McDonald’s biscuits are a popular breakfast item on their menu. Many customers enjoy the fluffy, buttery taste of a fresh biscuit from McDonald’s. But some people wonder about the ingredients that go into making these biscuits, especially if they have dietary restrictions or food allergies. One common question is: is there milk in McDonald’s biscuits?
Short Answer
The short answer is yes, there is milk in McDonald’s biscuits. McDonald’s uses buttermilk in their biscuit recipe, which does contain milk proteins. So people with a milk allergy or vegans/vegetarians should avoid McDonald’s biscuits.
Examining the Ingredients in McDonald’s Biscuits
To get a more thorough answer, let’s look at the actual ingredients list for a McDonald’s Sausage Biscuit with Egg:
Biscuit Ingredients: Enriched bleached flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), buttermilk, palm oil, skim milk, leavening (baking soda, sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate), salt, sugar, natural flavor (plant source). Contains: Wheat, milk.
The key ingredient in regards to milk is the buttermilk. Buttermilk is a dairy product made from fermented cow’s milk. Specifically, buttermilk is the leftover liquid after butter is churned and removed from cream.
Traditional buttermilk contains whey and casein, which are milk proteins, and also contains lactose, which is a milk sugar. So traditional buttermilk is decidedly not vegan or appropriate for a dairy-free diet.
Modern Buttermilk Products
Nowadays some commercial buttermilk products are made by adding bacterial cultures to low-fat or skim milk. But even these modern cultured buttermilk products still contain milk ingredients and are not non-dairy.
So in summary, both traditional and cultured buttermilk contain milk. And since McDonald’s uses buttermilk in their biscuits, their biscuits also contain milk.
Other Dairy Ingredients
In addition to buttermilk, McDonald’s biscuits also contain skim milk further down the ingredients list. Skim milk is a dairy product made from cow’s milk with some of the fat removed. So this adds another source of milk components to the McDonald’s biscuits.
Between the buttermilk and skim milk, McDonald’s biscuits clearly contain milk proteins and should be avoided by anyone with a milk allergy or dietary restriction.
What About Milk Alternatives?
Some companies produce non-dairy buttermilk by fermenting plant-based milks like soy or almond milk. However, McDonald’s ingredients list specifically calls out “buttermilk”, which indicates traditional dairy buttermilk.
There is no evidence that McDonald’s uses any dairy-free or vegan buttermilk alternative in their biscuits. The language of the ingredients label makes it clear their biscuits rely on traditional dairy ingredients.
Nutrition Information on McDonald’s Website
Further evidence that McDonald’s biscuits contain milk can be found by looking at the nutrition information on the McDonald’s website:
| McDonald’s Sausage Biscuit with Egg Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Calories | 510 |
| Total Fat | 32 g |
| Protein | 21 g |
| Total Carbohydrates | 33 g |
| Calcium | 257 mg |
The nutrition info shows a significant amount of calcium (257 mg per biscuit) which indicates the presence of milk. For comparison, a serving of almond milk contains only about 30mg of calcium, while a serving of milk contains around 300mg.
So the high calcium content confirms that McDonald’s biscuits provide a significant amount of milk nutrients.
Why Does McDonald’s Use Buttermilk?
Buttermilk provides important benefits for baking that explain why McDonald’s uses it in their biscuits:
- Buttermilk adds tenderness and flakiness to the texture.
- The lactic acid in buttermilk reacts with baking soda for lift.
- Buttermilk adds tangy, rich flavor.
- Buttermilk keeps biscuits moist and tasty.
Professional and homemade bakers alike rely on buttermilk for achieving the best results when making tender biscuits, pancakes, and other baked goods. It’s not surprising that McDonald’s leverages buttermilk as well.
What About Other McDonald’s Breakfast Items?
While this article focuses specifically on biscuits, it’s worth noting that other common McDonald’s breakfast items also contain milk, including:
- Muffins
- McGriddles
- Breakfast sandwiches with biscuits, muffins or McGriddles
- McCafe coffee drinks made with steamed milk or creamers
So vegans and people with milk allergies or sensitivities should be careful to avoid all of these McDonald’s menu items. Sticking to black coffee and plain hash browns is the safest bet.
Conclusion
Based on the ingredients list, nutrition information, and the well-known attributes of buttermilk, the answer is clear. Yes, there is milk in McDonald’s biscuits.
Both buttermilk and skim milk contribute milk proteins and nutrients like calcium to McDonald’s famous biscuits. People pursuing a vegan or dairy-free diet should avoid these biscuits and be aware that many other breakfast items also contain milk.
Overall, while McDonald’s biscuits provide a quick and tasty breakfast option for many people, they are not suitable for those with milk allergies or dietary restrictions. Understanding what goes into McDonald’s food can help customers make the best choices for their individual needs.