Here's Why McDonald's Soft Serve Isn't Called Ice Cream
If you've been online lately, you've probably seen some of the viral McDonald's desserts that people have been creating. You can keep it simple by ordering soft serve and two chocolate chip cookies to make an ice cream sandwich, or you can be a bit more adventurous and try one of the latest customer creations, which involves six ice cream cones, a few chocolate chip cookies, some hot fudge, and french fries. Whichever dessert route you take, you'll find the famous McDonald's soft serve at the center of it.
Soft serve isn't new to fast food. It's been around since the 1930s and started booming at places like Dairy Queen and Carvel in the 1950s, and now you can find it at other fast food restaurants like McDonald's with fan favorites like the Vanilla Cone or Hot Fudge Sundae. Even though the soft serve at McDonald's looks and tastes similar to regular ice cream, it's not the same. McDonald's (as well as other fast food chains like Wendy's, Dairy Queen, and Burger King) has to label its frozen treat as "soft serve" rather than "ice cream" because it doesn't meet the standard for regular ice cream set by the USDA.
So why exactly isn't it called ice cream?
According to the standards set by the USDA, ice cream must contain at least 10% milk fat, which can be derived from various types of milk. It also has to weigh at least 4.5 pounds to the gallon, which is set to prevent restaurants from adding too much air and not enough actual substance. Typically, McDonald's soft serve uses 5% reduced fat, which falls below the 10% milk fat requirement to be technically considered ice cream. Instead, it's simply known as soft serve.
McDonald's has some of the best-tasting soft serve around town, and the Vanilla Soft Serve Cone is still a tasty treat that is perfect for when you're craving something cold on a hot day. And because there is a smaller percentage of milk fat in soft serve, the texture is lighter and fluffier than regular ice cream. If you're looking for something a bit more complex than just a vanilla cone, you can order one of the McDonald's McFlurries, shakes, or sundaes — all of which are made with the chain's vanilla soft serve.