McDonald's to launch 3 new chicken menu items and cookie dessert

While the most classic McDonald's menu item remains the Big Mac, the fast-food chain has continued to invest in its chicken offerings over the last half-decade.

The McChicken Biscuit and Chicken McGriddles first hit the McDonald's breakfast menu in 2020; the chain also most recently brought back the 2000s-era chicken Snack Wrap and McCrispy Strips.

This comes as demand for fried chicken among fast-food consumers continues to grow globally; the global market is expected to rise from $44.56 billion in 2024 to a projected $78.92 billion in 2035.

As a result, McDonald's is making yet another major push to expand its chicken menu, despite some industry analyst predictions that it would pull back and focus more on other sections of its menu.

Three new sandwiches will hit McDonald's menus in October

As first reported by industry watchdog Snackolator, the chain is preparing to launch a new Buffalo Ranch sauce at the end of October.

The three items featuring the new tangy-sweet sauce include the Buffalo Ranch McCrispy, Buffalo Ranch McCrispy Deluxe, and Buffalo Ranch Snack Wrap.

The sauce will also be available as a standalone dipping cup for those who want to try it on the side. The chain is also partnering with Mondelez cookie brand Chips Ahoy! for a Chips Ahoy Frappé, which contains coffee mixed with cookie syrup and cookie pieces.

Related: Taco Bell to bring five crazy new dishes to its menus

While McDonald's has yet to officially confirm the new items, whispers have reached a fever pitch among fans who closely track any update to the menu.

"I am not sure how different [the Buffalo Ranch sauce] is from just mixing some buffalo and ranch, but this opens up another new Snack Wrap along with a McCrispy flavor in both regular and deluxe," Snackolator wrote of his menu scoop.

McDonald's is cautious with new flavors, menu additions

Many of Snackolator's followers pointed out that a Chips Ahoy flavor would make even more sense as a new McFlurry, but McDonald's seems to have chosen to apply the idea to a coffee dessert.

Last summer, however, McDonald's did make available at its headquarters in Chicago a McFlurry flavor that is extremely popular in several European and Middle Eastern countries.

More Food News:

• This Western city just got its first two-star Michelin restaurant
• Taco Bell to bring back five favorites after 20 years
• Popular fast-food burger chain to open first store in new market
• Walmart makes deal to open popular food chain in stores

Made with chunks of the classic Dutch cookie commonly given out on planes, the Biscoff McFlurry is otherwise not available in the United States because the chain's main U.S. branch is generally more conservative with flavors less familiar to Americans.

At the moment, U.S. locations sell Oreo and M&M versions of the McFlurry as well as milkshakes, sundaes, its classic vanilla cone, chocolate chip cookies, and a baked apple pie.

More innovative or international desserts often come as seasonal promotions available for several weeks at a time. For the fall season, the chain has the McCafé Pumpkin Spice Latte and Pumpkin Crème pie, while the Hershey's S'mores McFlurry flavor was available for two months last summer.

Related: KFC brings back unexpected side item after 30 years