McFlurry Flavors You Can't Get In The US

Much has been said in recent years about the frustrating frequency of broken McDonald's ice cream machines. Not only does this deny customers ice cream cones and sundaes but also stands between them and the McFlurry, beloved by McDonald's patrons since its birth in New Brunswick, Canada in 1995.

Since then, the McFlurry -- so named because of how its ingredients blend in the mixer -- has undergone many transformations from the original five flavors of Oreo, Nestle Crunch, M&M's, Butterfinger, and Heath. Today, in the United States, those choices have shamefully dwindled to just two: Oreo and M&Ms. Sure, there's the occasional limited edition flavor, such as the green-tinged Shamrock in honor of St. Patrick's Day in March and the Strawberry Shortcake of spring 2023, but little else.

However, customers outside of the U.S. have different options. Take a look at these variations, and you'll find flavors that Americans will be familiar with, such as KitKat, as well as the unfamiliar, like Smarties and Baci Perugina (more on them later). Read on to learn which countries you should visit for their delectable McFlurry options.

Read more: McDonald's Menu Items That Even The Staff Won't Eat

Smarties

If you are American, then chances are good that you are currently thinking of those chalky, vaguely fruit-flavored tablet candies that linger at the bottom of a Halloween trick-or-treat bag. Nope, not those. The other Smarties, which are known the world over, are colorful, candy-coated bits of chocolate. If that sounds like M&M's to you, you're not far off. This version of Smarties is very much like M&M's, though it might be more accurate to say that M&M's are very much like Smarties. That's because the latter was produced in the U.K. 60 years before M&M's hit the U.S. market

If you want to try a Smarties McFlurry, then simply head to a McDonald's in the U.K., Ireland, Italy, Finland, or Canada. In the Canadian province of Quebec, you can also go for the local exclusive Siakam Swirl McFlurry, which comes with with red Smarties and hot fudge sauce.

Daim Bar

Back in the mid-20th century, a Swedish candy company named Marabou sought to license the popular Heath candy bar. Rather than grant the license, the Heath Company shared the ingredients for its candy bar instead. Marabou used this recipe to make its own candy bar with toffee, almonds, and milk chocolate. Eventually known as Daim, it launched in the 1950s.

First introduced in the Scandinavian countries, the Dajm bar, as it was initially called, made its way to the U.K. and Ireland, where it was called Dime. Now known as Daim bars, these are crunchier and have a stronger caramel flavor than Heath bars. It also comes in a wider variety of flavors, including orange chocolate, blueberry, dark chocolate, white chocolate, and Coke. You can find this popular candy bar as a McFlurry mix-in at McDonald's locations in Germany, France, Norway, Finland, and, of course, Sweden. Only the original milk chocolate version is available at McDonald's.

Lotus Biscoff

Lotus Biscoff is a popular brand of Belgian speculoos cookies that resemble gingersnaps but with a more cinnamon-forward flavor. The Biscoff name references a combination of biscuit and coffee, and these cookies are oftentimes enjoyed after they have been dunked in coffee, not unlike Oreos in milk.  If you aren't familiar with speculoos cookies, then may still know of the indulgent, creamy spread commonly known as cookie butter. First created by a Lotus Biscoff fan and then released by Lotus Bakeries, cookie butter is made from crushed speculoos cookies. Both the cookies and cookie butter are popular additions to ice creams -- like the McFlurry.

As popular as speculoos cookies and cookie butter are, it is surprising that Lotus Biscoff McFlurries aren't more widespread. But they are available if one knows where to look! To try one, stop by a McDonald's in Spain or Belgium, where the headquarters of Lotus Bakeries is located.

Strawberry And Oreos

Go to Singapore McDonald's to find the Strawberry Shortcake McFlurry, which is a little different from what we might call strawberry shortcake in the U.S. Nor is it like the Strawberry Shortcake McFlurry that McDonald's introduced for a limited time in the U.S. back in 2023. Here, strawberry sauce and crushed Oreo cookies are mixed into vanilla soft-serve ice cream to make this signature McFlurry. Mexico does something similar with its McFlurry Fresa. Chinese McDonald's also serves a strawberry jam and Oreo McFlurry.

Korea has even more variety. Here, you can order a strawberry Oreo McFlurry with swirls of strawberry sauce, or the Very Strawberry McFlurry made with strawberry soft serve plus crushed Oreos. If you ask very nicely, you might even get a McDonald's employee to add some of the strawberry syrup more often used to make strawberry shakes to your Oreo McFlurry, though we make no promises.

Pistachio

Originally hailing from the Middle East, today pistachios thrive in the rich volcanic soil of Italy. Even though Italy produces only about 1% of the world's crop, it grows some of the most prized pistachios for confectionary use. So is it any wonder that Italians love including pistachios in their desserts?

Even McDonald's could not deny this basic fact. Thus, the pistachio McFlurry was born -- but currently only in Italy. Sweet pistachio syrup and crushed pistachio nuts are swirled into vanilla soft-serve ice cream, where the nuts offer a nice bit of crunch. The color is bright green, so be careful that you don't confuse it with a Shamrock McFlurry.

Despite the fact that it is a U.S.-born company, McDonald's does its best to make use of local tastes and flavors. With this pistachio McFlurry on the menu, the international chain has shown that it understands Italy perfectly.

