McDonald’s Small Chocolate Milkshake Ingredients
McDonald’s chocolate shake includes vanilla soft serve with chocolate syrup. It’s topped with whipped light cream.
One small chocolate shake from McDonald’s has 520 calories, 14 grams fat, 85 grams carbohydrates, and 12 grams protein.
In this post we provide a complete overview of the calories, nutrition facts, ingredients, and allergens in McDonald’s chocolate milkshake. Don’t miss the section below on added sugars.
Chocolate Milkshake Nutritional Info
Serving Size 1 Small Shake
Calories
520% Daily Value
saturated fat
46%High
sodium
11%LOW
added sugars
109%Very HIGH
Serving Size
Nutritional information is based on a single serving measured as one size small milkshake.
The percentage daily value (%DV) illustrates how much a specific nutrient in the chocolate shake contributes to a daily diet of 2,000 calories (the standard measure used by the FDA for general nutrition guidance).
Nutrition information in this guide is based on a Small Chocolate Shake.
Calories
There are 520 calories in a small McDonald’s Chocolate Milkshake.
Approximately 65% of the total calories are from carbohydrates, including added sugars. Another 25% of calories is from fat and protein makes up the remaining 10%.
Here is a summary of the amount of calories derived from fat, carbs, and protein.
The summary of calories by nutrient is a rounded estimate based on the nutrition facts provided by McDonald’s. Calories may vary as a result of how the shake is prepared.
Medium and Large Chocolate Shake Calories
A medium chocolate shake has 650 calories (130 more calories than a small), and a size large shake has 800 calories (280 more calories than a small).
Total Fat
One small chocolate shake has 14 grams total fat, including 9 grams saturated fat.
SUMMARY OF DIETARY FAT PER SERVING
According to the FDA, a DV of 20% or greater of a nutrient per serving is considered high. The amount of total fat in one small shake falls just below that threshold with an 18% daily value.
However, the 9g of saturated fat has a 46% daily value (based on a 2,000 calorie diet).
Sugars
What is worth noting is the amount of sugars in the milkshake. Let’s review.
A small chocolate milkshake has 67 grams of total sugars. Of that total, 13 grams are natural sugars derived primarily from the milk. However, the majority of total sugars are added sugars.
Added Sugars
There are 54 grams of added sugars (80% of the total sugars). Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting calories from added sugars to 10% of total calories.
The added sugars in one serving of this chocolate shake exceeds the recommended limit for an entire day (based on a 2,000 calorie diet).
Amount of Sugar in Chocolate Milkshake
When you review the ingredients listed below, you can see that sugar is a dominant ingredient.
It’s listed as a top two ingredient in both the ice cream and the chocolate syrup. It’s also one of the top four ingredients in the whipped cream.
Here is a summary of the total sugars in a McDonald’s chocolate milkshake, by size.
TOTAL SUGARS BY MILKSHAKE SIZE
Here is a summary of the nutrition facts in one small sized chocolate shake from McDonald’s fast food restaurant.
Nutrition Summary
Serving Size 1 Small Chocolate Shake
CALORIES
520TOTAL FAT
14g(18%DV)
CARBOHYDRATES
85g(31%DV)
PROTEIN
12g| Saturated Fat | 9g (46%DV) |
| Trans Fat | 0.5g |
| Cholesterol | 55mg (19%DV) |
| Sodium | 250mg (11%DV) |
| Total Sugars | 67g |
| Added Sugars | 54g (109%DV) |
%DV (Percent Daily Values) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
For a lower calorie treat, order McDonald’s chocolate shake without the whipped light cream.
The whipped cream topping has approximately 4 grams of sugar and 60 total calories. Excluding the whipped cream brings down the total calories in the shake to 460.
Chocolate Milkshake Ingredients and Allergens
Ingredients
Here is the list of ingredients used to make the chocolate shake served at McDonald’s.
Vanilla Reduced Fat Ice Cream
Ingredients:Milk, Sugar, Cream, Corn Syrup, Natural Flavor, Mono And Diglycerides, Cellulose Gum, Guar Gum, Carrageenan, and Vitamin A Palmitate.
Chocolate Shake Syrup
Ingredients:Sugar, Corn Syrup, Water, Glycerin, Cocoa (processed with alkali), Fruit and Vegetable Juice (color), Salt, Natural Flavors, and Potassium Sorbate.
Whipped Light Cream
Ingredients:Cream, Nonfat Milk, Milk, Liquid Sugar, Mono And Diglycerides, Natural Flavors, and Carrageenan. Whipping Propellant (nitrous oxide).
What is Carrageenan?
Historically, the Irish extracted carrageenan from Irish moss as a remedy for respiratory diseases.
It’s now commonly derived from multiple varieties of red algae (marine seaweeds) and used in various industries.
Food processors use the jellying properties of carrageenan as a thickening or stabilizing agent.
Carrageenan is commonly found in cheese and dairy products such as cottage cheese, chocolate milk, ice cream, almond milk, and creamers.
Other fast food menu items and packaged foods that contain carrageenan include:
Allergens
The chocolate shake is made with milk.
Ingredients, allergens, and nutrition facts are based on available information as of the date this article was published and/or updated. Restaurants and food manufacturers may change their recipes without notice. Check directly with the food provider for the most accurate and up-to-date information. NutritionandIngredients.com does not provide health or wellness advice or dietary recommendations. Our aim is to research commercially processed food and publish articles for informational purposes only. Unless otherwise stated, % Daily Value is based on 2,000 calories per day, but calorie needs vary by individual. Always consult your physician for any healthcare or dietary advice.
Nutrition facts and ingredients source: McDonald’s.
