Ask anyone who’s stood in line, half-awake and clutching a wrinkled receipt — they’ll tell you McDonald’s iced coffee on a hot morning hits differently.
Peeling back the lid on this fast-food favorite reveals more than just ice cubes and cream. In this article, we explore how McDonald's makes iced coffee, its caffeine content and nutrient profile, and how to make a similar beverage at home.
How Does McDonald’s Make Iced Coffee?
McDonald’s Iced coffee is made with arabica beans prepared with a large, automatic drip coffee maker. The hot brew is pulled over ice and combined with milk or water to create the chilled drink. You can also add syrup if requested.
McDonald's McCafe frappe drinks are made differently. Available in two flavors — caramel iced and mocha coffee — the frappe is made by blending espresso coffee with milk, syrup (chocolate or caramel), and ice. They top the slushy, milkshake-like brew with whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel or chocolate sauce.
How Much Caffeine Is in McDonald’s Iced Coffee?
The amount of caffeine in McDonald's McCafe range of iced coffee varies depending on the beverage and serving size. Its iced beverages are divided into two categories — drip-brewed and espresso-based.
Although exact caffeine content varies between beverages in these categories, they're all pretty similar.
Here's the average caffeine content of drip-brewed iced coffee by volume:
- Small 8 oz (240 mL) — 94 mg of caffeine.
- Medium 11.5 oz (340 mL) — 133 mg of caffeine.
- Large 17 oz (500 mL) — 200 mg of caffeine.
Here's the average caffeine content of espresso-based iced coffee by volume:
- Small 8 oz (240 mL) — 75 mg of caffeine.
- Medium 11.5 oz (340 mL) — 85 mg of caffeine.
- Large 17 oz (500 mL) — 130 mg of caffeine.
Calories & Nutritional Information: McDonald's Iced Coffee
Here's the calories and nutritional profile of McDonald’s iced coffee:
|
Value: |
Small 8 oz (240 mL) |
Medium 11.5 oz (340 mL) |
Large 17 oz (500 mL) |
|
Calories |
150 Kcal |
190 Kcal |
270 Kcal |
|
Total Carbohydrates |
25 grams |
32 grams |
47 grams |
|
Total Protein |
1 gram |
2 grams |
2 grams |
|
Total Fats |
5 grams |
6 grams |
8 grams |
|
Saturated Fat |
3 grams |
4 grams |
5 grams |
|
Trans Fat |
0 grams |
0 grams |
0 grams |
|
Cholesterol |
15 milligrams |
20 milligrams |
30 milligrams |
|
Total Sugars |
20 grams |
25 grams |
38 grams |
|
Added Sugars |
19 grams |
23 grams |
36 grams |
|
Vitamin D |
0 micrograms |
0 micrograms |
0 micrograms |
|
Calcium |
40 milligrams |
50 milligrams |
70 milligrams |
|
Iron |
0 milligrams |
0 milligrams |
0 milligrams |
|
Potassium |
150 milligrams |
230 milligrams |
340 milligrams |
|
Sodium |
35 milligrams |
50 milligrams |
65 milligrams |
|
Caffeine |
94 milligrams |
133 milligrams |
200 milligrams |
What You Need to Make McDonald’s Iced Coffee at Home
Making iced coffee like McDonald's is easy. The fast food chain doesn't use specialist brewing equipment or ingredients for its iced beverages. You'll likely have everything you need to make a “copycat” McDonald's iced coffee at home.
Here's what you'll need:
Ingredients
- High-Quality Coffee — McDonald’s uses arabica coffee for its iced beverages. Opt for a high-quality, whole-bean arabica.
- Water — Use fresh, filtered water for making the drip coffee.
- Ice — You'll need a cup or two of ice for cooling the coffee and serving the completed brew.
- Cream — Heavy cream produces the creaminess and thick mouthfeel of McCafe iced coffee.
