Fast Food Items You Might Not Expect to Have Artificial Sweeteners

Unlike some allergens like nuts and gluten, it isn't common for food manufacturers and, by extension, fast food chains to warn of artificial sweeteners in their products (it is however listed in the ingredients if you know what to look for).

So, for your reference, I went through the ingredients list (where available online) of some of the biggest fast food chains to come up with this list of menu items you might not expect to find artificial sugars in at some of your favorite fast food chains.

Not included in the list are anything "diet," "skinny," or the like because those all contain artificial sweeteners by default. Do keep in mind this is not a comprehensive list; it's only what I was able to find online.

Carl's Jr. / Hardee's
- Fresh Baked Bun Dough - contains acesulfame potassium and neotame.

Domino's
- Chocolate Lava Crunch Cake - sucralose in the "powdered sugar shake-on."

Jack in the Box
- Mango-, Peach-, and Raspberry-flavored Syrups for Iced Teas - contain sucralose and acesulfame potassium.

McDonald's
- Chocolate Caramel Syrup (found in Caramel Hot Chocolates and Caramel Mochas) - contains sucralose.

KFC
- BBQ Baked Beans - contains sucralose.
- Sweet Hawaiian Bun - contains sucralose.

Subway
- Chipotle Southwest Sauce - contains sucralose

Chains covered: Arby's, Burger King, Carl's Jr., Chipotle, Domino's, Hardee's, Jack in the Box, KFC, McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Popeyes, Subway, Taco Bell, and Wendy's.

Chain I looked at but didn't offer a full list of ingredients in an easily searchable manner (or at all): Chick-fil-A, Dunkin' Donuts, Panera Bread, and Papa John's (doesn't list ingredients).