REVIEW: McDonald’s McDonaldland Meal feat. Mt. McDonaldland Shake

“With hints of berry flavor and colorful, cloud-like pink Dairy Whipped Topping made with real cream, the Mt. McDonaldland Shake erupted from one of Grimace Island’s thick shake volcanoes.”

That’s how McDonald’s describes its new and limited time dessert on its website. But it’s hard to imagine thick shake volcanoes, just as it’s difficult to comprehend, despite McDonald’s constantly telling us, that Grimace is a taste bud. If it was a shake volcano, where’s the trail of devastation from the shake lava? Did Mayor McCheese call for evacuations when the eruptions happened? Were there earthquakes? And did those earthquakes cause Coke product tsunami waves? Did the Hamburglar take advantage of the chaos and loot the town? Is this a Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs situation here? There’s no description of any of those things, so it just sounds like Grimace Island has a working McDonald’s ice cream machine. Or there is a massive McDonaldland government cover-up.

The Mt. McDonaldland Shake is available as part of the new McDonaldland Meal, which also comes with a side of fries and your choice of 10-piece Chicken McNuggets or a Quarter Pounder with Cheese. Or you can also get it à la carte. The meal also comes with a collectible souvenir tin that comes with stickers and postcards. I’m not going to review the nuggets or QPC. Instead, I’ll just focus on the new product of the meal.

The light blue shake and pink whipped topping made me think of cotton candy, My Little Pony, what Luke Skywalker might’ve had as a dessert while on Tatooine, the worst baby gender reveal idea, and the colors you’d see if you snort Pixy Stix candy. With its pink color, I thought the dairy whipped topping might have some fruitiness, but it’s all tint and no fruity hint.

As for what’s under the whipped topping, I assumed it would be blue raspberry-flavored due to its color. There are notes of that berry, but it tastes more blackberry-forward to me, and that is not a complaint because the shake was gosh darn tasty. However, after sucking up half of it, my taste buds started to become a tad overwhelmed with sweetness. So I can imagine folks saying that this shake is too saccharine. Not even mixing in the significantly less sugary dairy whipped topping helped dilute the sweetness.

With hints of berry flavor and colorful, cloud-like pink Dairy Whipped Topping made with real cream, the Mt. McDonaldland Shake is a delicious treat, and one that I would slurp up again if it ever came back, even if that means more natural disasters on Grimace Island.

Purchased Price: $15.39 (meal)
Size: Medium Shake
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (medium shake only) 650 calories, 18 grams of fat, 11 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 75 milligrams of cholesterol, 250 milligrams of sodium, 105 grams of carbohydrates, 84 grams of sugar (including 68 grams of added sugar), and 14 grams of protein.

REVIEW: McDonald’s Snack Wraps (2025)

McDonald’s Snack Wraps are back! The overwhelming happiness this has brought to the masses could squeeze the purple life out of Grimace.

However, they aren’t the same Snack Wraps we all adored and occasionally wished for on social media when they were removed from the menu years ago. These 2025 Snack Wraps aren’t the Snack Wraps from 2006-2007 for two reasons — flavor and value.

The Snack Wrap reboot is available in two varieties: Ranch and Spicy. Both come with the relatively new McCrispy Strips, shredded lettuce, and shredded cheese wrapped in a flour tortilla. The chicken is decent tasting, but it’s not my pick in the chicken strip war that’s currently going on between all the fast food chains. Here’s what I wrote about them earlier this year:

The first thing that caught my eye about the McCrispy Strips was how McLong they were. They seemed more impressive than the previous McDonald’s offerings. Also impressive was how tender and juicy the meat was. However, I wish the “crispy golden brown breading” was crispier. There’s some texture, especially on the edges, but for the most part, I find the Chicken McNuggets to have a crispier exterior. That’s disappointing for something that seems more premium than chicken nuggets. As for its flavor, it has a light pepperiness that makes these okay enough to eat sans sauce…

Most of the chicken’s texture and flavor get lost in this mashup of lettuce, cheese, sauce, and tortilla. The cheese is surprisingly noticeable in some bites, and the tortilla’s taste stands out a bit too much, but it’s mostly a sauce show. While the Ranch one was my favorite with the original Snack Wraps, I prefer the Spicy one this time around, which uses the same sauce used with the Spicy McCrispy Sandwich and the Spicy Egg McMuffins. It brings a nice level of heat and pepperiness, which makes it more flavorful than the Ranch one. Now, the Ranch one is fine and perfect if you want to come closest to reliving those previous Snack Wrap days. But neither variety has me wanting wrap my arms around Grimace to bear hug him.

