Whatever Happened To McDonald's Cheese Danish?

For many, one of the best things about McDonald's is the breakfast. Even though McDonald's no longer serves breakfast all day, there are plenty of people who still line up for one of McDonald's breakfast sandwiches (all of which we have ranked). With breakfast being so popular at McDonald's, it's hard to imagine that there are breakfast items that have failed at McDonald's.

Back in the '80s, McDonald's had a breakfast pastry on the menu: the McDonald's Cheese Danish. The breakfast item featured a flaky pastry with a cream cheese filling and streusel frosting drizzled on top. At the time, this type of pastry was considered a popular classic but it eventually faded from the spotlight and disappeared from the McDonald's menu.

After its removal from the menu, the McDonald's Cheese Danish became an obscure McDonald's breakfast fact that only true fans would know or remember. Despite being discontinued, like so many other trends, the cheese danish came back around decades later. An updated version of the '80s pastry popped up on the McCafe menu back in September 2022.

McDonald's announced the return of the Cheese Danish on September 6, 2022; the idea was to give customers a sweet breakfast option for fall that didn't revolve around pumpkin, maple, or pecan flavors. Plus, it also served as a new take on a nostalgic item.

The Cheese Danish was released as part of a lineup of bakery items including the Apple Fritter, Blueberry Muffin, and Cinnamon Roll at participating locations on September 14, 2022. The sweet pastry would be available for purchase all day long, both in person and via the app. However, since it was meant to be part of a seasonal fall release, the Cheese Danish was brought back for only a limited time.

Still, the reception was positive overall. People praised it as a nice flavor alternative to the heavily saturated array of pumpkin flavored treats that typically appear during fall. The only drawback was the price, which many felt was too high for such a small item. Once the season came to a close, the Cheese Danish disappeared once again from the menu and hasn't returned since. Currently, there's no indication that it will return anytime soon.