McDonald’s used to be a lunch stop. However, it has since embraced breakfast and significantly expanded its menu. McDonald’s now offers a range of items, although it still focuses on a simple menu.
One such breakfast item is vanilla iced coffee. Technically, you can order this coffee throughout the day, but it’s most popular in the morning. For the nutritional information and ingredient lists of this coffee, keep reading!
What is McDonald’s Vanilla Iced Coffee?
McDonald’s Vanilla Iced Coffee is one of the chain’s many coffee choices in 2024. It is made with roasted coffee, cream, ice and French vanilla syrup, which contains sugar. However, there is a sugar-free option available in most stores. Thanks to its simple ingredients, this coffee takes just seconds to prepare and receives rave reviews.
Keep reading below for everything you need to know about this coffee at McDonald’s!
What does McDonald’s put in vanilla iced coffee?
The ingredients for vanilla iced coffee are relatively simple. Starting with its roasted coffee, McDonald’s then adds ice cream, light cream and French vanilla syrup.
Plus, this syrup is made specifically for drinks at McDonald’s, making it difficult to recreate the coffee elsewhere.
With just four ingredients, this coffee is one of the simplest options on the McDonald’s menu.
Plus, it only has one more ingredient than the usual iced coffee, which doesn’t contain French vanilla syrup.
Is McDonald’s Vanilla Iced Coffee sweet?
McDonald’s can’t put sugar directly in vanilla iced coffee. However, restaurant syrup contains sugar, which makes the drink sweet.
In fact, a small coffee of this flavor contains 17 grams of sugar.
With this, many people report that the coffee flavor is a bit stronger in this iced coffee creation.
Additionally, McDonald’s may do this on purpose to counteract the ice cream, or it may simply be due to the syrup used.
Is McDonald’s vanilla iced coffee good?
What one person likes is often completely different from what another person likes. Overall, reviewers seem to like this flavor over others.
Plus, it often wins (or comes close to winning) when McDonald’s other iced coffees are all put to the test.
However, when you put it against coffee shops like Starbucks, it often doesn’t compete. Remember, McDonald’s is a fast food restaurant, not a coffee shop.
Therefore, its coffee will not be one of the best coffees on the market.
Can you get McDonald’s iced coffee without cream?
Yes, you can request any McDonald’s iced coffee without the cream. However, you cannot request the sugar-free vanilla flavor because vanilla syrup contains sugar.
Essentially, it wouldn’t be vanilla flavored without the added sugar. Additionally, you can ask for light cream or light syrup.
However, keep in mind that asking to use less syrup would change the flavor significantly. Of course, this will also cut down on sugar if that’s what’s important to you.
Does McDonald’s Vanilla Iced Coffee have sugar?
According to the recipe, the coffee contains no added sugar. However, there is sugar on the nutrition label, probably because of the syrup.
Additionally, it appears that the syrup contains sugar, which adds it to the drink.
Therefore, if you try to order a vanilla iced coffee without the sugar, you will need to eliminate the syrup because it is the syrup that makes the vanilla in the drink.
For this reason, it is best not to order this drink without vanilla syrup. Instead, just order a regular coffee and ask for no or little sugar if you want to cut down on sugar.
Also remember that this drink contains cream. So if you’re looking to significantly reduce calories, try ordering it without cream.
In some places you can get vanilla iced coffee without sugar. That said, this drink does include vanilla syrup, but the syrup used in this case is sugar-free.
How much caffeine is in a large French vanilla iced coffee from McDonald’s?
A large iced coffee from McDonald’s contains 320 milligrams of caffeine, more than other coffees, including a Trenta from Starbucks.
Therefore, whether or not it is too much caffeine for you is a personal decision.
To learn more, you can also read our articles on drinks at McDonald’s, McCafe and the biggest McDonald’s burger.
Conclusion
McDonald’s Vanilla Iced Coffee is one of the brand’s most popular iced coffee flavors. Compared to other offerings, it often wins in the taste department. However, it is done very similarly.
That said, the only thing that sets it apart is the use of vanilla syrup, which contains sugar and flavorings.
Additionally, this coffee flavor has been available for a while and can be purchased throughout the day. As you can imagine, it is most popular in the morning.
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