McDonald's new festive menu is here for the 2023 holiday season and it's filled with so many flavours that I didn't expect to find at the fast food chain.
When I think of McDonald's, I think of greasy comfort food that might leave me feeling guilty afterward. In this case, it didn't quite feel like that.
The new McDonald's Canada menu items include a Candy Cane Fudge McFlurry, Herb & Garlic Seasoned Fries, a Festive McCafé Peppermint Mocha, a Peppermint Hot Chocolate, a Triple Chocolate Donut and a Maple BBQ & Bacon Quarter Pounder.
McDonald's Candy Cane Fudge McFlurry, Herb & Garlic Seasoned Fries, Triple Chocolate Donut and Maple BBQ & Bacon Quarter PounderMira Nabulsi | Narcity
Unfortunately the festive McCafe beverages were unavailable at two locations that I visited for this taste test, so I was unable to try them. A McDonald's employee told me that they didn't have the machines this year at that store, so you might run into trouble finding the peppermint drinks at some locations this Christmas season. Nevertheless, the other menu items definitely compensated for that because I can still taste the candy cane.
I tried McDonald's Candy Cane Fudge McFlurry, the Herb & Garlic Seasoned Fries, the Triple Chocolate Donut and the Maple BBQ & Bacon Quarter Pounder and ranked them by how much I liked them.
Triple Chocolate Donut
McDonald's Triple Chocolate Donut
Price: $1.49
The Triple Chocolate Donut is not bad, regardless of it being at the bottom of the hierarchy, but it was smaller than I thought it would be and a bit too dry.
Even though it's called the Triple Chocolate Donut, I honestly felt like it needed more chocolate because it wasn't as sweet or decadent as promised by the name. However, I might not have the same impression if you just called it a Chocolate Donut.
The donut comes with a chocolate base, chocolate frosting and chocolate chips. In my opinion, the dough felt more like a brownie rather than a donut. But I did enjoy the taste, texture and combination of the chocolate icing and chocolate chips.
Overall, it wasn't my favourite holiday menu item at McDonald's, but it's not horrible.
Maple BBQ & Bacon Quarter Pounder
McDonald's Maple BBQ & Bacon Quarter Pounder
Price: $10.29
This McDonald's beef burger has a few additions, and I'm not quite sure how I feel about them.
The festive Quarter Pounder has creamy maple BBQ sauce, hickory-smoked bacon strips, crispy onions, two slices of processed cheddar cheese and pickles served on a toasted sesame seed-topped bun.
The original McDonald's Quarter Pounder with Cheese & Bacon comes with onions, pickles, applewood-smoked bacon, mustard, a dollop of tomato ketchup and two slices of cheese on a sesame seed bun.
The major differences here are the BBQ sauce instead of ketchup and mustard, a different type of bacon and crispy onions instead of raw ones, though I still think the original is way better.
The festive burger's sauce is much more BBQ-forward compared to maple, and honestly, the name of the menu item made it seem like I would be enjoying a sweet and savoury sandwich, but that was not the case.
The crispy onions were great though because they gave the burger a bit of a crunch, which made for a great overall experience.
Candy Cane Fudge McFlurry
McDonald's Candy Cane Fudge McFlurry.
Price: $6.69
McDonald's Candy Cane Fudge McFlurry consists of the creamy vanilla soft serve that we love. Still, for the festive season, they've jazzed it up by swirling in peppermint candy and adding decadent hot fudge on top, which is delicious.
Usually, I wouldn't say I like minty desserts because they feel too adult, but this candy cane McFlurry feels super appropriate for the season, even though it's a cold dessert.
At first, I was pretty skeptical because I lean more towards the Oreo McFlurries than anything minty, but it shocked me when I caught myself dipping the spoon into the cup more times than not.
The crushed pieces of candy cane are dominant in every bite, but the aftertaste is refreshing.
But is it just me, or does ice cream taste better in the winter when it's not melting at an unprecedented rate? I feel like the cold helps you enjoy it at a reasonable temperature for longer, and I'm honestly here for it.
Anyway, the chocolate topping was an addition I appreciated in the McDonald's dessert because it neutralizes the flavours a little while also adding some decadent tones too.
Overall, when eaten all together, it delivers everything you love about Christmas in one mouthful and makes you all cheery inside.
Herb & Garlic Seasoned Fries
McDonald's Herb & Garlic Seasoned Fries
Price: $5.69
McDonald's Herb & Garlic Seasoned Fries are so good I actually think they should be a permanent menu item. I still love the classic salted McDonald's fries, but these are a great option for when you want to jazz things up.
The herbed fries feel like something I'd find at a fancy Toronto restaurant. Seriously, they're that good.
The box of fries is coated with a McDonald's savoury seasoning blend that includes thyme, garlic, sage and black pepper. Look at McD's cheffing it up.
If I wanted to elevate my steak at home and have frites that are filled with flavour, I am honestly going to drive to my closest McDonald's, grab a box of these festive fries and then throw out the box when I'm home to hide the evidence.
But I want to be very clear, even though they were fantastic, there's no replacing classic McDonald's fries.
I almost wish they had a cajun seasoning version of the fries, because that might be the only thing that I’d want to see replacing the O.G.
There are plenty of sweet an savoury holiday options to try at McDonald's this year, so take a shot with one of them and maybe you'll find a new festive favourite for yourself. And if I were to recommend one menu item to try off the festive list, you simply cannot miss out on the Herb & Garlic Seasoned Fries.
French fries from top fast food chains in Canada.
Medium fries from Wendy's.
Medium fries from Chick-fil-A.
Medium fries from Popeyes.
Medium fries from McDonald's.