McDonald’s Rumored Holiday Offerings

As documented here on So Good, when the weather starts to turn cool, seasonal products start to emerge everywhere we look. If you’ve been to the grocery store recently, you’ve been bombarded with everything from pumpkin cream cheese to the elixir of the gods also known as egg nog [and no, I did not buy a quart of nog at the grocery store this weekend, then polish it off while I was waiting to be checked out. It was a pint, thank you very much.]

Fast food behemoth McDonald’s is certainly no different when it comes to holiday-themed food. Brand Eating recently listed the chain’s rumored offerings, some regionally based. A few caught my eye.

Exhibit A:

“Egg Nog Shake – New for this year, it’s egg nog syrup mixed into a vanilla shake.” Clearly, I have a strong affinity for the nog, so I can’t question the inspiration behind this one. That said, my guess is they have found some clever way to make nog even less healthy.

Exhibit B:

“McCafe Pumpkin Shake – a mix of pumpkin shake syrup and reduced fat vanilla soft serve, topped with whipped cream and a maraschino cherry.” I really should have bought pumpkin futures 6 months ago. Is there anything that doesn’t have a pumpkin flavored option these days? Maybe bananas.

Exhibit C:

“Holiday Pie – a baked sugar-cookie like pie crust with confetti sprinkles mixed in and a custard filling.” This is not a new offering for McD’s, but it is the most curious. We know the chain is willing to experiment with their pies (here, here) but this one pushes the boundaries. First, it doesn’t have a clear connection to the holidays. Sugar cookies? Custard filling? Sprinkles? Yum?? Not sure the motivation here, but it sounds more Easter than Christmas. And plus, it looks like an uncooked pop tart. Gross.

Clearly, there are certain holiday-inspired items that really move the needle, such as Starbucks’ Gingerbread Latte. Do the options above motivate you to go to Mickey D’s? Do they even sound good? Have you tried them?? Let me know in the comments.

H/t to HuffPo for the scoop, OC Reg for the top photo, Brand Eating for the bottom.