McDonald’s Chocolate Shake Calories & Ingredients
A tasty and sweet treat at any time of day, this milkshake is so thick it might be a filling meal on its own. 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.
Calories and Nutrition Facts
The percentage daily value (%DV) illustrates how much a specific nutrient in the chocolate shake contributes to a daily diet of 2,000 calories. That’s the standard measure used by the FDA and food processors, but calorie needs vary by individual.
Here are the nutrition facts in a small sized chocolate shake from McDonald’s fast food restaurant.
Nutrition Summary
Serving Size 1 Small Chocolate Shake
CALORIES
520TOTAL FAT
14g(22%DV)
CARBOHYDRATES
85g(29%DV)
PROTEIN
12g(24%DV)
| Saturated Fat | 9g (45%DV) |
| Trans Fat | 0.5g |
| Cholesterol | 55mg (19%DV) |
| Sodium | 250mg (11%DV) |
| Dietary Fiber | 0g (0%DV) |
| Total Sugars | 67g |
| Added Sugars | 54g (108%DV) |
%DV (Percent Daily Values) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Calories
There are 520 calories in a small McDonald’s Chocolate Milkshake. Most of the calories are derived from carbohydrates. Specifically, there are 340 calories from carbs, which is 65% of the total. Another 25% of calories is from fat. Protein makes up the remaining 10%.
- Fat: 130 calories
- Carbs: 340 calories
- Protein: 50 calories
- Total: 520 calories in a small chocolate shake
The caloric breakout by nutrient is a rounded estimate based on the nutrition facts label provided by McDonald’s. Calories may vary by location, as a result of how it’s prepared, or due to topping choices.
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 fat, including 9 grams saturated fat.
According to the FDA, a DV of 20% or greater of a nutrient per serving is considered high. With that in mind, the amount of total fat in a chocolate shake has a 22% daily value. The 9g of saturated fat reaches a 45% 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 from the milk. Note that 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 first in 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.
- Small milkshake has 67 grams total sugars (54 grams added sugars)
- Medium milkshake has 85 grams total sugars (68 grams added sugars)
- Large milkshake has 106 grams total sugars (86 grams added sugars)
Ingredients and Allergens
McDonald’s Chocolate Shake Ingredients
Here is the list of ingredients used to make the chocolate shake served at McDonald’s.
Vanilla Reduced Fat Ice Cream
Milk, Sugar, Cream, Corn Syrup, Natural Flavor, Mono And Diglycerides, Cellulose Gum, Guar Gum, Carrageenan, Vitamin A Palmitate.
Chocolate Shake Syrup
Sugar, Corn Syrup, Water, Glycerin, Cocoa (processed with alkali), Fruit And Vegetable Juice (color), Salt, Natural Flavors, Potassium Sorbate (preservative).
Whipped Light Cream
Cream, Nonfat Milk, Milk, Liquid Sugar, Mono And Diglycerides, Natural Flavors, 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.
Nutrition facts and ingredients source: McDonald’s.
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.
