Does McDonald's Offer Ice Cream During Breakfast Hours?

McDonald's ice cream is a delight any time of day, particularly as an after-dinner treat. However, some of us have a sweet tooth that disregards the time of day, demanding to start the morning with a bit of dessert. If we can have crêpes with whipped cream or pancakes with maple syrup for breakfast, is an M&M McFlurry really that much of a problem? In the case of ordering a frozen treat during the morning shift, it depends. There doesn't seem to be any official company policy on whether or not stores can or will serve frozen desserts during the breakfast shift. The FAQ page for McDonald's answers a query about ordering milkshakes for breakfast, stating, "some stores may have Milkshakes [sic] available during breakfast, but it really depends on the store. All you have to do is ask at the counter."

McDonald's operates as a franchise chain where stores have individual owners with their own policies and preferences. Store operation and menu hours are up to the owner's discretion, so the timing for certain items varies by location. The same applies for menu prices, which is why the McDonald's website doesn't show you the price of an item unless you enter a location. McDonald's stores can also have differing policies for ice cream availability via mobile ordering or delivery service apps.

Expecting a consistent ice cream policy from McDonald's at any time of day might be a stretch when the ice cream machine always seems broken. It's enough of a crisis for independent software engineers to create a website for tracking which store locations appear to have unserviceable ice cream machines. Jokes aside, some machines are truly broken and unable to be repaired because of contracts between the restaurant and an exclusive repair company, meaning nobody else has the right to repair the appliance.

An out-of-service sign on the ice cream machine can also be a blessing in disguise if it means avoiding a dirty McFlurry. Soft serve ice cream can be a nightmare for food safety because the quick-to-gunk equipment takes time and effort to deep clean, and staff members don't want to serve you a health hazard. Mornings are the best time of day to clean for some McDonald's locations, since breakfast is when people are least likely to order ice cream. Some stores, even with working machines, might still exclude ice cream from the morning menu because there isn't enough demand from customers. Count yourself lucky if you have a nearby location where you can get hash browns and vanilla cones at the same time!