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11 Gluten Free Options at McDonalds

Finding good gluten-free options when eating out can be a huge challenge. At fast-food restaurants, in particular, it’s easy to feel frustrated at the limited gluten-free food items on the menu. 

mcdonalds container with lettuce

Luckily, McDonald’s offers a surprising amount of gluten-free options for customers with food allergies or intolerances.

From delicious shakes and drinks to filling and satisfying meals, McDonald’s gluten-free menu items provide customers with plenty of options when they visit the restaurant. 

Just because you’re avoiding gluten, it doesn’t mean you have to stop eating your favorite snacks or treats from McDonald’s.

There might even be plenty of tasty options that you didn’t even realize were safe for gluten-free customers to eat.

In the list below, I’ll be ranking 11 of the best gluten-free options at McDonald’s. Instead of trying to decipher the nutritional facts the next time you’re in line at McDonald’s, take a look at this ranking for some of the best gluten-free menu items to order.

*Disclaimer: Always confirm food allergen information with your local restaurant before consuming.


Lettuce Wrapped Burger

While McDonald’s doesn’t offer a gluten-free bun, it’s still possible for customers with a gluten allergy to enjoy their extensive range of burger options.

When ordering, you can simply order your favorite burger on no bun and ask for a lettuce-wrapped burger instead. 

When ordering a burger to fit with a gluten-free diet, you can enjoy McDonald’s beef patties with toppings such as ketchup, mustard, pickles, onions, and more, without any worry or stress.

If you’ve been missing out on some of your favorite McDonald’s meals, this burger customization is the perfect way to get a complete and satisfying gluten-free meal order. 


Mango Pineapple Smoothie

McDonald’s Mango Pineapple Smoothie offers a sweet and refreshing menu option for anyone on a gluten-free diet.

It has a light, tangy, and fruity taste, making it the perfect menu item to order on its own on a hot day or as a drink paired with any other gluten-free menu item. 

With only three ingredients, it’s also easy for anyone with an allergy to keep track of what’s in their food.

Ingredients include a mango pineapple fruit base, ice, and low-fat smoothie yogurt.

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By blending just these three main ingredients, McDonald’s offers a creamy and tropical that stands out among their gluten-free menu items. 


Strawberry Banana Smoothie

Like the Mango Pineapple Smoothie, McDonald’s uses just three ingredients to make their Strawberry Banana Smoothie—a strawberry banana fruit base, low-fat smoothie yogurt, and ice blended together.

The strawberry banana base consists of a combination of real strawberry and banana puree and juices for a strong, sweet, and refreshing taste to the smoothie. 

This is another fantastic gluten-free menu item on a hot day.

The creamy texture and cool, refreshing strawberry-banana flavor make this a perfect option if you’re looking for something light during your next McDonald’s trip


Blueberry Pomegranate Smoothie

While McDonald’s offers a range of delicious smoothie flavors that top the ranking of gluten-free menu items to order, you also can’t go wrong with their Blueberry Pomegranate Real Fruit Smoothie. 

This fruity and refreshing drink is made with real blueberry and pomegranate fruit puree and ice.

You can also customize this order by adding smoothie yogurt for an extra smooth texture. 

No matter which smoothie you choose, you can find a light and fruity gluten-free drink on any McDonald’s menu, and this real fruit smoothie is the perfect way to enjoy the sweetness of blueberries and pomegranates in your next order.


McCafe Frappes 

When I’m craving something sweet, McCafe Frappes are the perfect go-to menu item.

McDonald’s frappes offer a rich and delicious gluten-free drink made with just a splash of coffee.

When ordering a frappe, you can choose between a caramel or mocha flavor option.

The caramel frappe is made with ice, the caramel coffee frappe base, whipped light cream, and topped with a sweet caramel drizzle, while the mocha frappe uses ice, whipped light cream, a mocha coffee frappe base, and chocolate drizzle. 

Whether you prefer chocolate or caramel, this treat from the McCafe is the perfect indulgent morning drink for gluten-free customers.


McCafe Shakes (Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry)

Another cool and sweet option from the McCafe, McDonald’s shakes, make it easy for gluten-free customers to avoid missing out on the menu’s dessert options.

McCafe shakes come with three flavors to choose from and offer a cool and delicious treat for any time of the day. 

