Whether you’re on your way to your dreaded 8 a.m. class or having a craving on one of your late nights, one of the most popular go-to is the McGriddle from McDonald’s. A standard breakfast of fried bacon, scrambled eggs, and American cheese are layered between two maple pancakes or “griddle cakes.” This simple but iconic fast food is nothing less than a sandwich of sweet and savory goodness. But sometimes you’re craving one after breakfast hours or your bank account is telling you to take a food delivery service detox. Thanks to a former McDonald’s employee, we now know how to make one in the comfort of our own home.
Chef Mike Haracz on TikTok is a former McDonald’s corporate chef who has been on a mission to make a perfect recreation of the beloved McGriddle. This a part of a greater series on his TikTok, where he has over 290,000 followers, called “Chef Mike Does Stuff.” In these videos, he often recreates or shares dupes for popular McDonald’s meals like McNuggets or specialty condiments like the secret sauce.
The secret to making a McGriddle at home is using this product from Trader Joe's.
Despite Haracz’s extensive knowledge of all things McDonald’s, one of the products he just could not find no matter how much research was the McGriddle cakes. Naturally, he turned to TikTok for help in a video.
“The McGriddle is so unique that I cannot find a good alternative at the store,” he explains in the video with over 150,000 views. Over 200 people commented suggesting possible dupes for the McGriddle, but a user named @Snorlax27 appeared to find the closest match at none other than Trader Joe’s.
“Trader Joe’s Dutch griddle cakes are the closest to me taste wise,” they said.
In contrast to a typical pancake, the Dutch Griddle Cakes are described as “considerably thicker, with a springier, slightly chewier texture," according to Trader Joe's. Not sure about you, but that does sound quite similar to a McGriddle! After trying it, Haracz noted that the taste is similar but the ingredients are different.
Here's how to make a McGriddle at home.
With the help of TikTok, Haracz was able to upload a video the following day with his official recipe of an at-home dupe for the McGriddle. After cooking your bacon and eggs, put two of the Trader’s Joe’s Dutch Griddle Cakes in the microwave. Layer it all together and add two slices of American cheese.
This video now has nearly half a million videos with thousands of saves. If you want an accurate recreation of the McDonald’s sandwich, Haracz recommended putting the recreated McGriddle in the microwave but “they’re better when they’re like toasted and brown."
So, the next time you don’t want to brave the cold or pay for delivery, be sure to have some of these griddle cakes on your next Trader Joe’s grocery list. I definitely will!