Review: McDonald's New Kit Kat Banana Split McFlurry Misses The Mark
Sometimes, the best food combinations are unexpected. From pickles and peanut butter to chicken and chocolate or lemons on pizza, mixing and matching foods is a long and occasionally unusual tradition. This summer, McDonald's is getting in the game with a new combo that's not quite as crazy as others but still offers a unique experience. The new Kit Kat Banana Split McFlurry is here for a limited time to offer a twist on a couple of classic sweet treats.
Let's be honest: Kit Kats are great and mixing them with the flavors of a banana split in a McDonald's McFlurry hardly sounds like it would be bad, but here at Mashed, we prefer to leave the final verdict to our taste buds. I headed out to try out one of the new concoctions to get a first-hand taste if this McFlurry is worth a trip to the Golden Arches or if it's a swing and a miss.
Read more: 13 Store-Bought Ice Cream Bars Ranked From Worst To Best
Ingredients And Nutritional Information
The ingredient deck for the Kit Kat Banana Split McFlurry is fairly straightforward. McDonald's soft serve is mixed with Kit Kat bar pieces, a banana split/strawberry flavor blend that brings together a variety of natural flavors, color additives, and bulking agents. Next up are dark and semi-sweet chocolate chips, followed by freeze-dried banana pieces and strawberry clusters, which are crispy rice-flavored chunks that add a little additional crunch.
In total, the McFlurry contains 540 calories, 70 grams of sugar, and 17 grams of fat. Compared to the Oreo and M&M McFlurries, the Kit Kat Banana Split sits right in the middle in terms of calories. The Oreo has the fewest with 510 calories while the M&M clocks in at 640 calories total.
Customers should keep in mind that McFlurry does carry an allergen warning as it contains milk, wheat, and soy and may contain trace amounts of peanuts, tree nuts, and eggs.
Price And Availability
Like all good things, the Kit Kat Banana Split McFlurry is only around for a limited time. The chain hasn't set an end date, but the item became available on July 10 and is slated to stick around as long as supplies last at participating McDonald's locations nationwide. My guess is that this split will split before fall arrives. It only comes in one size and is a little pricier than the M&M and Oreo McFlurries, priced at $4.89 in the McDonald's app compared to $4.69 for the two standard flavors, though the additional 20 cents is in line with other specialty McFlurries of the past. In fact, the Kit Kat Banana Split McFlurry is the most expensive item currently on the McDonald's dessert menu. A large shake comes in at $4.69, the same price as the classic McFlurry while the sundaes -- available with caramel or hot fudge -- are a dollar less, while cookies, a vanilla cone, and the famous apple pie all slide in under $2.
How This McFlurry Stacks Up
I'm not mad at the Kit Kat Banana Split McFlurry, just disappointed. Some elements work really well. The Kit Kat pieces are big and plentiful. They also hold up surprisingly well in the ice cream, retaining the signature crunch you'd expect. At first glance, the chocolate chips seemed like overkill, but they worked well alongside the Kit Kat to add more texture and chocolate kick. There is a perceptible difference in taste between the chips and the Kit Kat, which brings a welcome depth of flavor.
The pleasant surprise came from the strawberry clusters. These pink-hued, coating-covered crisped-rice balls were not only visible, adding some nice color to the otherwise black, brown, and white treat, but also another fun mouth feel with every crunchy bite. They also packed a remarkable amount of flavor, though it's the artificial strawberry flavor that can be divisive. In this case, it worked, but unfortunately, it's the only fruit flavoring that did.
Ultimately, the banana split flavor fell flat. It had more of a generic artificial fruit flavor than a true banana split taste, and the freeze-dried fruit got lost. Adding some color to the ice cream might have helped sell the illusion, as it is a little jarring to bite into vanilla ice cream only to be overcome by a rather indistinct fruit taste. Overall, the Kit Kat Banana Split McFlurry is fun, but ditching the banana split elements and sticking to the Kit Kat would have been the better option.
Methodology
I ordered my Kit Kat Banana Split McFlurry from the drive-thru and brought it back home to photograph and taste. The McFlurry was evaluated on taste, texture, and overall enjoyability. In addition to an overall tasting and evaluation, each element was tasted individually as best as was possible to offer insights into the separate components. Neither myself nor Mashed was paid or compensated by McDonald's for this review, nor was McDonald's aware of the review while preparing the McFlurry.
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