Only 2 McDonald's Burgers Have Sesame Seeds Buns – Here's Why

Ever since brothers Maurice (also known as Mac) and Richard McDonald opened their first drive-in restaurant in 1940, the name McDonald's has been synonymous with hamburgers in America. Considering how much the original McDonald's burger cost at that time — 15 cents — it's no surprise that it became the fast food behemoth it is today.

But as McDonald's aims to upgrade its burgers in 2025, it's worth examining why only the Big Mac and Quarter Pounder currently feature sesame seed buns. Other menu items, like the McDouble, Cheeseburger, and Double Cheeseburger, are served on seedless buns.

When Food Republic reached out to a representative from McDonald's to ask about the differing bun types, the response was fascinating. The representative said that the sesame seeds found on Big Macs and Quarter Pounders are there "to help enhance the flavor of those menu items." On the contrary, the other burgers on the menu are served on plain, seedless buns "to focus on the simplicity of our classic burgers!"

Beyond enhancing the Big Mac and Quarter Pounders' flavors, it's possible that the inclusion of sesame seeds on these burgers is also meant to be a subtle signifier that they are two of the Golden Arches' most premium offerings. Considering Big Macs are priced higher than the basic McDonald's hamburger and include a "Special Sauce" — and that McDonald's also emphasizes that the Quarter Pounder uses "100% fresh beef" (at participating U.S. restaurants) — the sesame seeds could also be there to reinforce the message that seeds mean a higher quality burger.

The premium distinction may not be around for too long, though. We recently investigated whether fast food burgers have gotten smaller, and despite many allegations, we found no evidence to support the idea that Big Macs have been shrinkflating (offering less product while keeping the pricing the same). On the other hand, a report by Restaurant Business found that non-premium items like the Cheeseburger experienced up to a 55% price increase between 2021 and 2024, while prices for Big Macs only increased by 16.4%. If this is the case, perhaps McDonald's might have to put sesame seeds on all of its burger buns.