These McDonald’s copycat recipes might become your new go to for satisfying a craving. The flavor is classic and rich, but that punch of homemade freshness is life giving in a way that the drive thru just can’t touch.
And while fast food can leave you wanting a snack an hour later, these recipes are made with real ingredients, leaving you feeling like you just ate a real meal. Because you did.
1. McDonald’s Hash Browns
Let’s just pause for a second and appreciate a truly perfect hash brown. This copycat recipe is a total winner. They are golden brown and perfectly crunchy, with just the right amount of seasoning.
Plus, these little beauties are gluten-free and vegan-friendly! The prep time might look long, but most of that is just hands-off time while they freeze. We love an easy win.
2. Oreo McFlurry
If you can toss vanilla ice cream, milk, and Oreos into a blender and push a button, you are about to make your own Oreo McFlurry in five minutes flat.
It truly doesn’t get any more simple than this. So good and so simple!
3. McDonald’s Southwest Salad
I’ll just put it out there. This Southwest Salad is my absolute favorite thing on the McDonald’s menu, maybe tied with the Shamrock Shake. I mean, what’s not to love?
You’ve got fresh veggies, corn, black beans, and those super crunchy tortilla chips. The little bit of heat from the peppers and the zesty marinade just takes it over the top. It is a flavor and texture wonderland.
4. McDonald’s Holiday Pie
Is there anything better than a warm, flaky, and crispy Holiday Pie? It’s like a sugar cookie and a homemade pie had a baby, and it’s just insanely delicious.
That powdered sugar glaze is absolutely drool-worthy. Honestly, every single part of this pie, from the crust to the filling and the glaze with sprinkles, is total perfection.
Plus, you can make these in the oven or the air fryer!
5. Shamrock Shake
It makes me so sad that the Shamrock Shake isn’t on the menu year-round, but I guess that’s what makes it special.
But now, with this amazing copycat recipe, I can have one whenever I want! It is just as smooth, thick, creamy, and delicious as the one you get from the drive-thru.
6. McDonald’s Buffalo Chicken Nuggets
Okay, these nuggets take a little more time to whip up than some other things on the list, but not by much. And trust me, they are so worth the 45 minutes.
The four-ingredient breading is perfectly crunchy, and the chicken inside is tender and seasoned with garlic, onion powder, and a few other spices that give it an incredible flavor.
That tangy, slightly zesty buffalo dipping sauce ties it all together beautifully.
7. McDonald’s Copycat Sweet Chili Chicken Wrap
This healthy wrap is just as gorgeous as it is delicious. If you’re a fan of juicy chicken, crisp garden-fresh veggies, and the sweetness of Thai sweet chili sauce, this wrap is calling your name.
The best part? It only takes about 10 minutes to pull together. Weeknight wonder!
8. Big Mac
Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, and onions on a three-piece sesame seed bun… you know the song! But we’re not talking about just any Big Mac; we’re talking about the one you’re going to make at home.
And don’t you worry, this recipe breaks down everything you need for that iconic “special sauce.” It’s a perfect mix of mayonnaise, ketchup, dill pickle juice, French dressing, sweet relish, sugar, minced onion, and salt, and it’s so easy to whip up.
9. McDonald’s Tartar Sauce
Along with their hot mustard, McDonald’s makes a seriously good tartar sauce, which is kind of funny for a burger joint. Good news for us, it’s super simple to make this yummy sauce at home.
All it takes is mayo, sugar, dill pickle relish, and a little finely chopped onion. You’ll be wanting to put this on everything.
10. Strawberry Banana Smoothie
Here’s another super yummy drink you can make in 5 minutes or less. Just throw half a banana, some almond milk, vanilla yogurt, and frozen strawberries into your blender.
Give it a whirl for about a minute, and then get ready to enjoy all that fruity goodness.
11. McDonald’s Shake
No matter if you’re team vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry, you only need three ingredients to make a copycat McDonald’s milkshake.
Just start with a base of vanilla ice cream and low-fat milk. Then, for a vanilla shake, add sugar. For chocolate, mix in some Nestle Nesquik Instant Chocolate Drink Mix, or for strawberry, use Nestle Strawberry Powder.
12. McDonald’s Pancakes
Making McDonald’s pancakes is pretty straightforward. You just make pancakes! At the end of the day, pancakes are sweet, fluffy, and delicious no matter where they come from.
The real trick here is not to forget the sugar and that little dash of salt. For me, that’s what makes McDonald’s pancakes a little different from the rest.
13. McDonald’s Cadbury Creme Egg McFlurry
I love so many things about spring, but the return of the McDonald’s Cadbury Creme Egg McFlurry is definitely high on the list. It’s just as easy to make as the Oreo McFlurry.
Just put your Cadbury Eggs, vanilla ice cream, and some heavy whipping cream into the blender and pulse it about 10 times. Top it with some whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and even more Cadbury Eggs for a truly amazing springtime treat.
14. McDonald’s McCafe Caramel Cappuccino
With just some coffee, milk, caramel topping, and whipped cream, you can create an at-home McDonald’s McCafe Caramel Cappuccino that’s good enough to rival drinks from the fanciest coffee shops in Brazil.
15. McDonald’s French Fries
There’s just something about McDonald’s French fries that makes them better than other fries, right? They are thin, crispy, and have the perfect amount of salt to be spectacularly good.
This recipe isn’t an exact copy, and that’s a good thing because these are healthier. But they taste, feel, and look just the same, which is a total win.
16. McDonald’s Mocha Frappe
Just in case you needed one more sweet drink to whip up in your blender, here is the copycat recipe for a McDonald’s mocha frappe.
To get that perfectly icy and frosty texture, you’ll need to use coffee ice cubes, so you might want to make those the day before.
Once your cubes are ready, just add chilled coffee, sugar, milk, chocolate syrup, half-and-half, and whipped cream to a blender. After it’s all blended up, top it off with more whipped cream and chocolate sauce.
