McDonald’s Breakfast Menu With Prices, Hours & Nutrition (October 2026)

McDonald’s breakfast hours vary by location, with many restaurants ending breakfast around 10:30 AM on weekdays and 11:00 AM on weekends. For the items compared here, prices range from about $1.99 for Fruit & Maple Oatmeal to $8.59 for the Big Breakfast, depending on location. If you’re choosing by nutrition, the Egg McMuffin has the best protein-per-calorie ratio (18.2 cal/g), while the Steak, Egg & Cheese Bagel provides the most protein per estimated dollar (about 4.9–5.0g/$).

This guide covers the standard U.S. breakfast menu with prices, calories, protein, full nutrition data, breakfast hours, and practical comparisons. Nutrition figures come from McDonald’s official U.S. Nutrition Calculator, checked October 30, 2026; prices are reference ranges from location-level tracking because McDonald’s does not publish one nationwide price list. Check the app for your restaurant’s exact price and breakfast hours.

Want to compare breakfast items directly? Use the interactive tool below instead of scrolling through every category.

Quick Answer

• Breakfast hours: Vary by location and are set by each restaurant’s own operating schedule; many locations run roughly 10:30–11:00 AM as a weekday-to-weekend cutoff, but this is not a national rule. Check your restaurant in the app.
• All-Day Breakfast: McDonald’s ended nationwide All-Day Breakfast in 2020 as part of broader pandemic-era menu simplification. The current model uses fixed morning breakfast hours set locally.
• Lowest-calorie item: Hash Browns, 140 cal (side); Egg McMuffin, 310 cal (full sandwich).
• Best protein-per-calorie among items compared: Egg McMuffin, 18.2 cal/g.
• Best protein-per-dollar among items compared: Steak, Egg & Cheese Bagel, roughly 4.9–5.0g of protein per estimated dollar.
• Highest raw protein: Big Breakfast with Hotcakes, 36g (1,340 cal).
• A real, location-dependent customization: some locations will accommodate a request for a different egg style (round, folded, or scrambled) on a sandwich that doesn’t use it by default; this isn’t a published national menu option and isn’t guaranteed everywhere.

How the rankings were calculated: Calories per gram of protein = calories ÷ protein grams, with lower being better; protein per dollar = protein grams ÷ estimated price, with higher being better. Price-based rankings are directional because local prices vary, and all rankings apply only to the items compared in this guide.

The Egg Situation: McDonald’s Uses Several Preparations

McDonald’s own “About Our Food” materials describe multiple egg preparations across the breakfast line, not just one:

On requesting a different egg style: Some U.S. locations will swap a sandwich’s default egg for a different style, for example, a round egg on a Biscuit or McGriddle instead of the default folded egg, on request. This is a real pattern reported by customers and some crew members, not a nationally published menu option, and it is not guaranteed at any given location, may or may not carry an upcharge, and depends on staff discretion. This guide has not conducted a controlled multi-location test of this claim; treat it as a reasonable thing to ask for, not a guaranteed outcome.

Full McDonald’s Breakfast Menu by Category

Calories, fat, carbs, sodium, and protein are official McDonald’s Nutrition Calculator figures for the standard build of each item.

McMuffin® Sandwiches

Among the breakfast items compared in this guide, the Egg McMuffin has the best protein-per-calorie ratio of any of them. Sausage McMuffin (no egg) has a notably worse ratio (28.6 cal/g) than the same sandwich with egg added (24.0 cal/g), because the egg adds protein faster than it adds calories.

Best protein-per-calorie among items compared: Egg McMuffin, 18.2 cal/g.

Biscuit Sandwiches

Adding egg to the plain Sausage Biscuit takes its ratio from the weakest of the items compared in this guide (41.8 cal/g) to a much more reasonable 31.2 cal/g. The Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit has the best ratio in this sub-category (27.1 cal/g).

Best protein-per-calorie among biscuits: Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit, 27.1 cal/g.

Also in the same limited-time lineup: Honey Brown Butter Crispy Chicken Biscuit, seen on delivery menus at $5.99–6.69. Its nutrition is not yet confirmed — check the app before ordering.