- Syrup (Optional) — Add a spoonful of syrup to sweeten and flavor your iced coffee if desired.
Equipment
- Drip Coffee Maker — Use a drip coffee maker or pour-over brewer such as the Hario V60 to make the coffee.
- Coffee Grinder — You’ll make the best iced coffee from whole-bean coffee. You'll need a burr or blade grinder to achieve the medium-coarse consistency for making drip coffee.
- Coffee Measure — Use a coffee measure or weighing scale to accurately portion the coffee.
- Large Glass — Opt for a glass with at least an 8 oz (240 mL) capacity.
- Stirring Spoon — A spoon is needed to stir the coffee.
Coffee Recommendations
McDonald’s uses 100% arabica to make the drip coffee in its iced beverages. Although the chain doesn't sell its coffee beans, you can order similar, if not better, coffee online.
We recommend a 100% arabica coffee such as Cafely DaLat for making copycat McDonald's iced coffee.
If you like slightly stronger flavors, we recommend a robusta and arabica blend like Saigon OG. For making McDonald's iced coffee with almost twice the caffeine level and a much bolder taste, try a 100% robusta coffee such as HaNoi.
Step-By-Step Guide: Copycat McDonald’s Iced Coffee
Here's how to make McDonald’s coffee at home in five simple steps:
1. Measure and Grind the Coffee
First, measure and grind your coffee. A medium-coarse grind (similar in consistency to sea salt) is required for making drip coffee. You will need four tablespoons (28 grams) of ground coffee per serving.
2. Prepare Your Drip Coffee Maker
Add 6 oz (180 mL) of fresh, filtered water to the reservoir on your coffee machine. Add half a cup of ice to the carafe and place it on the drip tray.
3. Prepare the Filter
Take a paper filter and rinse it to remove impurities. Place the filter in the brewing chamber of your drip coffee machine. Pour in the ground coffee and gently spread with the back of a spoon to form an even layer.
4. Brew the Coffee
Start your coffee maker and wait for the brew to drip through into the carafe. The small amount of water won't take long to pass through the grounds — the coffee should finish brewing in a few minutes.
5. Assemble the Iced Coffee
Fill a glass with ice, then add around 2 oz (60 mL) of heavy cream. Pour in the chilled drip coffee and stir to combine.
Add one to two tablespoons of syrup to sweeten (optional), stir again, and enjoy your copycat McCafe coffee while ice cold.
How Do Other Brands Make Iced Coffee?
Other large coffee and fast food chains have different approaches to iced coffee. An iced beverage from one brand can taste remarkably different from another.
Here's how three other popular chains make their iced coffee:
1. Dunkin’ Donuts Iced Coffee
Dunkin’ Donuts makes incredibly strong and sweet iced coffee. The unique way it makes iced coffee gives it an impressive caffeine content — up to 400 mg for a large serving.
Unlike most fast food chains and coffee houses, Dunkin’ uses 100% arabica coffee syrup to make its iced beverages. Rather than brewing coffee fresh for iced and frozen coffee, the brand uses one or two squirts of concentrated coffee syrup. This is what gives its iced drinks an impressive caffeine content and sweetness.
Dunkin’ iced coffee is made by pouring milk over ice and stirring in the syrup. The brand’s famed frozen coffee recipe combines ice, milk, coffee syrup, and vanilla syrup in a blender until it creates a milkshake-like consistency.
2. Starbucks Iced Coffee
Starbucks coffee makes a range of different iced coffees. The standard iced coffee is made with Starbucks’ dark roast espresso, ice, and milk. The espresso is pulled over ice and milk or water is used to dilute it.
Frappuccino coffee — Starbucks’ most popular iced brew — blends espresso, milk, and Frappuccino syrup. It's topped with whipped cream and caramel sauce.
