The Ingredient Swap That Completely Changed A McDonald's Breakfast Staple
Our five-ingredient copycat McDonald's McMuffin recipe shows that simple can still be delicious when it comes to breakfast foods. Based on an upgrade that McDonald's implemented for a selection of its McMuffin sandwiches, the iconic fast food chain also subscribes to this culinary philosophy.
In 2015, the restaurant made a seemingly minor but important ingredient swap when it began using real butter instead of liquid margarine to cook McMuffin components, including eggs, sausage, bacon, and even steak for when you're feeling particularly famished in the morning. Similarly, the chain began using butter to toast the different types of bread used in its breakfast sandwiches, including muffins, biscuits, and bagels.
While initial plans involved a slow, gradual rollout of the new ingredient, the changeover took place quite quickly. In about six months, McDonald's completed the swap, which came in stark contrast to the often-extended timeline chain restaurants use when changing or upgrading items. Consider the planned menu upgrades McDonald's talked about in 2023, such as offering customers a bigger burger. These proposed upgrades were initiated by quality improvements affecting the restaurant's Quarter Pounder, which took place five years prior in 2018.
What's the difference between butter and margarine?
While specific ingredients vary from brand to brand, margarine is typically made with vegetable oil, salt, and water, among other potential additions like emulsifiers. Additionally, the product can't bear the margarine name unless it contains at least 80% fat — otherwise it must be called spread.
As for butter, it must also meet the 80%-fat rule, only its fat comes from milk instead of vegetable oil. An important distinction to be sure, as you can't easily replicate butter's rich flavor and silky-smooth texture.
It may sound surprising now, but McDonald's was facing some big obstacles when it switched to butter in 2015. The chain notably experienced decreasing sales that year, and it even changed CEOs in an attempt to get McDonald's back on track. These days, McDonald's is flying high once again, as the restaurant has enjoyed immense success over the last few years and is considered one of the biggest brands in fast food thanks to its global presence. It just goes to show that simple ingredient tweaks are often best if you want to reign supreme over fast food breakfast.