McDonald’s has a few desserts for you to enjoy, but the McFlurry is a completely unique dessert that can only be found at the golden arches. It isn’t a surprise that the McFlurry is one of the best-selling McDonald’s menu items, but if you want to save more on the dessert, we’ve got our laser focus on it and have amassed all the tips you’ll need.
We’ll show you everything you need to know about this classic dessert, including ways to make your McFlurry unique using some McDonald’s secret menu hacks.
If the ice cream machine is down at McDonald’s, you can always get free McDonald’s instead.
A McFlurry is soft serve ice cream with Oreos or M&Ms mixed in — for at least $3.39.
A McFlurry from McDonald’s will set you back $4.39 for a regular size (12-ounce) and $3.39 for a snack size (8-ounce). So what is a McFlurry? A McFlurry is a blended soft serve ice cream with a different topping.
Currently, there are two toppings that McDonald’s consistently has: Oreo and M&M’s. Each topping will be blended throughout the dessert, and a tiny amount will be added to the top of your ice cream.
Seasonal McFlurries come out once a year for only a month at a time.
Because of the flexibility of the dessert, McDonald’s releases several different seasonal flavors that are only available for a month or two. Here’s when the seasonal McFlurry flavors dropped last year and when we can expect them to return in 2023:
- Shamrock McFlurry: February/March
- Chocolatey Pretzel McFlurry: May – July
- Oreo Fudge McFlurry: November – January
Each dessert is tested at select McDonald’s locations in southern California, but not all the McFlurry flavors make it. Here are a few that we’ve seen in the past that didn’t see a national release:
- Peanut Butter Crunch: January 2022
- Hershey’s Mix McFlurry: July 2022
TIP: There are several regional McDonald’s flavors, like the Oreo Matcha McFlurry (Japan) and Cadberry Crunchie McFlurry (U.K.), that can only be found in their respective countries. However, McDonald’s launched the McDonald’s Global Menu Restaurant in Chicago that sells international McFlurry flavors.
There are between 570 – 640 calories in a regular-sized McFlurry.
The calorie count of a McFlurry will differ depending on which McFlurry you get and the size, but generally, you can expect around 600 calories for a regular-sized McFlurry. Here’s the breakdown:
- Snack-Sized Oreo: 340 calories
- Snack-Sized M&M: 420 calories
- Regular-Sized Oreo: 570 calories
- Regular-Sized M&M: 640 calories
NOTE: If you’re looking for more calorie counts, check the nutrition on the McDonald’s app. When you click on the item that you want, you’ll be able to find the nutrition information at the bottom of the page.
Save 25% on a McFlurry when you order a sundae and add toppings instead.
One of the best ways to get a discount on your McFlurry is to order a sundae of your choice and add a topping in the customization menu. Each topping will cost you around $0.30 depending on your McDonald’s location. With the addition, you can expect to spend $3.29 on your discounted dessert. You just gotta mix in the toppings yourself. I know, big deal, right?
Since a normal McFlurry costs $4.39, you’ll get a 25% discount on your purchase. It’s one of the best ways to save by using the McDonald’s secret menu.
Get the cheapest frozen dessert from Wendy’s — up to a 77% difference.
Several other fast-food restaurants offer their own frozen dessert option like the McDonald’s McFlurry, but Wendy’s offers the cheapest version with their Frosty, which is only $0.99. There aren’t any chewy bits of goodies inside, though. Here’s how each dessert breaks down at other restaurants:
- Wendy’s 12-ounce Frosty: $0.99
- Sonic Drive-In’s 10-ounce Blast: $4.39
- Dairy Queen’s 12-ounce Blizzard: $4.99
Want to know more ways to get free Wendy’s Frosties, discounted slushes at Sonic, and cheap Dairy Queen Blizzards.
The weird-shaped McFlurry spoons are used to mix the dessert together.
While the McDonald’s McFlurry spoons look like straws, they are actually used to mix the McFlurry mixture so you’ll get toppings all throughout the mixture. The spoon is meant to fit perfectly onto the McFlurry machine.
By designing this spoon to fit into the machine, McDonald’s eliminated the need to clean machinery every time they make a McFlurry.
Check the McBroken website to see if the McDonald’s ice cream machine is broken — it affects your McFlurry.
Have you ever gone to a McDonald’s for an ice cream treat but the ice cream machine is down? McDonald’s has made themselves infamous by not having the ice cream machine work when you want ice cream the most.
But if you want to make sure your local McDonald’s ice cream machine is working, check out the McBroken website. This website checks McDonald’s locations in real time to let you know the status of every McDonald’s ice cream machine.
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