The Discontinued McDonald's Dessert We're Probably Not Getting Back

Sometimes, getting your favorite dessert from McDonald's can seem like a near-impossible task — if it's not due to the ice cream machine being perpetually "broken" or your favorite pie flavor being out of season, it's usually because the fast food chain has decided to discontinue your favorite dessert. Fans of Mickey D's beloved Cinnamon Melts, also referred to as Cinnamelts, know this struggle all too well.

McDonald's Cinnamon Melts were sweet and spiced baked goods that were topped with melted cream cheese icing, and tasted very similar to a classic cinnamon roll. Unlike traditional rolls, however, a box of Cinnamelts came with bite-size pieces of doughy goodness baked together with a gooey cinnamon mixture, allowing customers to easily enjoy them with a fork or their fingers. 

This sweet treat debuted on McDonald's breakfast menus in 2007 and quickly became a fan favorite, but disappeared 10 years later without an explanation. To this day, Cinnamon Melts are highly regarded amongst McDonald's fans who are still in the dark about why their favored treat was discontinued. You might wonder: Has the chain shown any sign of bringing Cinnamelts back, or even acknowledged their sudden dismissal?

It's not uncommon for fast food chains to discontinue customer-favorite menu items, but with enough pressure from fans, once-retired foods have made major comebacks over the years. Cinnamelts lovers attempted to resurrect the baked good after receiving the news that it was no longer offered at McDonald's. In 2017, a Change.org petition was created "To bring Cinnamelts back," and thousands of supporters have signed their names.

Comments on the petition are very vocal about how this decision impacted customers, with excerpts like "McDonald's ruined my life" and "My boyfriend is depressed without [Cinnamelts]." Some supporters even shared that that they are no longer a patron of McDonald's because the dessert is not available. However, as of September 2024, buzz seem to have slowed down, with a goal of 17,500 signatures reached in May 2024 — this is still shy of the goal of 25,000 set seven years earlier. 

McDonald's has still not brought back Cinnamelts, although they did acknowledge fans' disappointment on X (formerly Twitter), writing, "Our Cinnamon Melts are sorely missed," before hinting at a new breakfast treat line up on the horizon. While McDonald's can no longer fill your cinnamon roll craving, you can try these ways to elevate a traditional cinnamon roll recipe at home to make a copycat version (or something even better).