Vegan Options at McDonald's (2026): US vs UK & Ireland Menus Checked

McDonald's is the chain vegans ask about most, and the answer depends entirely on which side of the Atlantic you're on. In the US there isn't much: even the fries contain milk. In the UK and Ireland there's a proper vegan menu, including a plant-based burger.

Why McDonald's fries aren't vegan in the US

US McDonald's fries are cooked in vegetable oil, but they're seasoned with natural beef flavor, which contains wheat and milk derivatives. There's no meat in them, but there is milk, so they aren't vegan or dairy-free. The hash browns use the same flavoring.

This is a US recipe. McDonald's fries in the UK and Ireland don't use beef flavoring and are vegan.

What's vegan at McDonald's in the US

Item	Status	How to order it
"Veggie" Big Mac	With swaps	No beef patties, no cheese, no Big Mac sauce. Add ketchup and mustard and double the lettuce, onion and pickles.
Baked Apple Pie	Vegan	The only vegan dessert.
Apple slices	Vegan
Plain English muffin	Vegan	Breakfast. Ask for no butter.
World Famous Fries	Not vegan	Natural beef flavor contains milk.
Hash browns	Not vegan	Same beef flavoring.
Hotcakes	Not vegan	Egg and dairy in the batter.
Fruit & Maple Oatmeal	Not vegan	Made with cream.
McPlant	Not available	Trial ended; not on US menus.
McFlurry, shakes, sundaes, smoothies	Not vegan	Dairy or yogurt.

US sauces

Sauce	Status
Ketchup, mustard	Vegan
Tangy BBQ	Vegan
Sweet 'N Sour	Vegan
Hot mustard, Spicy Pepper Sauce	Vegan
Big Mac sauce, mayo, tartar sauce	Not vegan (egg)
Honey mustard, honey	Not vegan

US drinks

Drink	Status
Soft drinks, lemonade, iced tea	Vegan
Orange juice, apple juice	Vegan
Black coffee, Americano, espresso	Vegan
Lattes, mochas, frappés, hot chocolate	Not vegan; there's no plant milk
Shakes and smoothies	Not vegan

How to order a vegan Big Mac in the US

Say: "A Big Mac with no meat, no cheese and no sauce, with ketchup and mustard, extra lettuce, onion and pickles." It's a bun with salad, which isn't much of a meal, so add apple slices and an apple pie. Ordering in the app makes the changes easier to get right.

Is there a McPlant in the US?

No. McDonald's tested the McPlant, made with a Beyond Meat patty, in about 600 US restaurants between February and August 2022. Sales were slow and it wasn't approved for a national launch. McDonald's hasn't announced another US trial.

McDonald's in the UK and Ireland

If you're in Ireland or the UK, you have far more choice. Menus differ slightly between the two, and items rotate, so check the McDonald's app before you go.

Item	UK	Ireland	Notes
McPlant	Vegan	Vegan	Beyond Meat patty, vegan cheese and sauce, cooked separately. Availability can rotate in Ireland.
Veggie Dippers	Vegan	Check	Breaded vegetable dippers.
Spicy Veggie One wrap	Vegan	Vegan without mayo	In Ireland, ask for ketchup or no sauce.
Vegetable Deluxe	Vegan	Not vegan	Recipes differ; the Irish version is vegetarian.
Fries	Vegan	Vegan	Cooked in vegetable oil, no beef flavoring.
Hash browns	Vegan	Vegan	The main vegan breakfast item.
Apple pie	Vegan	Vegan	Fried; possible contact with oil used for chicken and fish.
Fruit bags, cucumber sticks	Vegan	Vegan
Soft drinks, orange juice, water	Vegan	Vegan
Breakfast muffins, McFlurry, shakes	Not vegan	Not vegan	Dairy.
Filet-O-Fish	Not vegan	Not vegan	Fish and tartare sauce.

Cross-contact

In the US, fries and hash browns are a non-starter anyway. In the UK and Ireland, the McPlant is cooked with separate utensils, but fries and pies share fryers and other equipment is shared, and some items list possible milk traces. That doesn't change our verdicts, but it matters for allergies.

How McDonald's compares with other burger chains (US)

Chain	Vegan burger?	Vegan fries?	Our verdict
McDonald's	No	No	One of the hardest chains
Burger King	Impossible Whopper, no mayo	Yes	One of the better burger chains
In-N-Out	Wish Burger (no patty)	Yes	Fries and a Wish Burger
Wendy's	No	Yes	Sides only

The bottom line

In the US, plan to eat elsewhere if you can. Burger King has a vegan burger with one change, and its fries are vegan. If McDonald's is the only option, the veggie Big Mac, an apple pie and apple slices will get you through. In the UK and Ireland, a McPlant and fries is a genuinely good vegan meal. See the full vegan fast food guide.

FAQ

Are McDonald's fries vegan?

Not in the US. They're cooked with 'natural beef flavor', which contains milk derivatives. In the UK and Ireland, McDonald's fries are cooked in vegetable oil without beef flavoring and are vegan.

Are McDonald's hash browns vegan?

Not in the US, where they use the same natural beef flavor as the fries. In the UK and Ireland, the hash browns are vegan.

Is the McPlant available in the US?

No. It was tested in about 600 US restaurants in 2022 and wasn't rolled out nationally. It's sold in the UK and Ireland.

Is the McPlant vegan?

In the UK and Ireland, yes: a Beyond Meat patty with vegan cheese and vegan sauce in a sesame bun, cooked separately from meat.

Is the McDonald's apple pie vegan?

By ingredients, yes, in both the US and UK. In the UK the pies are fried in oil that may have touched oil used for chicken and fish, which some vegans avoid.

Are McDonald's buns vegan?

The standard US burger buns contain no animal ingredients. In Ireland and the UK, standard buns may contain traces of milk from shared production.

Is McDonald's oatmeal vegan?

Not in the US. The Fruit & Maple Oatmeal is made with cream.

Does McDonald's have plant milk?

Not in the US. In the UK, McDonald's doesn't list its coffee as vegan because of possible milk traces, so ask at your restaurant.

Vegan Options at McDonald's: US, UK and Ireland