Now, on to value.

What I remember most about the 2000s version was how you could buy one with whatever coins you could scrounge under your car’s various floor mats, and if you had a parking meter feeder stash, you could get two of them. They were Snack Wraps with a snack-like price and had a value that stood out on the menu. That arguably was a major reason for their appeal. Maybe even more than their flavor, which I did enjoy.

Even though these do seem to be slightly more substantial than the original Snack Wrap and, of course, there’s inflation, these new ones at their advertised $2.99 price seem less of a value. (Note: I paid $3.99 on this rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.) Mainly because for a little bit more, I can get a $5 McChicken Meal Deal.

Perhaps if McDonald’s added a Snack Wrap as an option for its Meal Deal, I’d probably end up eating more of them. But knowing the Golden Arches, it’ll probably take away Meal Deals, and I’ll be wishing for it to come back on social media.

Purchased Price: $3.99 each
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: Ranch – 390 calories, 22 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 45 milligrams of cholesterol, 900 milligrams of sodium, 31 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 3 grams of sugar, and 17 grams of protein. Spicy – 380 calories, 21 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 50 milligrams of cholesterol, 920 milligrams of sodium, 30 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 17 grams of protein.

REVIEW: McDonald’s Daily Double

McDonald’s Daily Double is not the burger I wanted the fast food chain to bring back. That pedestal belongs to the Big ‘N Tasty, which, for those of you who are too young to remember, was a short-lived Whopper competitor rolled out at the turn of the century. While not as ancient as the Big ‘N Tasty, the Daily Double made its debut in 2012, and it’s been available occasionally in specific US markets. However, it’s now available nationwide again.

The well-topping-endowed burger features two beef patties, two slices of Roma tomatoes, slivered onions, shredded lettuce, mayonnaise, and American cheese on a regular bun. I imagine it’s called Daily Double because Grimace wanted to remember the fond memories of watching the game show Jeopardy with The Professor, who grew Grimace from a petri dish and taught the purple blob love and compassion. I’m fairly certain that’s part of the McDonaldland canon.

Speaking of the McDonald’s universe (McDU), the Daily Double is one of the few burgers in Golden Arches history that, by default, comes topped with only mayonnaise and doesn’t come with pickles. But despite the lack of strong condiments like ketchup and mustard, it does have a flavor that I find to be good enough to convince me to order it again.

When I took my first bite, I had to double-check that there wasn’t a new sauce with the burger. It turned out to be the combination of mayonnaise and onion that created that pleasing flavor. The absence of pickles, mustard, and ketchup allowed the two beef patties to stand out with a strong meaty flavor and saltiness. I’m not sure I noticed the single cheese slice, so maybe a second slice should’ve been added for a stronger cheesiness, increased profit margins, and to really hit home the “double” in the Daily Double.

The lettuce and tomato bring a bit of freshness and something to cut through some of the saltiness of the beef patties. They also make the burger look as if there’s a salad on top of it. As someone who is trying to incorporate more vegetables into my diet in any way I can, I appreciate the double tomato slices. The shredded lettuce also gives this a certain quality equal to McDonald’s signature Big Mac — its messiness.

Despite not being the Big’ N Tasty, I’m glad McDonald’s Daily Double has returned. Although it’s basically a heavily customized McDouble, so I guess I could have had it all this time, which is a good thing because when it disappears again, I can continue to enjoy it.

Purchased Price: $4.19*
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 400 calories, 31 grams of fat, 11 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 80 milligrams of cholesterol, 810 milligrams of sodium, 30 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 5 grams of sugar (including 3 grams of added sugar), and 22 grams of protein.

*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did.

REVIEW: McDonald’s Spicy Sausage McMuffin with Egg

Do you know what’s a great way to get out of a sleepy morning state?

Caffeine? Nah.

Multiple alarms? Beep, no!

A firm face slap? You’re getting closer.

