McDonald's Pancake Syrup: calories and sugar by portion and age

McDonald's Pancake Syrup, a small pot of clear golden syrup

Boone’s analysis puts McDonald's Pancake Syrup at 7% of an adult’s daily calories and 6.2 teaspoons of free sugar.

How many calories are in a McDonald's Pancake Syrup? It contains 132 kcal, 0.1g of fat (0g saturated), 25g of sugar and 0g of salt.

Build a full meal with our nutrition calculator

A Pancake Syrup is added to something else, and its figures are almost never counted in the item it is served with. Use the Boone meal calculator to build a full meal rather than view this item on its own, then choose your age and sex for a more accurate view of what the whole order adds up to.

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Nutrition information

Nutrition information: McDonald's Pancake Syrup

Energy	132 kcal
Fat	0.1g
of which saturates	0g
Carbohydrate	33g
of which sugars	25g
Fibre	0g
Salt	0g
Protein	0g

Nutrition figures are McDonald’s UK published data, per item as sold and before any optional sauces or extras. Boone converts them to the portion and age comparisons on this page.

A McDonald's Pancake Syrup contains 132 kcal, which is 7% of the 2,000 kcal adult daily reference intake. It provides 0.1g of total fat, of which 0g is saturated, 25g of sugar, 0g of salt, 0g of protein and 0g of fibre.

McDonald's Pancake Syrup is assembled from 1 separately manufactured component. The pancake syrup alone carries 3 different classes of additive. Across the whole item the ingredient list names flavourings, glucose or glucose-fructose syrup and preservatives. None of these add nutritional value. They exist to make the item survive industrial production, freezing and transport.

McDonald's Pancake Syrup exceeds a young child’s whole daily sugar allowance

A McDonald's Pancake Syrup contains 25g of free sugar, which is 132% of the entire daily limit for a child aged 4 to 6, and 83% of an adult’s.

Adult daily reference intakes (Reference Intake, RI)

Calories2,000 kcal

Total fat70g

Saturated fat20g

Carbohydrate260g

Sugars90g

Fibre30g

Salt6g

Protein50g

Sugar in McDonald's Pancake Syrup

McDonald's Pancake Syrup contains 25g of free sugar per standard serving (6.2 teaspoons). High sugar

The NHS free sugar limit is 30g per day for adults, 24g for children aged 7 to 10, and 19g for children aged 4 to 6. Free sugar excludes the sugars naturally present in milk and whole fruit. The table below shows how this compares across all age groups.

Free sugar by portion: McDonald's Pancake Syrup

Portion	Adult (female) 30g	Adult (male) 30g	Age 11 to 17 30g	Age 7 to 10 24g	Age 4 to 6 19g
Per portion	25g 83%	25g 83%	25g 83%	25g 104%	25g 132%
Teaspoons	6.2 tsp

Boone calculates these percentages from McDonald's UK published nutrition data against UK Dietary Reference Values and NHS free sugar and salt limits. Free sugar, salt, calories and saturated fat are limits to stay under; fibre is a target to reach, so a high percentage there is a good thing. For guidance only.

Salt in McDonald's Pancake Syrup

McDonald's Pancake Syrup contains 0g of salt per standard serving. Low salt

Children have lower salt limits: 3g per day for ages 4 to 6, 5g for ages 7 to 10. The table below shows how this serving compares to daily limits for adults and children.

Salt by portion: McDonald's Pancake Syrup

Portion	Adult (female) 6g	Adult (male) 6g	Age 11 to 17 6g	Age 7 to 10 5g	Age 4 to 6 3g
Per portion	0g 0%	0g 0%	0g 0%	0g 0%	0g 0%

Calories in McDonald's Pancake Syrup

McDonald's Pancake Syrup contains 132 kcal per standard serving. Low calorie share

Daily calorie needs vary by age and sex. The table below shows how this serving compares to typical daily reference intakes.

Calories by portion: McDonald's Pancake Syrup

Portion	Adult (female) 2000 kcal	Adult (male) 2500 kcal	Age 11 to 17 1936 kcal	Age 7 to 10 1553 kcal	Age 4 to 6 1291 kcal
Per portion	132 kcal 7%	132 kcal 5%	132 kcal 7%	132 kcal 8%	132 kcal 10%

Saturated fat in McDonald's Pancake Syrup

McDonald's Pancake Syrup contains 0g of saturated fat per standard serving. Low saturated fat

The saturated fat guideline is 20g a day for women and 30g for men, and lower again for children. The table below shows how this serving compares.

Saturated fat by portion: McDonald's Pancake Syrup

Portion	Adult (female) 20g	Adult (male) 30g	Age 11 to 17 20g	Age 7 to 10 18g	Age 4 to 6 16g
Per portion	0g 0%	0g 0%	0g 0%	0g 0%	0g 0%

Fibre in McDonald's Pancake Syrup

McDonald's Pancake Syrup contains 0g of fibre per standard serving. Very little fibre

Fibre is the one figure here that is a target to reach rather than a limit to stay under. UK guidance is 30g a day for adults, 25g for ages 11 to 17, 20g for ages 7 to 10 and 15g for ages 4 to 6. Most people in the UK fall well short. The table below shows how much of a day’s fibre this serving provides.

