Chocolate Shake (Small) Price, Calories & Recipe (July 2026)

Nutritional Facts

Per serving · Based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Total520kcal

Protein12g24%

Carbs85g28%

Fat14g22%

Nutrient	Amount	% DV
Calories	520kcal	26%
Total Fat	14g	22%
Saturated Fat	9g	45%
Trans Fat	0.5g	—
Cholesterol	55mg	18%
Sodium	250mg	11%
Total Carbohydrates	85g	28%
Total Sugars	67g	134%
Added Sugars	54g	108%
Protein	12g	24%
Calcium	400mg	31%
Iron	0.5mg	3%
Potassium	640mg	14%
Caffeine	0mg	—

McDonald's Chocolate Shake (Small) Complete Information

A McDonald's Chocolate Shake (Small) costs $5.19 and carries 520 calories with 12g of protein, which makes it the heaviest of the three shake flavors and one of the heaviest items on the whole menu.

That figure catches people out, because a shake reads like a drink and prices like one. At 520 calories a small carries more than a 580 calorie Big Mac, and roughly double a 330 calorie Hot Fudge Sundae. It is a dessert with a straw in it. All three flavors share the $5.19 price, with vanilla at 480 calories and strawberry at 470, so chocolate is the most expensive choice in calories at no extra cost in money. The base is the same reduced fat vanilla soft serve as every other dessert here, blended with syrup and finished with whipped cream. Order it instead of dessert, not alongside one.

Health Insight

At 520 calories and 67g of sugar, this one is best treated as an occasional order rather than an everyday one.

Lighter alternative: McFlurry with Oreo Cookies on the same menu comes in at 410 calories. See McFlurry with Oreo Cookies

What Is in a McDonald's Chocolate Shake (Small)?

3 components, 27 ingredients in total, exactly as McDonald's lists them.

Main Ingredients10
- Milk
- Sugar
- Cream
- Corn Syrup
- Natural Flavor
- Mono And Diglycerides
- Cellulose Gum
- Guar Gum
- Carrageenan
- Vitamin A Palmitate
Contains: Milk
Chocolate Shake Syrup9
- Sugar
- Corn Syrup
- Water
- Glycerin
- Cocoa (Processed With Alkali)
- Fruit And Vegetable Juice (Color)
- Salt
- Natural Flavors
- Potassium Sorbate (Preservative)
Whipped Light Cream8
- Cream
- Nonfat Milk
- Milk
- Liquid Sugar
- Contains 2% Or Less: Mono And Diglycerides
- Natural Flavors
- Carrageenan
- Whipping Propellant (Nitrous Oxide)

Pairs Well Together

Perfect Combination

A Coffee (Small) cuts the sweetness of the Chocolate Shake (Small), which is why the two turn up together.

$5.19 Chocolate Shake (Small)

$2.49 Coffee (Small)

Allergen Information

This item may contain the following allergens

Milk / Dairy

Allergen information for the Chocolate Shake (Small) is based on McDonald's standard recipe. Cross contamination is possible in restaurant kitchens, so tell staff about any allergy before you order.

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More from the Treats Menu

$5.69

McFlurry with Oreo Cookies

410 Calories

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McFlurry with M&M'S Chocolate Candies

570 Calories

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Vanilla Cone

200 Calories

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$5.19

Vanilla Shake (Small)

480 Calories

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Cheaper Ways to Order Chocolate Shake (Small)

Bundles and app deals often beat ordering Chocolate Shake (Small) on its own, so we price both ways and show which one actually wins this week.

McDonalds Deals

Chocolate Shake (Small) Questions

How much is a McDonald's Chocolate Shake?

A small Chocolate Shake is $5.19 at a typical US restaurant, the same price as the vanilla and strawberry versions. That figure is the median across live restaurant listings, and the spread sits under the price above.

How many calories in a McDonald’s Chocolate Shake?

520 calories for a small, with 12g of protein. That is more than a Big Mac at 580 calories, which surprises most people, and it is the heaviest of the three shake flavors.

Which McDonald’s shake has the fewest calories?

Strawberry at 470 calories, then vanilla at 480, then chocolate at 520. All three cost the same, so the choice is purely taste against calories.

What is in a McDonald’s shake?

Reduced fat vanilla soft serve blended with flavored syrup and finished with whipped cream. The soft serve is real dairy ice cream with no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives, and the full published statement is in the recipe section on this page.

Why are McDonald’s shakes so thick?

Milk solids. The base carries more milk powder than a home blend of ice cream and milk would, which builds body without diluting the flavor. That is the step the recipe on this page reproduces.