McGriddles®

Among the items compared here, the plain Sausage McGriddles has one of the weaker protein ratios (39.1 cal/g) alongside high sodium relative to its protein. Adding egg and cheese meaningfully improves the ratio.

Bagel Sandwiches

These run heaviest in raw calories among the categories compared here, but per calorie, they’re not automatically the weakest option; see the bread comparison below. The Steak, Egg & Cheese Bagel has both the most raw protein of any single sandwich compared in this guide and the best estimated protein-per-dollar of anything on this page.

Best protein-per-dollar among items compared: Steak, Egg & Cheese Bagel, roughly 4.9–5.0g per estimated dollar (34g protein ÷ $6.79–6.99).

Big Breakfast® Platters & Hotcakes

The Big Breakfast is confirmed at 1,060 calories and 26g protein in McDonald’s official Nutrition Calculator and the product page’s own nutrition data box (mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/product/big-breakfast.html). This guide previously used the 760-calorie figure that still appears in that page’s marketing paragraph, but McDonald’s own Nutrition Calculator and the product page’s own nutrition data box both show 1,060 calories; 760 is simply an unupdated leftover McDonald’s has not corrected, not the current figure. Big Breakfast with Hotcakes has the most raw protein of any item compared in this guide (35g) but also one of the weaker ratios (46.9 cal/g), while Hotcakes alone (no sausage, no eggs) carries relatively little protein for its calories (9g protein, 580 cal, 64.4 cal/g) compared to the other entrées here.

Burritos, Oatmeal & Morning Sides

Comparing protein ratios directly: Fruit & Maple Oatmeal (6g protein, 320 cal, 53.3 cal/g) has a weaker protein-per-calorie ratio than the Sausage Burrito (13g protein, 310 cal, 23.8 cal/g), despite oatmeal’s reputation as the lighter choice. Hash Browns carry very little protein relative to calories (2g protein, 140 cal, 70 cal/g), which is expected for a potato side rather than a flaw, worth knowing if you’re counting on it for anything besides carbohydrates.

The Real Bread Comparison: Comparable Fillings, Three Breads

McDonald’s doesn’t publish component-level calorie figures for a biscuit, muffin, or bagel by itself, so any exact number you see for a bread carrier alone is someone else’s estimate, not an official one. What McDonald’s does publish is the complete sandwich, which makes for a more reliable comparison: comparable Bacon, Egg & Cheese builds on three different breads.

The Bagel version has the highest total calories of the three but also the most protein and the lowest (best) calories-per-gram-of-protein ratio, since McDonald’s builds it with noticeably more protein (25g vs. 17g for the Biscuit and McGriddles), not just more bread. The McGriddles has the fewest calories of the three, and now matches the Biscuit’s protein (17g each) despite a worse ratio. The Biscuit carries the highest sodium of the three. Which is “best” depends on whether you’re optimizing for lowest calories, most protein, or lowest sodium; they don’t all point to the same answer.

Sodium: Worth Checking Even When Calories Look Moderate

Several breakfast items carry substantial sodium even when their calorie counts seem reasonable. This isn’t a claim about what’s healthy for any individual, people managing sodium intake may want to compare these figures against their own daily targets and guidance from a healthcare professional, but the numbers are worth having in one place since sodium doesn’t always track with calories the way people expect. See McDonald’s Nutrition Menu for the full sodium comparison across the whole menu, not just breakfast.

Notice that the Sausage Biscuit and Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit have the same calorie count (460) but a 240mg sodium gap; calories alone don’t predict sodium on this menu.

What Should I Order?

Breakfast Value: McValue Deals

McDonald’s breakfast value runs on the McValue platform (launched April 21, 2026, ongoing at participating restaurants). The $4 Breakfast Meal Deal pairs a Sausage McMuffin or Sausage Biscuit with Hash Browns and a small McCafé Premium Roast Coffee for $4. The Under $3 Menu covers breakfast too: Sausage McMuffin, Sausage Biscuit, Sausage Burrito, Hash Browns, and a medium McCafé Premium Roast Coffee, each under $3, no app required. Prices and participation vary by restaurant; delivery is excluded from the meal deal.

Note: the $5 Sausage McMuffin with Egg Meal was offered as an Extra Value Meal through fall 2026 but no longer appears on McDonald’s official deals page as of early October 2026 — individual restaurants may still sell it, so check the app before counting on the $5 price.