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McDonald’s milkshakes are made with vanilla reduced fat ice cream and vanilla shake syrup, chocolate shake syrup, or strawberry shake syrup blended into the vanilla soft serve base.

They’re also all topped off with a sweet and creamy whipped topping.

Whether you’re making a trip to McDonald’s for dessert or want a cold, sweet drink with your meal, the McCafe milkshakes are one of the best gluten-free desserts you can order.


Fruit & Yogurt Parfait

While McDonald’s doesn’t yet have an option for gluten-free breakfast sandwiches, that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on breakfast.

For a light and healthy breakfast or side option, you can order a fruit & yogurt parfait from many McDonald’s menus. 

With this menu item, you can enjoy layers of low-fat vanilla yogurt, low-fat granola, and fresh strawberries and blueberries.

Not only is this fruit & yogurt cup a quick and convenient breakfast, but it offers a delicious and refreshing gluten-free alternative to the traditional breakfasts available on fast-food menus.


Hot Chocolate

A rich and delicious hot chocolate from McCafe is one of my favorite ways to warm up on a cold day.

And with just a few primary ingredients, this hot chocolate can be safely enjoyed by customers with a gluten allergy. 

McDonald’s hot chocolates contain steamed whole milk, chocolate syrup, whipped light cream, and a drizzle of chocolate on top.

While this gluten-free menu item doesn’t work as a satisfying stand-alone option, it’s still a great and delicious way to keep you warm during the winter.

And if you’re ever in the mood for something sweet, this indulgent hot chocolate is often the way to go.


Iced Coffee

If you need a caffeine fix in the morning, McDonald’s provides delicious and refreshing iced coffee made from 100% Arabica beans.

No matter how you enjoy your coffee, McCafe offers a huge variety of flavors and customizations for iced coffee that are all gluten-free. 

McDonald’s cool and tasty iced coffee is made with premium-roast coffee, liquid sugar, light cream, and ice.

You can also choose from several coffee syrup flavors, including caramel, hazelnut, French vanilla, or sugar-free French vanilla.

Like McDonald’s hot chocolate, this gluten-free menu item doesn’t replace a satisfying meal. However, it’s a fantastic choice for a sweet morning pick-me-up.


Sweet Tea

You can find plenty of gluten-free drink choices to go with your meal order on McDonald’s beverage menu, and if you’re looking for something sweet and refreshing, McDonald’s sweet tea is one of the best beverage options you can choose.

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The tea is made from a blend of orange pekoe, and pekoe cut black tea, which is poured over ice and perfectly sweetened with medium invert sugar.

With a fresh and delicious taste, this drink makes the perfect pairing for any of your favorite gluten-free food items that you can order off the McDonald’s menu.


Garden Salad

Fast-food restaurants often don’t have many salad options, which can be limiting for customers with dietary restrictions.

However, select McDonald’s locations do offer a garden salad that’s a perfect light, healthy choice for anyone who can’t eat gluten. 

The garden salad comes with iceberg lettuce, cherry tomatoes, shredded carrots, and cheese and provides a simple but fresh and tasty gluten-free menu option.

The small side garden salad can also be paired with other gluten-free McDonald’s items for a more complete and satisfying meal. 


8 Comments

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  1. Your lettuce burger wrap sounds lovely, but is there now way you could keep 1 fryer just for GF fries to go with the burger??? It really is one of the top items we miss! And let’s be honest who really wants a MC D’s without fries!!!!
    Many thanks
    Nikki

  2. Are you telling me that a corporation with all of the massive, trillion-dollar worldwide resources of MacDonald’s, can’t find AND fund alternative gluten-free buns and fillings for its burgers? Really?!!!

  3. Not all granola is gluten free. The oats need to be certified gluten free – not cross contaminated during harvest.
    Also, when McDs used a dedicated fryer for the fries, I still got sick. I’ve heard they’re par-boiled in a beef broth that contains gluten. McDs denies this, but I know several people who get sick from the fries.

  4. A joke. I’m sure all those drinks will surely satisfy. A salad. Whoopy. You wouldn’t be able to trust the employees to not contaminate you.

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Written by Brian Nagele

Brian attended West Virginia University, then started his career in the IT industry before following his passion for marketing and hospitality. He has over 20 years experience in the restaurant and bar industry.

As a former restaurant owner, he knows about running a food business and loves to eat and enjoy cocktails on a regular basis. He constantly travels to new cities tasting and reviewing the most popular spots.

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