Hazelnut

Another flavor commonly associated with Italy is hazelnut, particularly the magical combination of chocolate and hazelnut. Italy is the birthplace of Nutella, after all. But it isn't a Nutella McFlurry that you will find on Italian McDonald's menus, although that would be epic. Instead, you find the equally enticing treat known as Baci Perugina mixed with McDonald's signature soft serve vanilla ice cream. Perugina is a popular Italian candy maker that creates baci, which are chocolate-covered hazelnut truffles.

Next door, in Switzerland, you will find a similar dessert known as the McFlurry Ragusa. This is the name of a popular Swiss candy bar made with whole hazelnuts surrounded by praline and covered in chocolate. This McFlurry has ribbons of Ragusa brand chocolate sauce and crunchy whole hazelnuts mixed into vanilla soft-serve ice cream.

We can't say which of these two hazelnut McFlurries tastes better, so you will just have to try both and find out for yourself.

Maltesers

Given that most of the original McFlurries were made with bits of candy bars, it makes sense that you will find a lot of local favorite candies on this list. Consider Maltesers, a popular U.K. candy that's been around for nearly a century. While they now come in different flavors, the original that you will find in this U.K. McFlurry is a malted milk ball covered with milk chocolate.

If this sounds a lot like Whoppers, you are correct. However, the chocolate coating on Maltesers is thicker, while the inside is airier and less dense than Whoppers. The Maltesers in the McFlurry appear to be miniature candies rather than crushed pieces of the larger original Maltesers.

Fans of malt candy who live outside of the U.K. might feel a little left out on this one, but luckily, Maltesers are available in markets across the globe. With a little ingenuity and some candy-crushing, you can theoretically replicate this one at home.

Stroopwafel

Stroopwafels, which translates to "syrup waffles," are a true Dutch delight. What's not to love about two wafer-like waffle cookies sandwiched with bourbon caramel syrup? One traditional way of eating stroopwafels requires you to lay the stroopwafel atop your mug of coffee, using the heat emanating from the liquid to warm up the cookie and soften the caramel syrup inside.

Of course, you could cut the stroopwafel into small pieces and mix it into vanilla soft serve ice cream -- precisely what McDonald's did when creating its McFlurry Stroopwafel. A drizzle of caramel sauce finishes off this signature sweet treat. However, this McFlurry is typically available for a limited time only and currently only in the Netherlands. If you live in or near the country, grab one while you can.

Stroopwafel cookies are available for purchase outside of the Netherlands, so you can potentially recreate this one at home too.

Caramel

McDonald's Mexico doesn't only add strawberry sauce to its Oreo McFlurries. You can add caramel sauce, too. The resulting McFlurry Caramelo Mix sounds pretty rich to us, but we're more than willing to give it a try. If Mexico is too far to travel, your local U.S. McDonald's employee might be persuaded to add the caramel that's already used in hot caramel sundaes on a McFlurry. Just remember to ask nicely and perhaps skip this request if they're in the midst of a rush.

A more unique caramel McFlurry that you can't get anywhere else is found in Romania. The McFlurry's Rom candy is a dark chocolate candy bar filled with caramel. It has both the scent and taste of rum and comes wrapped in the colors of the Romanian flag: blue, yellow, and red. Other varieties have come out recently, but all share the same characteristic rum flavor. The Salted Caramel Rom McFlurry is made with vanilla soft serve ice cream, rum-flavored white chocolate pieces, and salted caramel syrup.

Peanuts And Chocolate

Peanuts likely originated in South America, but it isn't in the Americas that you will find peanuts in McDonald's McFlurries. If you love peanuts in your ice cream, then you will have to head to the Netherlands to enjoy them in a McFlurry (short of adding your own, of course).

The M&M's Pinda McFlurry served up in Dutch McDonald's locations contains crushed M&M's and peanuts. Enjoy it as-is or top it off with caramel sauce, strawberry sauce, or chocolate sauce for extra flavor and sweetness.

For a more singular creation, try the Celebrations McFlurry, also served at Dutch McDonald's. Celebrations is a specialty pack of mixed miniature candies produced by Mars. There are tiny bites of Twix, Snickers, Maltesers, Milky Way, and more. As for the McFlurry, the menu is less than descriptive, but it seems from the picture that peanuts, chocolate sauce, the same mini Maltesers used in the U.K.'s Maltesers McFlurry, as well as other bits of candy, are involved.

Have It Your Way

Chains that sell frozen treats, such as Culver's and its many frozen custard flavors, include a way to build your own dessert with the toppings and mix-ins of your choice, sometimes with a surcharge after the first couple of add-ons. Yet McDonald's is not that sophisticated when it comes to its McFlurries. That is, unless you happen to be in Germany.

If you find yourself in a German McDonald's, begin with the Original McFlurry, which is simply a cup of plain, unadorned soft serve. Then, choose up to three toppings and sauces (two are included in the base price). These include crushed Oreo cookies, chopped Schokolinsen chocolate mint candies, and pieces of Lion candy bar, as well as chocolate and caramel sauces.

Can't decide whether to drizzle caramel or chocolate sauce over your Oreos? Pick both! Craving mint chocolate with extra chocolate? Go for the Schokolinsen with chocolate sauce. Unlike other locations, Germany encourages you to mix and match to your heart's content, creating a McFlurry that perfectly fits you.

Read the original article on Mashed