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McDonald's Double Cheeseburger: calories, nutrition, ingredients and allergens
How many calories are in a McDonald's Double Cheeseburger? It contains 436 kcal, 22g of fat (10.5g saturated), 7g of sugar and 2g of salt. This sits in the middle of the range for the core menu.
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A Double Cheeseburger is rarely ordered on its own. Use the calculator below to add fries, a drink, dips and a dessert, and see what the combined order adds up to against daily guidelines for calories, saturated fat, sugar and salt.
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Fries
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Dessert or McFlurry
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Nutrition information
Nutrition information: Double Cheeseburger
Energy
436 kcal
Fat
22g
of which saturates
10.5g
Carbohydrate
33g
of which sugars
7g
Salt
2g
Protein
25g
Source: McDonald’s UK nutrition information. Figures are per item as sold, before any optional sauces or extras.
A McDonald's Double Cheeseburger contains 436 kcal, which is 22% of the 2,000 kcal adult daily reference intake. It provides 22g of total fat, of which 10.5g is saturated, 7g of sugar, 2g of salt and 25g of protein.
At 10.5g, the saturated fat content is high, representing 53% of the adult daily guideline of 20g from this single item alone.
Doubling the patty and cheese roughly doubles the saturated fat to 10.5g, which is more than half the adult daily guideline of 20g from a single sandwich.
High in saturated fat relative to other items
A McDonald's Double Cheeseburger contains 436 kcal and 10.5g of saturated fat, 53% of the adult daily saturated fat guideline of 20g. Doubling the patty and cheese roughly doubles the saturated fat to 10.5g, which is more than half the adult daily guideline of 20g from a single sandwich.
Reference Intakes are EU-wide guideline daily amounts for an average adult (2,000 kcal). The free sugar limit of 30g is the NHS/SACN guideline, which is stricter than the 90g total sugars RI as it excludes naturally occurring sugars in whole foods and dairy.
Sugar, salt and protein by age group
The table below shows how the sugar, salt and protein in a McDonald's Double Cheeseburger compares to daily guidelines for different age groups and life stages.
Sugar, salt and protein by age group: McDonald's Double Cheeseburger
Age group
Sugar (g / % limit)
Salt (g / % limit)
Protein (g / % target)
Age 4 to 6
7g / 37%
2g / 67%
25g / 125%
Age 7 to 10
7g / 29%
2g / 40%
25g / 89%
Age 11 to 17
7g / 23%
2g / 33%
25g / 60%
Adult
7g / 23%
2g / 33%
25g / 50%
Sugar and salt % shown against NHS/SACN daily limits. Protein % shown against estimated daily targets. Red = 75%+ of limit, amber = 20-74%, green = under 20%. Protein is beneficial and has no upper limit, shown for reference only.
Protein
Double Cheeseburger provides 25g of protein. For comparison, a general guide for adult daily protein intake is around 50g, so this item alone provides 50% of that target.
Salt
Double Cheeseburger contains 2g of salt, 33% of the adult daily limit of 6g. This is a substantial share of the daily limit from one item, before any fries or sides are added.
Ultra-processed food: what is really in it
A McDonald's Double Cheeseburger is assembled from 4 separate components, each manufactured and prepared separately, often at different factories, before being combined and cooked at the point of sale. The component is close to a single ingredient, with comparatively little additional formulation.
None of this means the ingredients are unsafe; all additives used are approved for use in UK food. What it indicates is the degree of industrial formulation involved. A home-cooked equivalent, made from a small number of fresh or minimally processed ingredients prepared in one kitchen, would typically involve far fewer steps and far fewer additives. The version sold at McDonald's reaches a comparable end result using a longer list of industrially processed components, several manufacturing sites, and a number of functional additives designed to keep the product consistent across thousands of restaurants.
What's in it: Double Cheeseburger
Bun
Same wheat flour bun as the Cheeseburger
Beef patties (x2)
Two 100% beef patties, seasoned with salt and pepper after cooking
Cheese slices (x2)
Two processed cheddar cheese slices
Onions, pickle, ketchup, mustard
Same as Cheeseburger
Looking at the ingredient list rather than just the nutrition panel tells a different story. Even where individual macros (sugar, salt, calories) look moderate, the number of separately manufactured components, and the additives used to bind, emulsify, preserve, colour and flavour them, place almost every hot item on the McDonald's menu in the most processed food category under the NOVA classification system.
Processing (NOVA classification)
A McDonald's Double Cheeseburger falls into NOVA group 4, ultra-processed food. The NOVA classification system groups foods by the extent and purpose of the processing involved, rather than by their individual nutrients. Group 4 covers products that are formulated mostly or entirely from substances derived from foods, plus additives, using a series of industrial processes with little or no whole food remaining recognisable in the final product. In this item, that is reflected in the breaded or formed components, processed cheese, and multi-stage assembly typical of fast food production. This classification applies to almost all hot menu items at McDonald's, and indeed to most fast food and packaged convenience food generally; it is not a finding specific to this item.
Allergens at a glance
Allergen information: Double Cheeseburger
Wheat
Contains
Rye
May contain traces
Barley
May contain traces
Oats
Not present
Sesame
May contain traces
Soya
Contains
Milk
Contains
Eggs
Not present
Fish
Not present
Crustaceans
Not present
Celery
Not present
Mustard
Not present
Molluscs
Not present
Lupin
Not present
McDonald's UK prepares food in kitchens where allergens are present and equipment is shared. "May contain traces" reflects cross-contact risk from shared fryers, toasters and preparation areas. McDonald's cannot guarantee any item is completely allergen-free, even when ingredients are removed on request.
Frequently asked questions
A McDonald's Double Cheeseburger contains 436 kcal, which is 22% of the 2,000 kcal adult daily reference intake.
A McDonald's Double Cheeseburger contains 10.5g of saturated fat, 53% of the adult daily guideline of 20g, and 62% of the guideline for a child aged 11 to 17 (17g).
Yes. A McDonald's Double Cheeseburger falls into NOVA group 4, ultra-processed food. This reflects the breaded or formed components and multi-stage assembly typical of the menu. This is a description of how the food is made and formulated, not a statement that it is unsafe to eat.
Calories, fat, sugar and salt only describe part of the picture. Two foods can have similar nutrition figures while differing substantially in how processed they are, how many ingredients they contain, and how many additives are used to replicate texture, flavour or appearance. The NOVA classification and ingredient list capture this difference, which the nutrition panel alone does not.
A McDonald's Double Cheeseburger contains wheat, soya and milk. May also contain traces of barley, rye and sesame from shared kitchen equipment.
A McDonald's Double Cheeseburger contains 2g of salt, 33% of the adult daily limit of 6g.
At 436 kcal, the McDonald's Double Cheeseburger sits roughly in the middle of the range for the core menu, between the Hamburger (248 kcal) and the Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese (743 kcal).
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Nutrition and allergen information from McDonald's UK official sources (allergen booklet and product pages). Figures are per item as sold, before optional sauces, dips or extras, and may vary slightly by recipe updates. Reference intakes: EU Reference Intakes for an average adult (2,000 kcal); NHS/SACN free sugar and saturated fat guidelines. For guidance only, not medical advice. Always check the McDonald's UK app or in-restaurant information for the most current data.
