Dairy Queen is famous for its tasty treats like Blizzards and ice cream cones, but don‘t sleep on their extensive drink menu. From classic milkshakes to fruity smoothies to iced coffee concoctions, Dairy Queen offers a wide variety of beverages to quench your thirst.
As someone who worked at Dairy Queen for several years in high school and college, I‘ve personally made thousands of drinks and sampled every option on the menu. In this ultimate guide, I‘ll give you the full rundown on all the different drinks you can order at Dairy Queen, including exclusive tips for customizing them to your liking.
Whether you‘re a diehard Dairy Queen fan looking to try something new or a curious first-timer wondering what to order, this guide will help you navigate the DQ drink menu like a pro. Let‘s dive in!
Shakes and Malts
The foundation of Dairy Queen‘s drink menu is their classic shakes and malts. These thick, creamy beverages are made by blending DQ soft serve with milk and flavoring, then topping with whipped cream. Malts contain malted milk powder for an old-fashioned taste.
Dairy Queen generally offers the following shake and malt flavors:
- Vanilla
- Chocolate
- Strawberry
- Hot Fudge
- Caramel
- Banana
- Peanut Butter
However, many Dairy Queen locations will make you a shake or malt in any flavor they have available, so don‘t be afraid to ask about other options like Oreo, coffee, or seasonal flavors. The key is that they must have the flavor in stock as a syrup or ingredient to mix in.
In terms of sizing, you can order a mini (12 oz), small (16 oz), medium (21 oz), or large (32 oz). I personally find the minis are a nice petite size for a sweet treat, while a small is perfect if you‘re also having food.
Nutritionally, DQ shakes range from around 530 calories for a small vanilla to over 1000 calories for a large chocolate malt. They are definitely more of an indulgence than an everyday drink!
MooLattes
If you‘re looking for a cool caffeinated pick-me-up, try one of Dairy Queen‘s MooLattes. These iced blended coffee beverages are DQ‘s answer to the Frappuccino. They are made with a shot of coffee, soft serve, milk, flavored syrup, and ice, all topped with whipped cream.
The standard MooLatte flavors are:
- Caramel
- Mocha
- Vanilla
Some Dairy Queen locations may offer additional seasonal MooLatte flavors like pumpkin pie or peppermint during the holidays.
Compared to shakes, the MooLattes have a thinner consistency and a stronger coffee flavor. With espresso, ice cream, and sugary syrups, they pack quite the energizing punch!
A small MooLatte will run you about 500 calories, so they‘re not exactly health food. But as a sweet treat to start your morning or as an afternoon recharge, they definitely hit the spot.
One "secret menu" tip – you can ask for your MooLatte to be made "extra thick" for more of a milkshake texture. As a former employee, I used to make my own MooLattes this way and blend in an extra spoonful of soft serve.
Julius Originals
In 1987, Dairy Queen acquired the Orange Julius company, known for its signature orange fruit drink. Many DQ locations now sell Julius Originals for a refreshing, fruity treat.
The classic flavor is the "Orange Julius," a frothy, creamy drink made with orange juice concentrate, milk, sugar, vanilla, ice, and a "secret ingredient" that gives it a hint of vanilla-orange creamsicle flavor. If you like orange juice but want something a little richer and sweeter, give it a try!
DQ has also expanded the Julius line to include strawberry-banana and other flavors, made using the same signature recipe with different fruit juice concentrates. Think of them like a lighter alternative to a smoothie.
Julius Originals come in four sizes: kid‘s (12 oz), small (16 oz), medium (22 oz), and large (32 oz). A small original will cost you about 220 calories, making it one of the lightest drinks on the DQ menu.
Premium Fruit Smoothies
Taking the fruit factor up a notch, Dairy Queen also offers a line of premium smoothies made with real fruit and yogurt. They‘re a tad icier and thicker than the Julius drinks.
Classic smoothie flavors include:
- Strawberry Banana
- Mango Pineapple
- Triple Berry (strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries)
- Pina Colada
- Strawberry
Dairy Queen smoothies are made with fruit juice concentrate and purees blended with low-fat yogurt and ice. While they‘re not a nutrition powerhouse, a small smoothie will provide about 25% of your daily Vitamin C needs and some calcium and protein for around 250 calories.
For a lighter sip, try ordering your smoothie with "less yogurt" and subbing in more ice or juice. The fruit flavors will still shine through but it won‘t weigh you down as much.
Misty Slushes and Freezes
When the temperature climbs, Dairy Queen‘s fruity slushed ice beverages really hit the spot. You have two options: Misty Slushes and Misty Freezes.
Misty Slushes are your classic slushy made with flavored syrup and ice. Flavors may vary by location and season but typically include cherry, blue raspberry, lemon-lime, grape, and fruit punch varieties.
Misty Freezes take a Misty Slush base and blend it with creamy DQ soft serve. If you can‘t decide between a slushy and ice cream, this is the perfect compromise! The soft serve adds richness and a mellower mouthfeel.
