The Actual Differences Between Burger King And McDonald's Ice Cream

As far as fast food ice cream treats go, McDonald's sells some of the most famous options around, from McFlurries to sundaes to the simple (yet delicious) vanilla cone. The chain is so show-stealing, in fact, that some have been surprised to learn that McD's rival Burger King sells a similar vanilla soft serve. While these desserts appear almost identical, they have some differences in flavor, nutrition, pricing, and more that can help you decide which one to order.

We're going to compare McDonald's plain sundae to Burger King's soft serve cup, as both items consist of plain vanilla ice cream dished up in roughly equal portions. Starting with the taste, customers find both products to be adequately creamy and sweet, with some saying they're equally good and don't taste much different. However, other reviewers claim that McD's ice cream offers a rich, milky, almost buttery flavor, and call it creamier than BK's with a stronger vanilla note. 

As for BK's soft serve, some taste testers note that the texture is on the lighter side and can come off as a bit icy. Opinions on the flavor vary, with some saying it has a weaker vanilla flavor, while others find it quite strong. However, other reviewers have called the vanilla note a bit artificial. Ultimately, neither chain's ice cream is definitively better than the other, and both have their diehard fans. Compared to taste, the desserts' other differences are a lot more cut and dry.

The reason McDonald's ice cream tastes so good is because it qualifies as real ice cream (or "vanilla reduced fat ice cream," as McDonald's calls it). The treat's most prominent ingredients are milk, sugar, cream, corn syrup, and natural flavor. Binding and emulsifying agents like cellulose gum, guar gum, carrageenan, and mono- and diglycerides are also included.

Meanwhile, BK simply calls its frozen dessert "soft serve." Although longer, though the primary ingredients are similar to McDonald's: Milkfat and nonfat milk, liquid sucrose (a mix of water and sugar), whey, and corn syrup, followed by various emulsifiers and stabilizers, as well as natural flavor. Naturally, these differences in ingredients lead to differences in nutrition.

McDonald's ice cream contains 210 calories, 32 grams of carbs (27 being sugar), and 6 grams of fat per serving, while BK has slightly less at 180 calories, 28 grams of carbs (22 being sugar), and 5 grams of fat. The Golden Arches' dessert delivers more protein, however, at 6 grams compared to BK's 4 grams. That said, the BK offering contains more sodium at 150 milligrams compared to McD's 85 milligrams. Both come with 20 milligrams of cholesterol.

Each of these fast food treats can be part of a balanced diet, but you may prefer Burger King if you're trying to eat less calories, fat, and sugar overall. On the other hand, if you're looking for the most budget-friendly ice cream, read on.

Pricing may be the most drastic difference between McDonald's and Burger King's ice cream. While prices vary from location to location, our research found that McDonald's plain sundae falls into an approximate range of $2.50 to just upwards of $3.50, as of this writing. Conversely, the Burger King soft serve prices we surveyed fall between the lowest at $0.89 cents to a high of $1.59.

As of 2026, customers haven't been too happy with the higher pricing of McDonald's frozen desserts. In a world where a McFlurry now costs more than a pint of grocery store ice cream, price is difficult to ignore. This is why some fast food fans favor BK, as it's reasonably tasty and the price is near-unbeatable.

Of course, we'd be remiss to not mention that the Golden Arches' ice cream is equal parts famous and infamous, as it seems like the McDonald's ice cream machine is always broken. On the other side of the fast food aisle, Burger King employees reportedly follow a strict rule about regularly cleaning the machines, which keeps them operating smoothly. Whether you prioritize flavor, nutrition, or pricing, you now know the difference between these famous fast food ice cream offerings.