13 Insider Facts About McDonald’s Breakfast That Only True Fans Know

In a busy world that’s ever quickening its pace, fast food breakfasts are oases in the modern desert. It wasn’t so over 50 years ago. In 1971, the first branded breakfast sandwich was brought to life by McDonald’s Herb Peterson, who, with one fell swoop, met America’s craving for convenience and delicious staying power with the invention of the Egg McMuffin. The rest was food history, and to this day, the McDonald’s breakfast menu continues to give its millions of customers many reasons to be lovin’ it every morning. The aforementioned iconicity of its Egg McMuffins, the surprisingly good dollar coffee, and fantastic hash browns are just a few of the many reasons why customers consistently pull up to their local Mickey D’s for a quick and delicious breakfast.

Today, McDonald’s remains a pillar of morning support for customers, most of whom have become dedicated fans of the Golden Arches. Over the years, these people have discovered numerous ways to improve their breakfasting experience at McDonald’s, including tricks to elevate their dishes, historical factoids, and niche news that set apart the casual eaters from the dedicated fans.

Most McDonald’s customers know they’ve usually got until 10:30 to 11 a.m. to order what they like from the breakfast menu, but true fans remember a time a little further back when the chain used to offer all-day fast food breakfast hours. In 2015, McDonald’s made its breakfast menu available throughout its entire business day, which for some locations could begin as early as 4:30 in the morning and end as late as the graveyard shift. For five years, customers could order from the breakfast menu at any time of day that the location was open, but in early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic swarmed the world.

To keep the virus from spreading, the world enacted strict health restrictions. Many restaurants, McDonald’s among them, had to change their business operations to simultaneously comply with new health mandates and stay afloat amidst drastic changes. One of the changes that McDonald’s enacted was reverting the all-day breakfast menu to just remaining available during morning hours.

Another reason that contributed to the shutdown of the all-day breakfast menu was the sheer number of items each location has to prepare every day. An overly extensive menu not only increases the workload of the workers and the possibility of them having to create more complicated orders, but it can also lead customers to have to wait around longer at the drive-thru for their food. The chain has not yet announced a return of the all-day breakfast menu, so breakfast fans best keep setting their alarms to grab their favorite early morning tuck-in.

Those who’ve tasted the classic Egg McMuffin dish from McDonald’s probably just turned up their noses at that title. Understandable! After all, the Egg McMuffin is a top-ranking McDonald’s breakfast sandwich made up of Canadian bacon, an egg patty, melted American cheese, and two halves of an English muffin. All these components are quite savory together, and other iterations of the McMuffin dish continue to play up the savory factor by swapping the Canadian bacon for sausage or adding smoked bacon strips. The only current breakfast item that adds a touch of sweetness would be the McGriddles, which swap the English muffin halves for griddle cakes that purportedly add a “sweet taste of maple.” However, it was the Egg McMuffin that received the sweet condiment treatment many decades ago.

During its testing phase back in 1972 when it was first introduced at McDonald’s restaurants, the Egg McMuffin debuted as one of the first breakfast sandwiches of its kind. Mimicking a classic Eggs Benedict, it was sold for 63 cents as an open-faced sandwich. It came alongside honey or strawberry preserves that the customer could choose to add right on top. The sweet trend didn’t seem to stick, as three years later, the Egg McMuffin came out as something more closely resembling its modern iteration today: a closed-face, savory breakfast sandwich.

Compared to most breads, an English muffin is on the smaller side. After all, the word “muffin” comes from the Low German word “muffen,” or “small cakes.” It’s meant to be the rough size of a mug or cup, and as a result, becomes rather difficult to pair with certain-sized ingredients as a sandwich without a great deal of trimming. That’s where the ingenious invention of the egg rings comes into play.

According to an interview McDonald’s archivist Mike Bullington did with Food Republic, when food scientist Herb Peterson created the Egg McMuffin, he was inspired by the Eggs Benedict dish, the saucy American breakfast with conflicting origins but an enduring popularity. His intention was to make a hassle-free, convenient version that customers could eat on-the-go without using any silverware, and he succeeded with an early iteration of the Egg McMuffin. His early recipes involved frying an egg to place on top of Canadian bacon and melty American cheese, but it took skill to keep the edges of the fried egg from coming out the size of the narrow English muffin. His solution was to create an egg ring made from Teflon to help the egg fry in his desired dimensions on a hot griddle or skillet. To this day, egg rings are useful tools that give the Egg McMuffin its quaint, convenient shape.

McDonald’s is probably not the first place coffee-lovers would go to for a cup of joe, but the fast food chain’s espresso offerings are nothing to sneeze at. The dollar coffee, the McCafé, has earned itself a cult following, with many of its fans citing its reliable taste and inexpensive convenience as reasons for its dark horse popularity.