McDonald’s Breakfast Hours

McDonald’s does not have one national breakfast schedule; start and cutoff times are set locally, with many locations ending breakfast around 10:30 AM on weekdays and 11:00 AM on weekends. Most restaurants make a hard switch to the lunch menu rather than serving both menus simultaneously because breakfast and lunch items use different preparation setups. Check your specific restaurant’s hours in the McDonald’s app before planning around a specific time.

Once breakfast ends, see McDonald’s Lunch Menu for what becomes available.

Breakfast Myths, Checked

“All-Day Breakfast is coming back.” No confirmed nationwide plan exists. All-Day Breakfast was discontinued in 2020 amid broader pandemic-era menu simplification, and McDonald’s current model uses fixed local morning hours rather than all-day availability.

“The folded egg is fake or powdered.” No. It’s liquid whole egg with nonfat milk, modified food starch, salt, and citric acid, prepared for the freeze-and-reheat process; it isn’t a powdered egg substitute. The round egg used on the Egg McMuffin is the version made by cracking a whole egg fresh on the grill.

“You can still get the Egg White Delight.” No. It was discontinued nationally and is not currently offered as a standard U.S. menu item or egg-white customization.

“Hash Browns are gluten-free and vegan.” Don’t assume either. Shared frying equipment and processes can create cross-contact concerns, but this guide has not independently confirmed the current Hash Browns ingredient and allergen listing item-by-item. Check the current McDonald’s Allergen Menu before relying on Hash Browns for a strict gluten-free or vegan diet.

Caffeine Content (Not Officially Published)

McDonald’s does not publish caffeine figures for its brewed coffee. The estimates below are compiled from independent testing and customer-service responses reported across multiple sources, not an official McDonald’s value, and actual content varies by roast, serving size, preparation, and location. A small Premium Roast Coffee is the reference size below; for the full McCafé lineup, sourcing, and espresso drinks, see McDonald’s Coffee Menu.

For reference, the FDA cites 400mg per day as an amount not generally associated with negative effects in healthy adults, though individual sensitivity, pregnancy, medications, and medical conditions can change what’s appropriate for a given person.

FAQ

What time does McDonald’s stop serving breakfast?

Usually around 10:30 AM on weekdays and 11:00 AM on weekends, but breakfast hours vary by restaurant. Check your specific location in the McDonald’s app.

Can I get a burger during breakfast hours?

Generally no. Most locations switch from breakfast to lunch at a local cutoff rather than serving both menus simultaneously.

What’s the lowest-calorie breakfast item?

Hash Browns: 140 calories among sides; Egg McMuffin: 310 calories among full sandwiches. Both figures come from McDonald’s official Nutrition Calculator.

Which breakfast item has the most protein?

Big Breakfast with Hotcakes: 35g; among single sandwiches, Steak, Egg & Cheese Bagel: 34g. These are the highest raw-protein options compared here, not necessarily the most efficient per calorie.

Can I request a different type of egg on my sandwich?

Some locations accommodate this, but it isn’t a published national option. You can ask for a round egg on a biscuit, McGriddle, or bagel, or scrambled egg from the Big Breakfast line; availability and staff discretion vary.

Is McDonald’s coffee high in caffeine?

McDonald’s doesn’t publish official caffeine figures. Independent estimates put a small brewed coffee at about 109mg, but actual caffeine varies by roast, size, preparation, and location.

Are McDonald’s biscuits made from scratch?

This isn’t confirmed by a current official McDonald’s source in this guide. Some sources report that biscuits are pre-portioned and frozen before being baked in-store, but that claim should be treated as unconfirmed here.

The Short Version

If you’re deciding fast, Egg McMuffin is the best protein-per-calorie choice among the items compared, while Steak, Egg & Cheese Bagel gives the most protein per estimated dollar. Hotcakes and Fruit & Maple Oatmeal are less protein-efficient, while some locations may accommodate a different egg style on request.

Nutrition data comes from McDonald’s official U.S. Nutrition Calculator; prices are reference estimates from location-level tracking, and caffeine figures are independent estimates. This is an independent informational guide.