McDonald’s is known for having unique buns that go so well with their various burgers, but have you ever tried to look for them in stores?
We’ve got all of the details about McDonald’s buns below, including what kind they use and whether you can get them in stores, so read on to learn the answers to all your questions!
What Buns Does McDonald’s Use?
McDonald’s has three different buns that it uses for sandwiches, including the Big Mac buns, Quarter Pounder buns, and regular buns. The Big Mac and Quarter Pounder buns contain Sesame Seeds, and they are made at regional bakeries around the U.S. None of the buns are gluten-free, but they are dairy-free. Additionally, you cannot purchase the buns in stores.
Do you want to know what these buns are made of and if they are sold in stores? Keep reading because we’ve got all the fun facts below!
What Are McDonald’s Buns Made Of?
McDonald’s buns are free of all artificial preservatives, which was a change McDonald’s made not too long ago.
The Big Mac buns contain enriched flour, water, sugar, yeast, soybean oil, salt, wheat gluten, vinegar, sesame seeds, a dough conditioner, and potato flour.
Furthermore, the enriched flour used contains malted barley flour, wheat flour, niacin, thiamine mononitrate, iron, riboflavin, and folic acid.
The Quarter Pounder buns contain enriched flour, water, sugar, yeast, soybean oil, sesame seeds, salt, dextrose, wheat gluten, guar gum, vinegar, vegetable proteins, sunflower, or canola oil, natural flavors, modified food starch maltodextrin, and dough conditioner.
On top of that, regular buns contain enriched flour, water, yeast, sugar, soybean oil, salt, wheat gluten, potato flour, vinegar, and a dough conditioner.
Do McDonald’s Sell Their Buns?
McDonald’s doesn’t sell their buns in the United States, and the buns are made in bakeries specifically for McDonald’s.
However, you can buy similar kinds of buns in the store, with Pepperidge Farm buns being pretty close, and you can get soft white and Sesame Seed versions.
Where Does McDonald’s Get Their Buns?
The buns that McDonald’s uses are made at various bakeries around the United States, including Sumner Bakery, which makes buns for 6 Western U.S. McDonald’s locations.
Additionally, Sumber Bakery makes over 1 million buns for McDonald’s every day from 600 locations in California, Montana, Washington, Idaho, and Oregon.
To get rid of artificial preservatives, Sumner Bakery removed calcium propionate, which prevents bacteria and helps the buns have a longer shelf life.
In addition to that, CH Guenther makes buns for McDonald’s, and they have more of that business after acquiring Mid South, which was another bun maker for McDonald’s.
Are McDonald’s Buns Dairy-Free?
McDonald’s buns are all dairy-free and contain no milk or milk products, so they are perfect for someone sensitive to lactose.
Is McDonald’s Potato Bun Gluten-Free?
Unfortunately, the McDonald’s potato bun is not gluten-free since wheat is used and wheat gluten, so it’s not a great choice if you need a gluten-free diet.
Are McDonald’s Buns Fresh?
McDonald’s buns are fresh in terms of being baked from scratch and then packaged, although they are frozen at a temperature of -20 degrees.
The buns are stored in the freezer at the bakery for up to a week before being shipped out to various McDonald’s locations.
Furthermore, the buns need to be used within 2 days after being shipped to the McDonald’s locations to ensure freshness.
After the buns are packaged, they can spend up to a week at minus-20 degrees in the freezer before they’re shipped to McDonald’s locations. Once they arrive, they must be used within 48 hours.
In addition to that, any waste that happens, such as bad buns, is given to a recycling center and then made into animal feed, so none of the buns are wasted!
McDonald’s Bun Calories
There are about 150 calories in one McDonald’s hamburger bun, which is about standard for hamburger buns.
On top of that, McDonald’s hamburger bun contains about 28 grams of carbohydrates, 240 mg of sodium, 5 grams of protein, and 5 grams of sugar.
If you’re a diabetic, you may want to skip the bun at McDonald’s altogether if you’re eating more than one sandwich due to the carbohydrates and sugar found within the bun.
To learn more about McDonald’s, you can also read our posts on what kind of cheese McDonald’s uses, if McDonald’s Big Macs are good, and where McDonald’s gets their meat.