In an interview with Food & Wine, McDonald’s chefs revealed how this seemingly innocuous fast food coffee’s success relies on its detailed preparation method and sourced ingredients. First, it uses 100% Arabica coffee beans, which are sourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms. “It is a special blend made just for McCafé, a medium-dark roast with a full body, fruity, floral, and chocolate notes,” shared Mark Lingo. He went on to explain that they then use a “traditional hot brew” for any McDonald’s brewed coffee and a “Japanese iced coffee brew method for [their] iced coffee.” Like most dishes, it seems that the devil is indeed in the details for the popular McCafé.

McDonald’s has had its fair share of limited-time product variations in the past. Its chicken nuggets had a spicy variation known, aptly, as the Spicy Chicken McNuggets, which flirted around the menu during 2022 but was soon discontinued. The famous Big Mac was briefly upgraded with three slices of applewood-smoked bacon and was called the Big Mac Bacon, which was also sadly discontinued after receiving a huge stint of popularity. The breakfast menu has also seen its fair share of testing variations, and one recent example would be the Triple Breakfast Stacks McMuffin.

This unique take on the classic Sausage McMuffin with egg was introduced in 2018 with the intention of reviving interest in McDonald’s breakfast menu items. Essentially, the Triple Breakfast Stacks McMuffin was a beefed-up (literally) variation that included two sausage patties instead of the usual one as well as the iconic egg patty. The chain also added two slices of bacon and extra cheese on top to really emphasize the “stack” in its title. The result was a hearty, big-brother type of breakfast sandwich that was dense, delicious, and perfect for people looking to upgrade their simple Sausage McMuffin. The Triple Breakfast Stacks was discontinued sometime afterward, but in case it ever makes a reappearance as a limited-edition item, be sure to keep those peepers peeled for this early morning favorite.

Underground menus are a fun variation from the usual pickings that a restaurant offers. These selections are especially great for returning customers who are familiar enough with the chain, but true fans know that not all secret menus are created equal. Each location’s menu, and by extension, each of McDonald’s secret menu items, varies from one to the other. For example, some Hawaiian locations offer breakfast platters that can be served with the region’s signature Spam, sausage patties, or both, alongside a heaping serving of rice and eggs. Another regional dish includes a spin on chicken and waffles, which is a traditional Southern comfort food that can be found all over the area. Mexico also offers the McMollete, an open-faced breakfast sandwich topped with beans, cheese, and a tangy sauce.

The McDonald’s breakfast hack we wish were still possible, the McCrêpe is another example of a unique offering that was once only found on the McDonald’s secret breakfast menu. Though inspired by the French dish, it was possible to ask for it in the United States as well, with the thin hotcakes paired with a deconstructed yogurt parfait surely being a sweet start to your day. If you needed a sweet drink to go with it, you could consider ordering the Snickers Coffee. You’ll be given a slightly modified Iced Hazelnut Coffee with caramel drizzle, chocolate syrup, and whipped cream.

Bagels have been an American breakfast staple for years, and breakfast bagel sandwiches are just one more fun variation in the endless bucket of bagel types. McDonald’s once had a leg up on the breakfast bagel sandwich market, but that all changed in 2020 when the pandemic struck the world. Similar to how the all-day breakfast menu was closed to keep up with changing business models, the chain put their breakfast bagels on hold for several years to keep their menu compact to meet demand. This decision was met with dismay, as the toasted bagels sandwiching steak, bacon, or sausage with butter, folded egg, and two slices of American cheese were fan-favorites.

In 2024, though, hope returned for McDonald’s Bagel Breakfast Sandwich fans. The chain announced that they were bringing these sandwiches back in select restaurants across America. Then, a few months later, the bagel breakfast sandwiches finally made their nationwide comeback, and for the first time in five years, customers can finally fill the bagel-shaped hole in their breakfast options.

This unique sauce is a bit of an enigma. Even McDonald’s has never really given it proper recognition or proper branding. It only appears on the corporate website as “breakfast sauce.” It’s an endangered condiment that’s only ever appeared on Bagel Breakfast Sandwiches, which are still making their comeback since the pandemic, but customers also report that it’s not guaranteed on every breakfast bagel order either. But many agree that the resulting taste is similar to a Hollandaise sauce’s flavor. It makes sense, seeing how the Egg McMuffin was directly inspired by the Eggs Benedict dish, which is often served with a healthy drizzling of Hollandaise sauce. Regardless, the breakfast sauce is most definitely not a dupe of this popular tangy sauce, despite the similarities.

However, you can order (or recreate) McDonald’s breakfast sauce. It’s not an entirely complicated dish to replicate, as it seems to rely heavily on a mayonnaise base and the addition of certain spices. It’s eggy, cheesy, and, according to McDonald’s corporate chef Mike Haracz, includes herbs such as dill. While this sauce is so far paralleling classic Hollandaise sauces, customers have reported an even tangier taste that is distinctive to McDonald’s iteration. Whatever the ingredients, copycat recipe makers have their work cut out for them on this one.

Not everyone can wake up at the crack of dawn early each morning, and that’s perfectly fine! Brunch is meant for night owls and those who need a few extra hours of shut-eye after a long day, and McDonald’s has got those folks covered. Its secret menu has a special item known as the McBrunch Burger that’s only available right after the usual breakfast menu typically closes at 10:30 a.m. and before the lunch menu becomes available at 11 a.m.

