Are McDonald's Latte and Coffee Drinks Gluten-Free?

Celiac.com 10/21/2020 - We get more than a few question about McDonald's Coffee and Latte Drinks. Specifically, are McDonald's Coffee and Latte Drinks gluten-free, and safe for people with celiac disease?

Plain coffee is gluten-free. Coffee with milk is gluten-free. Sugar is gluten-free. As with so many foods and beverages that start out gluten-free, the answer lies in the additives. Unless you add wheat or gluten ingredients, most coffee and coffee drinks are gluten-free.

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However, McDonald's Latte and Coffee Drinks include numerous extra ingredients, so are they gluten-fee and safe for people with celiac disease?

McDonald's coffee drinks come in Hot, Iced, and Latte versions. The full menu for McDonald's Latte and Coffee Drinks includes:

• Cappuccino; Caramel Cappuccino; French Vanilla Cappuccino; Mocha; Iced Mocha; Caramel Mocha; Iced Caramel Mocha; Latte; Iced Latte; Caramel Latte; Iced Caramel Latte; French Vanilla Latte; Iced French Vanilla Latte; Americano; Premium Roast Coffee; Iced Coffee; Iced Caramel Coffee; Iced French Vanilla Coffee; Caramel Frappé; Mocha Frappé; and Hot Chocolate.

McDonald's does not label its coffee and latte drinks as "gluten-free." However, a glance at the website shows that the drinks contain no wheat or gluten ingredients. Obviously it's possible in a busy fast food restaurant that a drink you order could be cross-contaminated, so you may want to explain this to the person taking your order, and watch them make your drink to reduce this risk.

Here's a breakdown of the various flavors and ingredients in McDonald's Latte and Coffee Drinks:

Caramel Macchiato 
Caramel Macchiato made with our rich, dark-roast espresso served with steamed whole or nonfat milk, mixed with sweet caramel syrup, and topped with ribbons of buttery caramel.

Whole Milk
Ingredients: Milk, Vitamin D3 Added.
Contains: Milk

Caramel Syrup
Ingredients: Sugar, Sweetened Condensed Skim Milk (Milk, Sugar), Water, Corn Syrup, Natural Flavors, Brown Sugar, Propylene Glycol, Sea Salt, Disodium Phosphate, Potassium Sorbate (Preservative).
Contains: Milk.

Espresso
Ingredients: Espresso, Water.

Caramel Drizzle
Ingredients: Corn Syrup, Sweetened Condensed Milk (Milk, Sugar), Sugar, Water, Butter (Cream, Salt, Natural Flavor), Salt, Pectin, Disodium Phosphate, Natural Flavor, Caramel Color, Potassium Sorbate (Preservative).
Contains: Milk.

Iced Caramel Macchiato
Iced Caramel Macchiato made with our rich, dark-roast espresso served with iced whole or nonfat milk, mixed with sweet caramel syrup, and topped with buttery caramel drizzle.

Whole Milk
Ingredients: Milk, Vitamin D3 Added.
Contains: Milk

Ice
Ingredients: Ice.

Caramel Syrup
Ingredients: Sugar, Sweetened Condensed Skim Milk (Milk, Sugar), Water, Corn Syrup, Natural Flavors, Brown Sugar, Propylene Glycol, Sea Salt, Disodium Phosphate, Potassium Sorbate (Preservative).
Contains: Milk.

Espresso
Ingredients: Water and Espresso.

Caramel Drizzle
Ingredients: Corn Syrup, Sweetened Condensed Milk (Milk, Sugar), Sugar, Water, Butter (Cream, Salt, Natural Flavor), Salt, Pectin, Disodium Phosphate, Natural Flavor, Caramel Color, Potassium Sorbate (Preservative).
Contains: Milk.

According to the McDonald's website, their latte and coffee drinks are likely to be gluten-free, and safe for people with celiac disease. As always, product formulations can change, so read labels, check ingredients, and avoid anything you're not sure about.

If you're not sure of any ingredient, please check celiac.com's Gluten-Free SAFE Ingredients List, and the UNSAFE Non-Gluten-Free Ingredient List.

Here are links to the McDonald's website:

• McDonald's Latte Drinks
• McDonald's Hot Coffee Drinks
• McDonald's Iced Coffee Drinks