.png)
.webp)
McDonald's
*Note: Bagel sandwiches are slowly returning to select markets starting in 2022
Legend:
Discontinuation: ~1980s
Before the McDonald’s Egg McMuffin existed, there were donuts.
Franchisee Jim Delligatti, the same guy who invented the Big Mac, convinced McDonald’s corporate to let him sell “doughnuts and sweet rolls” in 1970. This was McDonald’s first dip into breakfast waters.
The experiment worked, but these early pastries were just the opening act for something much bigger.
Discontinuation: 1972
It’s 1972, and McDonald’s is serving an open-faced sandwich on a tray with jam and a knife for just 63 cents.
Herb Peterson’s original Egg McMuffin in Santa Barbara looked nothing like today’s McMuffin. Customers ate it with utensils like a proper breakfast plate. But Ray Kroc saw the potential for something more portable. Why not eat it with your hands on your way to work?
Within months, the open-faced format evolved into the closed sandwich that would change McDonald’s and fast food forever.
Discontinuation: ~1990s
When McDonald’s went all-in on breakfast in 1977, Danish pastries were part of the original national lineup.
Alongside the Egg McMuffin, hotcakes, and hash browns, these danishes helped establish McDonald’s as a legitimate breakfast destination.
They were quietly discontinued sometime in the following decades, victims of McDonald’s ever-evolving menu strategy.
Discontinuation: ~2000s
McDonald’s kept experimenting with donuts well into the ’90s, including these cinnamon-dusted classics.
A vintage menu from the era shows “McDonuts” were widely available. But unlike Dunkin’ or Krispy Kreme, McDonald’s never quite cracked the donut code.
These disappeared without fanfare.
Discontinuation: 2020
In 1999, McDonald’s told the world that fast food could be healthy.
The McDonald’s Parfait was revolutionary. It featured low-fat vanilla yogurt layered with fresh strawberries, blueberries, and crunchy granola. It even had its own TV commercial and became a McDonald’s Dollar Menu staple.
After the 2008 financial crisis, McDonald’s cut portion sizes by half while raising prices by 20%. By 2018, the menu item suffered as fruit was dumped at the bottom instead of being properly layered.
COVID delivered the final blow, and the Parfait was gone into the ether.
Discontinuation: 2010
McDonald’s biggest breakfast experiment was also one of its most beloved failures.
The McSkillet Burrito was a Chipotle-sized burrito packed with sausage, scrambled eggs, skillet potatoes, peppers, onions, and zesty salsa roja. At $3.29, it was McDonald’s most expensive breakfast item.
The 2008 leap year promotion gave away 2 million free McSkillet Burritos to customers who bought drinks on February 28-29.
Despite ongoing Change.org petitions, the McSkillet never returned to McDonald’s menus. High ingredient costs killed the dream.
Discontinuation: 2017
Imagine a cinnamon roll broken into fork-friendly pieces, drowning in cream cheese icing.
That was the genius of McDonald’s Cinnamon Melts. It had all the indulgence of a cinnamon roll with the convenience of fast food. Introduced in 2007, they quickly became a fan favorite for their gooey, grab-and-go format.
When McDonald’s discontinued them in 2017 due to high production costs, over 18,000 people signed a petition demanding their return. McDonald’s even acknowledged on Twitter: “Our Cinnamon Melts are sorely missed.”
They remain one of the most requested McDonald’s comeback items.
Discontinuation: 2020
In 2013, McDonald’s partnered with Olympic gymnast Gabby Douglas to launch their healthiest McMuffin ever.
100% egg whites, white cheddar, Canadian bacon, and a whole grain English muffin. All for just 250 calories. It was part of McDonald’s 2011 initiative to offer “improved nutrition choices.”
The McDonald’s Delight McMuffin was discontinued nationally in 2018, then completely phased out by summer 2020. When it died, so did the option to substitute egg whites on any McDonald’s breakfast sandwich.
Few noticed its departure, earning it the title of McDonald’s most forgettable healthy option.
Discontinuation: 2020
For decades, McDonald’s customers begged: “Why can’t I get an Egg McMuffin at 3 PM?”
On October 6, 2015, McDonald’s finally listened. All-day breakfast was a massive hit, letting people order hotcakes and hash browns from dawn ’til dusk at any McDonald’s location.
COVID-19 menu streamlining killed the dream in 2020. McDonald’s needed to focus on core items and drive-thru efficiency.
The All-Day Breakfast took decades to implement and disappeared within months.
Discontinuation: 2019
When Dunkin’s Donut Fries became a sensation, McDonald’s fired back with their own version.
These McDonald’s cinnamon-sugar dusted sticks were basically churros in disguise—deep-fried, hot, and crispy. Six cost $1.69, twelve for $3.89, with a special deal pairing six sticks with McDonald’s coffee for $1.99.
Unlike Dunkin’s afternoon snack strategy, McDonald’s only served them at breakfast. The limited-time experiment lasted just months before disappearing from McDonald’s menus forever.
Discontinuation: 2020
McDonald’s bagel sandwiches were the McMuffin’s bigger, chewier cousin.
Available in Bacon, Sausage, and Steak varieties, these were built for serious appetites. The thick, chewy bagels paired perfectly with McDonald’s folded eggs and double American cheese.
COVID killed them in 2020, but they’re slowly returning to McDonald’s locations. A Facebook group called “Where’s my McDonald’s Bagel?” has 12,000 members tracking their resurrection across different markets.
Let’s hope they come back nationally sooner rather than later.
Discontinuation: 2023
As offices reopened and hybrid schedules emerged, McDonald’s launched three bakery items in October 2020: Apple Fritter, Blueberry Muffin, and Cinnamon Roll.
These bakery items were available all day, filling the void left by the discontinued all-day breakfast.
Despite initial popularity, the McDonald’s bakery line was axed by July 2023. The world had reopened, and apparently, America didn’t need McDonald’s to be a bakery.
.webp)
.webp)