Also known as the Mc10:35 due to the time of day when it’s most likely to be available, this special brunch item is a mashup of the McMuffin and the McDouble. The McBrunch Burger consists of two cheeseburger patties, bacon, hash browns, and eggs sandwiched between two sesame buns, culminating in a perfect blend of both lunch and breakfast sandwich fillings. You can further “hack” the McBrunch Burger by adding crunchy veggies, such as peppers or tomatoes, to brighten what is otherwise a heavy-feeling sandwich.

The hash browns at McDonald’s stand proudly as another popular breakfast menu item with fans. The shredded potato hash brown patties are purportedly “fluffy on the inside and crispy and toasted on the outside,” which makes its unique texture a fan-favorite. However, if you’re not a fan of the fluffy, crumbly interior of the hash brown patty, dedicated McDonald’s fans have discovered a menu hack to completely change the texture of this simple but classic breakfast item. When ordering your hash browns at McDonald’s, simply ask for them to be “well-done.” The employees in the back will just plunge the hash browns into the frying oil more than once, resulting in a far firmer, crispier texture.

Just know this hack might take a longer time to fulfill. “If it’s busy and it’s the drive through, you will prop get parked, though,” shared a former McDonald’s employee, “Most people who order special like that are fine waiting a couple extra minutes to get it the way they want.” Pairing the well-done hash browns with some tangy or creamy sauces, or adding some spices like salt, pepper, and garlic powder, could also give these extra-crispy hash browns an additional boost.

When McDonald’s first announced its collaboration with the donut and coffeehouse chain, the news came as a surprise. After all, the two chains were competitors in the fast-food breakfast market, and McDonald’s had previously added sweet pastries to its McCafé menu lineup to compete with Krispy Kreme’s popular donuts. Despite the rivalry, the news of the collaboration was met with enthusiasm. The opportunity to purchase individual or six-packs of Krispy Kreme donuts at a McDonald’s counter seemed promising because it capitalized on both the accessibility of McDonald’s more numerous locations and the popularity of Krispy Kreme donuts. The partnership proved successful for the first testing period in 2022, and soon the deal expanded to 2,400 locations nationwide, with hopes of making it to 13,000 U.S. locations by 2026.

The dream proved short-lived, however, as recent economic changes have begun leading to lower sales from corporations. Krispy Kreme’s stock took a major nosedive in the past year, and McDonald’s isn’t doing so hot either, as it reported its worst quarter since the pandemic. As such, both companies are putting a hiatus on the collaboration. Krispy Kreme shared with CNN that the choice would help “achieve a profitable business model for all parties.” Although it’s unclear as to whether they’re going to continue expanding the well-received deal, donut fans shouldn’t fear; those McDonald’s locations that served as a testing ground for the initial collaboration should still have Krispy Kreme donuts available.

As a titan of the fast food industry, McDonald’s doesn’t exactly have the healthiest reputation. The criticism leveled by the 2004 documentary film “Super Size Me” drew such attention towards McDonald’s overall poor nutritional value that the chain actually had to discontinue their Supersize promotional line as a result of its growing infamy (though the eatery denies it was for this exact reason). Over the years, however, the brand has made an effort to redeem its complicated past and embrace a healthier image. McDonald’s swapped out Happy Meal sodas for the choices of milk, bottled water, or apple juice and debuted a plant-based burger named, aptly, the McPlant.

The breakfast menu has received some attention as well; in 2016, McDonald’s announced that it would remove all artificial preservatives from its breakfast menu items. This change was applied to a variety of animal products, such as the meat used for sausage patties, and egg-based ingredients usually found in McDonald’s typical morning offerings. 

“More than ever, people care about their food — where it comes from, what goes into it and how it’s prepared,” shared Mike Andres, a former president of McDonald’s USA, in 2016. “We’re making changes to ensure the food we’re proud of is food our customers love and feel good eating.”

Now that Bagel Breakfast Sandwiches have fully made their comeback at McDonald’s, fans have been enjoying their hole-y repasts with gusto. Those who once mourned the loss of their favorite breakfast menu item can now share the best ways to elevate their McDonald’s breakfast bagels with simple tricks and hacks, one of which recently received a viral reception on social media.

Former corporate chef Mike Haracz has been sharing exclusive, behind-the-scenes tips for upgrading McDonald’s menu items on his TikTok, one of which includes the Bagel Breakfast Sandwich. According to him, this menu hack is deceptively simple: Swap the original, pre-folded eggs for the scrambled eggs that come as part of McDonald’s Big Breakfast meal. Just ask at the counter for this change.

“When you add that egg to your bagel sandwich, it is far superior,” shared Heracz. The resulting egg is far fresher than the original egg omelet, and it adds more volume, flavor, and texture to the overall sandwich. Be warned that some locations might not be able to fulfill this request, so it’s a toss-up as to whether your local McDonald’s will help elevate your sandwich to the breakfast of your dreams. 

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