Last Updated on March 31, 2022
Today, we’re going to be answering the question: is McDonald’s ice cream gluten free? McDonald’s is the most popular fast-food chain around the globe. And while it’s not the healthiest option, it’s the perfect place to stop for a bite to eat or to grab a drink or snack for the road. McDonald’s is one of my guilty pleasures, and since receiving my diagnosis – I still find it relatively easy to eat there! So let’s take a look at their gluten-free options.
It’s important to note that wherever you are in the world, every country’s allergens are different. What doesn’t contain gluten in one country, may contain gluten in another. We’ll be taking a look predominantly at the US today and the UK (that’s where I am!). So please be sure to check your country’s allergen menus before ordering any food or drinks.
Ingredients In McDonald’s Ice Cream
The ingredients in McDonald’s soft serve reduced fat vanilla ice cream (US) are as follows:
- Milk
- Sugar
- Cream
- Corn Syrup
- Natural Flavor
- Mono and Diglycerides
- Cellulose Gum
- Guar Gum
- Carrageenan
- Vitamin A Palmitate
Gluten Free McDonald’s List
With European countries such as Spain having an incredible gluten-free menu, it’s frustrating that countries such as the UK and US don’t follow suit. However, there’s a selection of food and drinks that do not contain any gluten ingredients. And I often bring my own bun to McDonald’s to make life easier. Let’s take a look.
US
Meats
It’s important to note that these options only do not contain gluten when ordered without the bun. The bun is 100% not gluten-free, so always avoid it.
- Beef Patty
- Grilled Chicken
- Quarter Pounder
- Sausage Patty
- Bacon
- McPlant
Desserts
- Hot Fudge Sundae
- Hot Caramel Sundae
- Soft Serve Ice Cream
- McFlurry with M&M’s
Read more about: Is Soft-Serve Ice Cream Gluten-Free?
Sauces
- Big Mac Sauce
- Spicy Buffalo Sauce
- Creamy Ranch Sauce
- Honey Mustard Sauce
- Honey
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Mayonnaise
- Tartar Sauce
Drinks
- Strawberry Shake
- Vanilla Shake
- Chocolate Shake
- Apple Juice
- Milk
- Tea
- Coca Cola
- Sprite
- Dr. Pepper
- Fanta Orange
- Orange Juice
It’s worth mentioning that their McCafe drinks, including lattes, smoothies, coffee, hot chocolate, frappes, cappuccino, mocha, and macchiato are all suitable, as they do not contain any wheat or gluten ingredients.
You can check out their products and full allergen and nutritional information here.
UK
I’ll be honest, I thought the US would have similar options to the UK – however, there are so many more options in the UK! From breakfast to dinner, it’s relatively easy to enjoy Mcdonald’s in the UK on a gluten-free diet, compared to the US.
Breakfast
- Hash Browns
- Sausage Patty
- Egg
- Bacon
Mains
- Big Mac (without the bun)
- Cheeseburger (without the bun)
- Hamburger (without the bun)
- Quarter Pounder (without the bun)
- Veggie Dippers (pesto and pepper goujons – even cooked in a separate fryer!)
Sides
- Fries
- Fruit Bag
- Carrot Sticks
- Side Salad with Balsamic Dressing
Desserts
- Plain McFlurry
- Crunchie McFlurry
- Dairy Milk McFlurry
Drinks
- All drinks at McDonald’s UK are gluten-free at the time of this article, including their chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, and banana milkshakes
Every country’s no gluten options are different, and ingredients are subject to change at any time, so always check the latest updated allergen menu before ordering.
Learn more about: Are Del Taco Tacos Gluten-Free?
Conclusion
I hope this article has helped to answer the question: is McDonald’s ice cream gluten-free? And helped you to become more familiar with the selection of no gluten food products available to us at McDonald’s. As someone who regularly visits Spain, it’s very frustrating to not have a gluten-free menu, as they do in countries like Spain. It feels like such a rare treat to be able to enjoy a burger with a bun!
We can only hope that in the future, McDonald’s across the world become more open to supplying gluten-free options. In recent times, they’ve added vegan options to their menu – so why not gluten-free? In the meantime, I’ll enjoy my bunless burger with fries and a McFlurry!
Are there any no gluten-containing products that I’ve missed from the list? Or is there a particular food from McDonald’s that you’d love to see them make a gluten-free option of? If so, please feel free to let me know in the comments below. I would love a gluten-free chicken nugget option – they really are so difficult to find!
FAQs
Is There Gluten in Soft Serve Ice Cream?
As you can probably tell from the list of ingredients, there is no gluten in soft serve ice cream. The only allergen that is present in their infamous ice cream is milk. However, it's always best to inform your server of any allergies you have, to ensure that they can minimize cross contact as much as possible. Cross contact is when a non-gluten containing product comes into contact with gluten while they're preparing and handling your food.
Is There Gluten in McDonald’s Milkshakes?
McDonald's offer 3 different varieties of milkshake: chocolate, strawberry and vanilla. Each shake contains whipping cream, ice cream and flavored syrup. All 3 options contain no gluten ingredients and are safe when following a gluten free diet.
Are McDonald’s Sundaes Gluten Free?
McDonald's sundaes come in two flavors - hot fudge and hot caramel. Both of which contain their infamous ice cream and either a fudge or caramel topping. Both options contain no gluten ingredients and the only allergen for both is milk.
Is Anything Gluten Free at McDonald’s?
McDonald's in the US does not claim that any of their products are gluten free, due to the high risk of cross contact in their kitchens. Their kitchens are most often small, with not much preparation area. Whatever you order from McDonald's, there's a risk that any food or drink may have come into contact with gluten - so always be sure to let your server know of allergens. There are lots of food and drink products that do not contain any gluten ingredients (this is different to "gluten free") and we'll be taking an extensive look at their options in this post.
Hi, my name’s Zoë. I’m 28 years old and live in London, UK. I work full time as a freelance writer and critic for West End theatre. Writing has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. I spend most of my free time at the theatre, or at conventions. I’m married to the love of my life, and live in a small apartment with my fur baby, Lillie. I run two of my own blogs: No Safer Place and Stage to Page: both of which have won awards. I also have a YouTube channel where I talk about all things stagey.
