McDonald’s has updated its breakfast menu with a range of new items, including the “snack-sized” French Toast Fingers. Our taste buds gingerly investigate…
Positioned as a snack-sized alternative to McDonald’s Hot Cakes, the French Toast Fingers comprises four French toast fingers and a side of Hot Cake syrup for $3.95. (At first glance, there seems to be five fingers on the poster, but one of them has just been broken in half. Tch.)
As an added bonus, the meal comes encased in a dinky cardboard box with a separate compartment for the syrup. We’re unashamed to admit that this caused us to coo in a manner usually reserved for fluffy kittens:
With its quartet of modestly-sized fingers and economical price tag, the product has all the hallmarks of a light snack. However, the nutritional information tells a different story.
The energy count for a single serve comes in at a slightly worrying 2010kJ — and that’s before you add the syrup. The real total is 2770kJ which is more than double the kilojueles of a Bacon & Egg McMuffin. In other words, this is a far naughtier breakfast than the serving size suggests. So how does it look and taste?
Upon opening the box, we were mildly disappointed by how overcooked the fingers were — they weren’t quite burnt but they weren’t far off it either. This gave them a slightly bitter flavour that didn’t really gel with the syrup and dusted sugar. Apart from that one caveat, I actually didn’t mind the taste — the insides have a suitably soft and fluffy texture which I vastly prefer to McDonald’s stodgy Hot Cakes.
As you’d expect, these things teeter on the edge of being too sweet; especially if you add the syrup. That said, if you usually find McDonald’s food to be too bland, expect to be pleasantly surprised. On the downside, I can’t say that the French Toast Fingers filled me up — and I’m usually stuffed after a single McMuffin. In other words, you’re basically indulging in a calorie-loaded meal without the satiation payoff.
For this reason, we feel unable to wholeheartedly recommend McDonald’s French Toast Fingers. On the other hand, if you have a sweet-tooth and feel like trying something new, $3.95 isn’t too terrible a price to pay.
Score: 6/10
Comments
11 responses to “Taste Test: McDonald’s French Toast Fingers Are A Syrupy Non-Indulgence”
Disgusting.
The fact they dare call this french toast when they deep fry it is enough to turn me off it.
Are you sure its maple syrup/ Or is it corn syrup?
Well, it’s labelled ‘Hot Cake’ syrup. Knowing McDonald’s, you’re probably 100% correct.
it says corn syrup on the ingredients list on the top of the lid…
Ingredients: Corn Syrup, Sugar, Water, Artificial Maple Flavour, Preservative (202), Caramel Colour (150d)
The bad taste could be burnt, or it could be due to old oil. Everything is cooked off timers at McDonalds, so it’s unlikely that they would have been left in too long.
Maybe the oil was too hot? They definitely look overcooked in that picture, if not outright burnt. If I opened the box and found that, I would have taken them back.
Too hot oil is unlikely, they staff would have little control over the oil temperature. I’ve found oil that is too cold to be a bigger problem at McDonald’s when they are busy. Every time you dump a basket of frozen fries into the oil, it drops the temperature. If you do that repeatedly, the oil eventually drops temperature, and you get oily soggy chips.
If the oil is old, it can give the same colour as burnt.
Agreed though I have seen them desperately ignoring their alarms!
Surely you have seen the chip fryers beeping away desperately and busy staff ignoring them for several minutes…? I’ve -definitely- had overcooked stuff at McDonalds. I will never. Ever. Ever. order their ‘fish and chips’ again. That was just .. I really should have gone back to the counter and got a refund.
I was at maccas at 4am sunday morning and as i dont watch tv i didnt know that they had changed the menu so as i was driving i got the french toast fingers as it seemed easier. its a sticky mess if you have the syrup but on its own taste is ok but not something i would go out of my way to get, specially being french and that its deep fried is very disappointing!
Sorry Macca’s. But this is a good idea that failed. Deep fried breakfast NO! Your timing is too long and they boarder burnt, which takes them from light and fluffy with a crispy outside to, mush in the middle of burnt bread.. Should have tested this one more on people before releasing it. There is nothing Ooh la la about them. As they are cooked when asked for the wait time I could have stayed home longer and dryfried a piece of bread dipped in egg at home and it would have been closer to French toast