Fibre by portion: McDonald's Pancake Syrup

Portion	Adult (female) 30g	Adult (male) 30g	Age 11 to 17 25g	Age 7 to 10 20g	Age 4 to 6 15g
Per portion	0g 0%	0g 0%	0g 0%	0g 0%	0g 0%

Free sugar vs total sugar

Where the sugar comes from: McDonald's Pancake Syrup

All 25g counts as free sugar. There is no dairy or whole fruit in McDonald's Pancake Syrup to hold any of it back, so the whole figure counts against the daily limit, or about 6.2 teaspoons.

Free (added) sugars come from

caramelised sugar, glucose syrup, sugar in the pancake syrup

NHS daily free sugar limits: 30g for adults and children 11+, 24g age 7 to 10, 19g age 4 to 6. Sources are read from the published ingredient list for each component.

Ultra-processed food: what is really in it

Processing and additives: McDonald's Pancake Syrup

McDonald's Pancake Syrup is assembled from 1 separately manufactured component. Reading the ingredient list closely, it contains flavourings, glucose or glucose-fructose syrup and preservatives. These are not there to add nutritional value. They make industrial production and distribution possible.

Flavourings

Add or restore taste lost during processing. Found in the pancake syrup.

Glucose or glucose-fructose syrup

Sweeten and control texture more cheaply than sugar alone. Found in the pancake syrup.

Preservatives

Slow the growth of bacteria, yeasts and moulds in centrally prepared components. Found in the pancake syrup.

Boone classifies McDonald's Pancake Syrup as NOVA group 4, ultra-processed, based on the additives named above. NOVA groups foods by how far they are from their whole-food form, not by how nutritious they are. A group 4 food is not automatically unhealthy, and a group 1 food is not automatically healthy. Read from the published ingredient list, 17-18 August 2026.

A McDonald's Pancake Syrup contains at least 4 distinct ingredients: 2 raw and 2 manufactured.

Ingredient count by order: McDonald's Pancake Syrup

What you order	Raw	Manufactured	Total	% manufactured
McDonald's Pancake Syrup on its own	2	2	4	50%

The 2 manufactured ingredients

caramelised sugar syrup, glucose syrup.

The 2 raw ingredients

sugar, water.

What those ingredients are, by type

Sugars and syrups3

Boone counts every distinct named ingredient on McDonald’s published component lists, including sub-ingredients, and removes duplicates, so salt appearing in four components counts once. Additive class names are dropped and the named substance kept, so “stabiliser (guar gum)” counts guar gum once. Raw covers whole foods and basic kitchen staples such as flour, sugar, salt and oil. Manufactured covers substances that only exist as an output of industrial processing. Where McDonald’s lists more than one approved supplier recipe only the primary one is counted, so every figure here is a minimum. The build uses a Sweet and Sour dip.

Ingredients

Ingredients by component: McDonald's Pancake Syrup

Pancake syrup

glucose syrup, sugar, water, natural flavourings, caramelised sugar syrup, preservative.

Ingredients taken from the McDonald’s UK product pages, retrieved 17-18 August 2026. Recipes change - always check in restaurant before ordering if you have an allergy.

Allergens at a glance

McDonald's Pancake Syrup does not contain any of the 14 major allergens as a declared ingredient.

Allergen information: McDonald's Pancake Syrup

Allergen	Status
Wheat	Not present
Rye	Not present
Barley	Not present
Oats	Not present
Sesame	Not present
Soya	Not present
Milk	Not present
Eggs	Not present
Fish	Not present
Crustaceans	Not present
Celery	Not present
Mustard	Not present
Molluscs	Not present
Lupin	Not present

Contains = declared as an ingredient. May contain traces = McDonald's states the allergen cannot be excluded. McDonald's prepares food in kitchens where all 14 major allergens are present and equipment is shared, so no item can be guaranteed allergen free, even when ingredients are removed on request. Buns, rolls and tortilla wraps are toasted in the same toaster as sesame-topped buns. Retrieved 17-18 August 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How many calories are in a McDonald's Pancake Syrup?+

Boone calculates that a McDonald's Pancake Syrup contains 132 kcal, which is 7% of an adult’s 2,000 kcal daily reference intake and 10% of the daily intake for a child aged 4 to 6.

How much sugar is in a McDonald's Pancake Syrup?+

Boone calculates that all 25g of the sugar in a McDonald's Pancake Syrup is free sugar, or about 6.2 teaspoons. There is no dairy or whole fruit in it to hold any of it back.

How much of a child’s daily sugar limit is a McDonald's Pancake Syrup?+

Boone measures the 25g of free sugar in a McDonald's Pancake Syrup against NHS limits: 132% of the daily allowance for a child aged 4 to 6, 104% for ages 7 to 10, and 83% for an adult.

Is a McDonald's Pancake Syrup ultra-processed?+

Boone classifies a McDonald's Pancake Syrup as NOVA group 4. Reading the published ingredient list, it is assembled from 1 separately manufactured component and contains flavourings, glucose or glucose-fructose syrup and preservatives. NOVA group 4 describes how far a food is from its whole-food form, not how nutritious it is.

How much fibre is in a McDonald's Pancake Syrup?+

A McDonald's Pancake Syrup contains 0g of fibre. Boone calculates that as 0% of an adult’s 30g daily target and 0% of the 15g target for a child aged 4 to 6. Fibre is a target to reach rather than a limit to stay under.

Is a McDonald's Pancake Syrup suitable for children?+

Boone’s analysis flags that its 25g of free sugar exceeds the entire daily allowance for a child aged 4 to 6. That does not make it off limits, but it does mean a Pancake Syrup uses up a large share of a young child’s day in one item.