How Is McDonald's Ice Cream So Smooth?

McDonald's has been a fast-food staple for decades, but what makes it so irresistibly smooth? While the infamous malfunctioning machines might lead you to believe otherwise, the secret lies in the precise combination of ingredients.

Technically, McDonald's vanilla cone is not actually ice cream like Breyer's "Natural Vanilla" (sans vanilla) sold in stores; due to its lower milkfat content, it falls into the category of "soft serve" — and no, soft serve is not considered ice cream. You will notice the brand calls it the "Vanilla Cone" on its menu, and this distinction is key to its texture.

The ingredients — milk, sugar, cream, corn syrup, natural vanilla flavoring, and stabilizers like mono and diglycerides, cellulose gum, guar gum, and carrageenan — all play a role in the McDonald's Vanilla Cone. These stabilizers help prevent ice crystals from forming, which is what gives traditional ice cream a harder, more solid consistency. The churning process, which incorporates air into the mixture, further enhances the smooth, creamy texture.

While McDonald's soft serve creates a smooth, almost velvety texture, one may wonder how it has an influence over its counterparts. To start, it is important to note that the recipe for its soft serve has changed. McDonald's made changes to its vanilla soft serve in 2016 by phasing out artificial ingredients, well before the big changes we saw in 2024. This not only affected the Vanilla Cone but also changed the company's McFlurry and other dessert options. In fact, its soft serve is used in more than 60% of its dessert items, including the McCafe Shakes and the McFlurry.

The key ingredient in the McFlurry is the soft serve, with the addition of mixes like Oreo pieces, the M&M mini milk chocolate candies, or other rotating seasonal flavors that are offered. The soft serve is also used in McCafé Shakes, offered in chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla options — all of which now have natural dyes for their characteristic colors. For example, the strawberry shake now features vegetable juice to get it that soft pink color.

Then, the soft serve is also the foundational ingredient for traditional sundaes made with hot fudge or caramel toppings. These toppings have no dyes at all, whether natural or artificial — just that classic McDonald's soft serve with a drizzle of hot sauce.