Did McDonald's Really Discontinue Its Sugar-Free Vanilla Coffee Flavor?

McDonald's has a fairly straightforward and widely beloved menu. You certainly know it and love it for its burgers, fries, chicken nuggets, and of course McDonald's iconic sweet iced tea and fountain drinks, that just taste better from the fast food joint than anywhere else, fans argue. Still, Mickey D's keeps us guessing with some fairly frequent switch-ups to its menu, especially of the lesser known items, like its McCafé coffee menu offerings. One such item that may be a little hit or miss to find is the sugar-free vanilla coffee syrup — once widely offered in all stores, but now being pulled from some locations.

Disgruntled consumers have shared their despair on social media. Customers have been going through the McDonald's drive-thru just to be informed the sugar-free syrup option they normally ordered is discontinued at some stores. Others have taken to Reddit to share they still find it at their local McDonald's. Most reliably, the online official restaurant menu does still list a McCafé Iced Sugar-Free French Vanilla Coffee, made with the SF syrup, but notes it as only at "participating McDonald's." 

Looking to customize your drink further? Your options will be limited. Though the McCafé menu is pretty vast for a non-coffee shop, with lattes, americanos, and even espresso — you'll find no alternative milk options. And now with sugar-free off the menu at many locations, you're looking at regular sugar syrups as your only sweetener choice, made with real sugar and corn syrup, instead of eythritol.

For those watching their sugar intake due to health reasons — like those with diabetes — or just with a preference to avoid it, the struggle to find a reliably sugar-free syrup can be quite a letdown, if not a reason to drive elsewhere for your coffee fix. After all, where else in this day and age could one reliably get a coffee, quick, for super-cheap, and with no sugar?

As homogenous as McDonald's is — which is a large part of its comfort, since you can order a burger and fries pretty much anywhere, and expect it to taste much the same — the chain is surprisingly varied depending on location. Just look at its international offerings, which it famously changes up depending on the country to cater to local cuisines and flavors. McDonald's even offers different levels of dietary accommodations depending on where you are; you'll even find vegan Happy Meals in some countries. Same goes for the sugar-free coffee syrup, which while not across-the-board discontinued, does appear to be totally location-specific. So if you spot it on your local menu, consider grabbing it while you can, for a refreshing, iced, sweet drink with tons of flavor but zero sugar — at least for now.