Chick-fil-A’s Banana Pudding Milkshake Is Back. You Won’t Believe How Much Sugar It Has

“Every decision we make regarding our menu is extremely intentional,” said Chick-fil-A Director of Menu and Packaging Allison Duncan in a press release. “We’re thrilled to be able to bring back two of our most popular picks this season!” 

The announcement about the milkshake has stoked excitement on X, with fans thanking the fast-food chain and declaring the item to be “top tier.”

Do not mistake the special shake for a healthy smoothie, though: It exceeds intake recommendations for an entire day when it comes to saturated fat and sugar.

What’s in the Banana Pudding Milkshake?

“Hand-spun the old-fashioned way, this refreshing milkshake features Chick-fil-A Icedream dessert mixed with banana and vanilla wafer cookie crumbles, topped off with whipped cream and a cherry,” notes the Chick-fil-A website.  

And according to the website’s nutritional information, the shake contains 700 calories—about a quarter of the recommended daily caloric intake for a moderately active 20-year-old man, according to USDA guidelines.

The treat also contains 22 grams of fat—14 of which are saturated, which is one gram over the American Heart Association’s daily suggestion (based on a 2,000-calorie-a-day intake) and nearing the more lenient daily recommendation of the USDA.

It contains 117 grams of carbs—about half of the USDA’s daily recommended allowance—and a surprising 370 grams of sodium, which is quite a bit less than the World Health Organization’s recommended intake of less than 2,000 grams a day. Oh, and bonus: The shake contains 12 grams of protein!

What about sugar?

But finally, there’s the Banana Pudding Milkshake’s whopping 97 grams of sugar—too much of which can contribute to health problems including weight gain and obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and heart disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

That 97 grams is more than any other treat on offer at the chain, including the Cookies & Cream Milkshake, which has fewer calories (630) but a still-high 84 grams of sugar.

It’s also way over the American Heart Association‘s daily sugar intake limit for both women (25 grams) and men (36 grams)—around the amount found in a 12-ounce can of soda—and more than twice the USDA’s more lenient sugar limit of no more than 50 grams in an entire day.