If you’ve been a fan of McDonald’s classic Hot Fudge Sundae like me, you might have noticed something different lately. While the taste and the nutrition facts have stayed the same over the years, there’s a growing online discussion about shrinking portions—something I experienced firsthand.
What’s Changed?
According to McDonald’s official nutritional information, the Hot Fudge Sundae still contains the same number of calories, fat, and sugar as it did in 2019. However, as our side-by-side comparison shows, the portions appear noticeably smaller in 2025 than they did just a few years ago.
Visual Comparison
Below, we’ve included photographs of the McDonald’s Hot Fudge Sundae from both 2019 and 2025 to illustrate the difference.
McDonald’s Hot Fudge Sundae in 2019
Business Insider’s review from 2019 clearly shows more product. Notice the height of the ice cream and the generous amount of hot fudge in the classic cup. They paid $1.79 in 2019 in NYC, and it even included peanuts which are no longer offered!
Source: Business Insider - McDonald’s Dessert Review 2019
McDonald’s Hot Fudge Sundae in 2025
My experience: The 2025 sundae is visibly smaller, with less ice cream and hot fudge, even though the nutrition facts remain unchanged. I paid $3.29 for this in NYC—an 84% price increase.
Another 2025 experience: This Reddit user from r/shrinkflation paid $3 for even less than my sundae had, noting it was “never filled to the top.”
Source: Reddit r/shrinkflation
Why the Difference?
While McDonald’s hasn’t publicly announced a change in portion size, our photo comparison supports what many customers have observed: the serving looks smaller, even if the nutritional content remains consistent.
What’s most interesting is that McDonald’s soft serve machines are configured to dispense a set amount of ice cream with each “pull” or press of the lever. The amount dispensed per serving is determined by the machine’s internal settings (I checked this in the manual!). This leads me to believe McDonald’s has intentionally changed the portion size through machine configuration to sell you less ice cream for more money.
What’s Coming Next?
We’ve heard that cardboard sundae cups are coming soon, which will make the portion reduction more obscure, but it’s still clearly a problem. Employees are excited because it will reduce negative customer interactions, but as a customer, you’re still getting less value for your money.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
| Year | Price (NYC) | Includes Peanuts | Visual Portion |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | $1.79 | Yes | Full cup |
| 2025 | $3.29 | No | Reduced |
Price increase: 84% while portion size decreased.
Final Thoughts
The McDonald’s Hot Fudge Sundae is still a nostalgic treat, but portion sizes are quietly changing, and peanuts are no longer offered. Despite this, the price has increased significantly. By documenting these changes visually, we can better inform consumers and open the conversation about shrinkflation in fast food.
Have you noticed any other quiet changes in your favorite treats? Let us know!
How You Can Help
Go to theshrinklist.com/submit and share your own shrinkflation experience. We’ll do the research and publish our findings to help build awareness about these industry practices.
This analysis is based on visual comparison and publicly available information. McDonald’s has not officially announced portion size changes.