Both come in 16, 21, or 32 oz sizes. A 16 oz Misty Slush contains about 200 calories, while a Freeze in the same size is closer to 400 calories thanks to the soft serve.
Floats and Soda
Prefer bubbles in your beverage? Dairy Queen has you covered with a selection of sodas, root beer floats, and their signature Misty Floats.
At most DQ locations, you can choose from Coke products like:
- Coke
- Diet Coke
- Sprite
- Fanta Orange
- Mello Yello
- Barq‘s Root Beer
- Minute Maid Lemonade
For a throwback treat, order a classic root beer float with vanilla soft serve. But DQ‘s claim to fame in the float department is the Misty Float – your choice of Misty Slush flavor with a generous swirl of vanilla soft serve on top. It‘s like a slushy, ice cream sundae, and soda float all in one cup!
Best-Selling Drinks at Dairy Queen
As a former employee, I can tell you that the most popular drinks sold at my DQ location were shakes and MooLattes by far. Chocolate and Oreo shakes flew out the drive thru window all day long.
In terms of specific shakes, Dairy Queen actually lists their best sellers on their website. They are:
- Chocolate Shake
- Vanilla Shake
- Strawberry Shake
- Hot Fudge Shake
- Caramel Shake
But it really varies by location and customer base. At my store, Peanut Butter Shakes and Banana Shakes had a loyal cult following. And coffee lovers couldn‘t get enough MooLattes!
Seasonal Drink Specials
Dairy Queen keeps their drink menu fresh (and gives you new reasons to visit) by rolling out special seasonal drinks and flavors throughout the year.
In the fall, expect Pumpkin Pie shakes and MooLattes to make an appearance. Come December, cool Candy Cane shakes and rich Eggnog shakes get you in the holiday spirit.
The summer brings plenty of limited-time fruity treats like Summer Berry shakes, Lemon Misty Freezes, and Watermelon Julius Originals. And specialty Blizzard-themed shakes and malts pop up frequently too.
My personal favorite was a Caramel Apple Pie shake that came out for a few glorious weeks each fall. It was a vanilla shake blended with real apple chunks, cinnamon, and buttery pie crust pieces, then swirled with gooey caramel. I made myself entirely too many "free samples" that season!
Dairy-Free and Lighter Options
If you have a dairy allergy or just want something on the lighter side, Dairy Queen has a handful of options.
The premium fruit smoothies and Julius Originals are all dairy-free by default. The Misty Slushes and soda are also safe bets.
While Dairy Queen doesn‘t offer any dairy-free ice cream alternatives (yet), you can make a respectable shake dupe by asking for a Julius Original blended with extra ice to thicken it up. The Orange Julius is surprisingly reminiscent of an Orange Creamsicle!
The smoothies and Julius drinks are also the lowest calorie and lowest fat drinks on the menu other than plain soda and water. A small Strawberry Banana Julius has 240 calories and 0g fat, while a small Strawberry smoothie clocks in at 250 calories and 1g fat.
Tips for Customizing Drinks at DQ
With so many drinks to choose from, you can get creative and customize your sips at Dairy Queen. Here are a few tips and hacks:
- Ask for your shake or malt "extra thick" for a spoonable, soft serve-like texture. Great for hot days!
- Blend a shot of espresso into your shake for a caffeinated kick. I love this with caramel or chocolate shakes.
- Make it a malt! Adding malted milk powder to any shake gives it a flavor boost and thicker texture.
- Swap soft serve in your Misty Float for a scoop of hard-packed ice cream if your location has it in stock.
- Mix and match shake flavors for your perfect combo. Chocolate-peanut butter or strawberry-banana are awesome.
- For a more "adult" float, add a splash of your favorite soda to any shake. Root beer pairs great with vanilla!
Fun Facts About DQ Drinks
To wrap things up, here are a few entertaining tidbits about Dairy Queen‘s famous drinks:
- The Blizzard, while more of a dessert than a drink, actually started as an attempt to make the thickest milkshake possible. The original "Concrete Blizzard" was so thick, you had to eat it with a spoon!
- Dairy Queen goes through about 175 million pounds of soft serve mix per year, a good chunk of which ends up in drinks.
- In the 1950s, Dairy Queen sold "Lime-Aid," a lemon-lime soda blended with soft serve that was a predecessor to today‘s Misty Freezes.
- July 10 is Free Blizzard Day at DQ, but did you know they also give out free small Orange Julius drinks on August 27 to celebrate the original opening of the first Orange Julius stand in 1926?
- According to Dairy Queen, it would take 41,300 small Chocolate Shakes stacked end-to-end to reach the top of Mt. Everest!
Whether you‘re a committed chocoholic or a fruit fiend, Dairy Queen‘s drink menu offers a little something for everyone. I hope this guide has inspired you to branch out and try a new sip on your next DQ run! Stay cool and treat yourself.