After taking my first bite from McDonald’s Spicy Sausage McMuffin with Egg, I realized I’d been getting awake the wrong way. I don’t need coffee or multiple alarms set for 6:45, 6:50, 6:54, 6:57, 6:59, 7:00, 7:01, 7:02, 7:03 am. All I need is to make the inside of my mouth experience a slightly stabby pain. I figured this out thanks to this McDonald’s breakfast sandwich that features the chain’s Spicy Pepper Sauce, which debuted with the Spicy McCrispy Chicken Sandwich.

Now, pulling out the Spicy Pepper Sauce for the breakfast crowd begs the question: Why not bring out the Big Mac Sauce, too? I’m 100 percent sure it would make a McMuffin McBetter.

Anyhoo, the orangey condiment brings a spiciness that I’d put at a 4-5 on my heat scale. It’s not enough to make me sweat or wish I’d ordered orange juice with it, but I did find myself suddenly more alert with a burn circulating inside my mouth, and that peppery burn lingered on my lips and tongue well after finishing the sandwich.

Beyond the heat, I enjoyed the added flavor. Standard McMuffins aren’t completely bland, but after eating Grimace’s weight of McMuffins over my lifetime, it’s wonderful to be able to taste something different. The sauce’s pepperiness negates the egg and cheese’s flavor, but the savory sausage still comes through. However, I do think the egg and cheese slightly dampens the topping’s heat.

I’m not sure if it’s just because it’s the new hotness, but I think I’m going to order all my McDonald’s breakfast sandwiches with this sauce for as long as I can. Yeah, even the McGriddles for a swicy twist.

McDonald’s Spicy Sausage McMuffin with Egg was a great tasting way to start my morning. The sauce’s pepperiness awakened my taste buds, and the sauce’s heat awakened the rest of my head. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to place a bag of Flamin’ Hot chips next to my bed.

Purchased Price: $5.79*
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: Unavailable at time of publication.

*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did.

REVIEW: McDonald’s Hershey’s S’mores McFlurry

Just in time for the hot summer months and to join the annual deluge of s’mores-flavored products, McDonald’s has rolled out its new Hershey’s S’mores McFlurry. It combines McDonald’s ice cream with Hershey’s chocolate bits, graham crumbs, and white marshmallows.

While my photos make my McFlurry look like it’s been hanging out in a woodworker’s shop, talking about joinery techniques and snickering every time the butt joint is mentioned, I assure you that this dessert has all the flavors of the classic campfire treat.

The mix-ins give varying textures that contrast the creamy nature of the sweet ice cream. While I described them as “marshmallows” above, they’re similar to the crunchy marbits you’d find in a cereal, and they’re a little bigger than the marshmallows you’d see in an instant hot cocoa packet. They may be small, but they do pack a sweet punch. And with their crunchiness, they are an excellent addition to the dessert.

Bringing all the chocolate flavor are small dark pieces floating in the white frozen dairy. Even though Hershey’s has partnered with McDonald’s on the dessert, the bits didn’t instantly evoke thoughts of Hershey’s milk chocolate and its distinctive flavor. It tasted a little darker to me. Nevertheless, they added a choco flavor that was as sweet and tasty as the marshmallows. They also had a nice candy bar snap to them that complemented the crunchy marshmallows and creamy ice cream.

Finally, we have the mostly crunchy graham crumbs, which I was concerned wouldn’t be noticeable, as many s’mores-flavored products struggle to convey the graham flavor effectively. But my first spoonful from the McFlurry allayed my fears. As Yoda once said, “The graham is strong with this one.” There were moments when I got more of a waffle cone flavor, but that is definitely not a complaint. Hey! I just came up with a brilliant idea. How about a s’mores treat that involves toasting marshmallows and dumping them into a waffle cone with some chocolate in it? Did I just invent something? (Searches internet) Nope. It’s been done many, many, many, many times.

All together, the mix-ins and ice cream create a delicious treat that evokes the sweet campfire delicacy. The next time I indulge in the McDonald’s Hershey’s S’mores McFlurry—and trust me, there will definitely be a next time—I think I’ll enhance it with some hot fudge to give it the feeling of melted chocolate.

Purchased Price: $4.99*
Size: Regular
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 460 calories, 15 grams of fat, 9 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 240 milligrams of sodium, 70 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 57 grams of sugar (including 47 grams of added sugar), and 10 grams of protein.

*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did.

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