3. Chick-fil-A Iced Coffee
Chick-fil-A’s iced coffee combines strong, black arabica coffee, ice, syrup, and milk. The brand uses a custom blend of high-quality arabica from “Thrive Farmers” — meaning the beans are fresh, high-quality, and the farmers are paid fairly for their produce. If you're wondering about the caffeine in Chick-fil-A coffee, it's worth noting that arabica beans generally offer a smoother, moderate caffeine kick compared to robusta.
Chick-fil-A's most popular iced beverage is the frosted coffee. It's a milkshake-like beverage that's sweet and creamy. Its ingredients include strong arabica coffee, ice cream, milk, ice, vanilla syrup, and caramel sauce. It's served in a cup drizzled with caramel and a dollop of caramel-covered whipped cream on top.
FAQs: McDonald’s Iced Coffee
Want to learn more about iced coffee?
Read through the answers to the frequently asked questions below or head over to the Cafely blog to find out more…
1. What Type of Coffee Does McDonald’s Use in Iced Coffee?
McDonald's uses 100% arabica coffee made with a large drip coffee machine. The same brew is used in its hot black and white coffee but not its espresso-based brews — McCafe latte coffee, cappuccino coffee, macchiato coffee, and Americano coffee.
2. How Much Caffeine in McDonald’s Iced Coffee?
The caffeine levels of coffee in McDonald’s iced version are much lower than other chains such as Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks. The exact levels vary depending on size. A small McCafe iced coffee contains 94 mg, a medium contains 133 mg, and a large contains 200 mg of caffeine.
3. Is McDonald’s Coffee High in Sugar?
While some coffee beverages at McDonald's can be high in sugar — such as the French vanilla latte and caramel frappe — most beverages are sugar-free. If you order a regular iced coffee, espresso, latte, or cappuccino from McDonald's McCafe, it will come unsweetened.
4. Why is Dunkin’ Donuts' Iced Coffee so Strong?
Dunkin' Donuts iced coffee contains a remarkable amount of caffeine — 398 mg in a large serving. Its Iced coffee is so strong because the chain uses concentrated coffee syrup rather than freshly brewed coffee. The syrup is much more concentrated and contains far more caffeine per mL than regular drip or espresso coffee.
5. Can You Make Iced Coffee With a French Press?
Yes. You can make delicious iced coffee with a French press relatively easily. To make iced coffee simply increase the coffee-to-water ratio to brew a concentrated coffee with your press. Cool the coffee down, pour it over ice, and dilute itwith milk or water.
6. What’s the Difference Between Iced Coffee and Cold Brew?
Iced coffee and cold brew are both chilled beverages made from coffee. However, iced coffee is made by brewing a concentrated coffee with hot water and diluting it with milk. Cold brew is made by brewing coffee over a prolonged period (18–20 hours) in cold water, resulting in a stronger drink with less acidity.
7. Does McDonald's Make Cold Brew?
Up until recently, McDonald’s hasn't offered cold brew coffee. However, in March 2024, the chain added 100% arabica cold brew to the McCafe menu.
8. What’s Better for Iced Coffee — Arabica or Robusta?
Both arabica and robusta beans can make delicious iced coffee. Which type is best for you depends on the flavors you enjoy. Robusta offers bold, dark, slightly bitter flavors and a strong caffeine hit whereas arabica offers smooth, sweet, mellow notes with a mild strength. Blends of both beans such as Saigon OG provide a balance of the two.
9. What is Vietnamese Iced Coffee?
Vietnamese iced coffee (cà phê sữa đá) is a sweet, robust, creamy brew made with robusta coffee and sweetened condensed milk. The coffee is prepared using a traditional phin drip filter and is impressively strong.
10. Can You Make Iced Coffee With a Drip Coffee Maker?
Yes. You can make iced coffee with a drip coffee maker — this is essentially what McDonald's does but on a larger scale. To make iced coffee with a drip coffee maker simply increase the coffee-to-water ratio to create a concentrated brew and cool it to room temperature. Pour the coffee over ice, sweeten with syrup (optional), and dilute with milk or water.
