5 Tasty Upgrades for Your McDonald’s Drive-Thru Coffee Order

While McDonald’s has made a name for itself with iconic burgers like the Big Mac and its golden, crispy fries, its McCafé menu has quietly developed into a reliable source of drive-thru caffeine. The lineup includes everything from straightforward iced coffee to blended Frappés and seasonal flavored lattes, often at a lower price point than other national coffee chains. But for regulars — or anyone who knows their way around an espresso menu — there are a few ways to make your next order even better.

McDonald’s drink menu may seem fixed, but most locations offer a surprising amount of flexibility when it comes to customization. You can ask for extra espresso, tweak the syrup ratio, or even combine add-ins from different parts of the menu for a richer, more personalized cup. From widespread suggestions to hacks we’ve tried ourselves, here are five simple ways to elevate your next cup of joe at McDonald’s, whether it’s piping hot or cold and blended.

For those who prefer a coffee that actually tastes like coffee (and for those who want their morning pick-me-up to lift them to the clouds), asking for extra espresso shots is the simplest way to strengthen just about any McCafé drink (because they don’t always have as much caffeine in them as you’d think). While the base espresso drinks such as lattes and cappuccinos already include 1 shot, adding an extra shot gives the drink more of a kick — especially if you’re pairing it with sweet syrups or milk.

This option is especially useful with McDonald’s flavored lattes, which tend to skew on the sweeter side. Another shot of espresso helps balance the sugar and gives the drink more depth, making it taste closer to something you’d expect from a true café. This hack extends to hot or iced drinks, too. You’ll need to specify how many shots you want when ordering, and some locations may charge extra per shot, depending on the region. You can always take your drink home and add your favorite instant espresso brand, too, but if you’re on-the-go and after convenience, this method is reliable.

If you’re craving something sweet and chocolatey but want to keep your drink hot and caffeine-forward, try this hack: Order a regular coffee and a Hot Chocolate, then mix them together. The result is an easy DIY mocha that’s richer than the flavored syrup used in the Mocha Latte on the menu, yet still well-balanced. McDonald’s Hot Chocolate is made with whole milk and topped with whipped cream and chocolate drizzle, so it adds body and sweetness to any plain coffee. 

You can go half-and-half or tweak the ratio depending on how much chocolate flavor you want. And because the hot cocoa is already sweetened, there’s no need to add sugar or flavored syrups to the mix. This works especially well with a small or medium coffee — just ask for both in the same size cup and pour them both into your Stanley or favorite coffee cup before leaving the drive-thru.

McDonald’s Frappés are beloved on the McCafé menu, especially in warmer months, despite the fact that they don’t contain actual coffee. This is one reason why coffee lovers should be wary of ordering McDonald’s Frappés. But anyone who’s ordered one knows that the texture can vary. From my own experience, sometimes I get the ideal creamy, milkshake-like consistency. Other times, the ice is chunky or the drink separates, sending ice pieces through my straw and into my mouth, leaving me to chew my drink.

If you’re looking for a more consistent texture, use this same trick for ordering a smoother Frappuccino at Starbucks and ask for it “double blended.” Double blending is exactly what it sounds like — your drink goes through the blender twice to help break down the ice further and evenly distribute the ingredients. It results in a much smoother texture, closer to a Starbucks Frappuccino or a blended shake. The flavor doesn’t change, but the drink is noticeably easier to sip, and the consistency holds up longer. Not all locations may honor the request during a rush, but most are willing to double blend if you ask politely and wait a minute longer.

McDonald’s Oreo McFlurry is a stalwart of the chain’s dessert menu — but the Oreo topping isn’t limited to ice cream. One of my favorite, tried-and-true McDonald’s coffee hacks is to add Oreo crumbles to a Frappé for a blended drink that lands somewhere between a milkshake, flurry, and a frozen mocha. In the Mocha Frappé, the Oreo drives home more of the chocolate flavor, and in the Caramel Frappé, the Oreo stands out even more as the only chocolate element. My personal favorite is the Caramel with Oreo because it gives the most dynamic flavor profile. This move also gives your Frappé a little more texture and extra decadence without being too overpowering.

Because Oreo pieces are already used in McFlurries, most locations keep them on hand and can easily add them to a drink. The result is similar to a Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino from Starbucks, especially if you add whipped cream and chocolate drizzle on top. And unlike the ice chunks that come through your straw sometimes in a once-blended Frappé, the cookie crumbles that come up in your straw here are soft and chewy in all of the best ways. Keep in mind, McDonald’s may upcharge for the Oreo addition, and that amount will vary by location.

McDonald’s doesn’t outwardly tout itself as a customizable coffee place like Starbucks, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get away with some of the same things you do at those other places. I’ve noticed that depending on how heavy-handed the person making my coffee is at McDonald’s, sometimes it’s just not flavorful enough. When I want a sweeter, more flavor-forward cup, I ask for extra pumps of the flavored syrup, especially in larger sizes where the default ratio can sometimes feel weak.

Vanilla and caramel syrups are available year-round, and you can combine them to create your own flavor blend. When seasonal syrups roll out — such as the minty syrup that gives the Shamrock Shake its iconic flavor in early spring — I’ve had the luck of the Irish on my side, finding employees who will add it to my coffee. The extra syrup option also works well if you’re skipping milk and want the drink to stand on its own, or if you’re trying to recreate that favorite coffee shop order on a smaller budget.