Back when McDonald’s opened in the 1940s, there were only nine items on the brief menu, and two of them were burgers: The pure beef hamburger and the tempting cheeseburger. Cut to now, and there are over 20 McDonald’s sammies on the modern menu, including chicken and veggie options. Some of the burgers have only slight variations and similar names, which can be confusing if you aren’t a regular. Wondering what the difference is between a McDonald’s Double hamburger and a McDouble? It’s a single slice of cheese. Both of these burgers contain two beef patties topped with tangy pickles, minced onions, ketchup, and mustard, but the McDouble has cheese, and the Double hamburger does not.
If you’re laying off cheese for health purposes, then a Double hamburger might be right up your alley. However, bear in mind that a cheese-free burger can be a dry one, particularly if the patties have been overcooked. This was definitely the case when we tried and ranked every McDonald’s burger — the double hamburger was the worst out of the 11 sandos we tasted because of its dry texture and the scant amount of ketchup and mustard smeared inside. We’d even go so far as to say it’s the one McDonald’s burger that’s just not worth ordering (FYI, our favorite was the classic Quarter Pounder with cheese). Having said that, if you want to experience the meaty flavor of the beef patties in their most unadulterated form, then a double hamburger might be your bag; you do you boo.
A McDouble is higher in calories and protein than a Double Hamburger
There’s a 50-calorie difference between a Double hamburger and a McDouble because of that sneaky extra slice of cheese. A McDouble also has 22 grams of protein versus the 20 grams in a double hamburger (the 2 grams difference can be attributed to the cheese, seeing as both burgers have two beef patties and are otherwise identical). While these nutritional differences are fairly minor, you might want to take note of them if you’re watching your macros or aiming to eat more protein for strength training purposes.
If you’re looking for a cheesier burger with more protein than the McDouble, order a Double cheeseburger. The exact difference between a McDonald’s double cheeseburger and the McDouble is that the former has two slices of cheese instead of one and an additional 3 grams of protein. Both burgers also include two 100% beef patties, chopped onions, pickles, ketchup, and mustard in an unseeded bun, but have a difference of 50 calories. To boost the protein content of your Double cheeseburger, you could always order extra patties (you can do this on the McDonald’s app, too). A single McDonald’s beef patty contains approximately 8 grams of protein.
