Don't Expect Real Whole Eggs At These Popular Coffee Chains

Unscrambling the egg facts at your favorite coffee chains

Starbucks locations lack full kitchens, which means they typically can't prepare fresh eggs on-site. Instead, they use pre-made egg patties designed for extended shelf life. While the bacon, egg, and Gouda breakfast sandwich at Starbucks may sound appealing, the ingredients in their frittata egg patties are less so. In addition to whole eggs, these patties include water, soybean oil, unmodified corn starch, xanthan gum, citric acid, and more—making them one of nine menu items you might want to avoid at Starbucks. On the other hand, Dunkin' does use egg whites and yolks in their patties, but they also contain soybean oil, water, natural flavor, salt, and various stabilizers and preservatives. While these ingredients aren't necessarily harmful, they can impact the flavor and create an undesirable texture.

If you're looking for breakfast sandwiches made with real eggs, consider other chains. McDonald's breakfast offerings that feature round eggs are made with freshly cracked whole eggs, although their scrambled and folded eggs are not. Tim Hortons, the popular Canadian coffee and donut chain with nearly 1,000 locations in the U.S., also uses real, freshly cracked eggs in their breakfast sandwiches. Panera Bread and Wendy's also serve real eggs, although, like McDonald's, Panera doesn't use them in every item. So, the next time you're in a hurry and want a quick breakfast sandwich, you might want to consider trying a different chain.