cream is not vegan due to the fact it contains dairy in the form of milk and cream.
However, if you live in Germany, vegan strawberry ice cream has become available at certain locations.
Furthermore, this vegan strawberry ice cream is more of a sorbet and perfect for your sweet tooth!
Additionally, you can get a vegan McFlurry with Oreo pieces on top as part of the new product launch, but it’s only in Germany.
Is McDonald’s Ice Cream Gluten-Free?
If you’re living a gluten-free lifestyle, then you’ll be happy to know you can have McDonald’s ice cream!
Further, McDonald’s ice cream is gluten-free as long as you have it served in a cup and not in a cone, but you have to be mindful that cross-contamination is always possible.
Where Does McDonald’s Milk Come From For Ice Cream?
McDonald’s uses various dairy suppliers that supply the milk used to make McDonald’s soft-serve ice cream, including Milk R Dairy, Dairy-Mix, and Hildebrandt Farms.
Additionally, McDonald’s uses local dairy farms all around the world to provide them with the thousands of gallons of milk required to keep their ice cream fresh.
Does McDonald’s Use Cream in All of the Desserts Available?
McDonald’s offers a variety of desserts on their menu, but only 60% of dessert options use McDonald’s ice cream as an ingredient.
Furthermore, there are alternatives to ice cream, such as baked apple pies, smoothies, chocolate chip cookies, and much more!
Does McDonald’s Have Dipped Ice Cream Cones?
Unfortunately, McDonald’s has done away with dipped ice cream cones, but a few franchise locations may still have it available.
Further, the dipped ice cream cones were too hard to make, and most locations found it difficult to keep those needed supplies on hand, so the idea was scrapped in almost every store.
However, if you have a craving, you can get the Hot Fudge Sundae or the Hot Caramel Sundae, which isn’t the same, but it offers a lot more flavor than just a vanilla cone.
To find out more, you can also read our posts on whether or not McDonald’s milkshakes are gluten-free, if McDonald’s fries are vegan, and if McDonald’s cheese is real.
