6 Famous Fast Foods That Don’t Serve REAL Ice Cream

Spoil alert: these fast foods will never serve you real ice cream! 

Everybody loves ice cream, and there is no point in denying it, nothing completes a fast-food meal like a delicious sweet and cold treat. But how many famous fast food are offer their customers real ice cream made with natural ingredients?

We don’t want to spoil the fun, but many of the so-called ice creams don’t contain ice cream at all. Ice cream must include a minimum of 10 percent milkfat and a minimum of 10 percent nonfat milk solids, except in instances when the minimum 10 percent milkfat is exceeded by 1%.

Any other ice cream that is less than ten percent dairy is clearly not considered ice cream. Curious about which famous fast foods will never serve you real ice cream? Check out our list down below, and next time you go there, just keep your money for a better desert somewhere else.

Burger King

The first thing that comes to mind when you think about Burger King is most probably… well, a burger, not a cone of ice cream. Widely known (both in and outside the country), Burger King is one of the most famous fast foods that still has good burgers at affordable prices.

Yet, if you want to indulge yourself with a dessert, you better stick with the classics and don’t go for their ice cream. Though technically rather ice milk than ice cream per se, it has a texture that is lighter and creamier than typical ice cream due to its similar butterfat concentration of roughly 5%.

A&W

Every American citizen knows that A&W has been long-known for their root beer since 1919, and even in today’s world, it is still sold and very appreciated. And if you’re going to their locations often, then you’re probably also very familiar with the menu as well, especially with the desserts.

Therefore, you might be surprised to hear that the ice cream that is offered in those famous floats is actually ice milk rather than ice cream. The frozen dessert offered by A&W, like that of other fast food chains, has just approximately 5 percent butterfat.

Chick-fil-A

Almost everything available on the menu at Chick-fil-A is delicious and tempting. And according to studies, this is one of the famous fast foods that serve real chicken meat too. But have you seen their dessert options? Especially the “ice dream”? That’s exactly what it is, a play on words that describes this product the best.

Carrageenan, which acts as a thickening agent, sugar, milkfat, nonfat milk, and artificial flavorings are the ingredients of this straightforward soft-serve vanilla cone. Like everything else on this list, Icedream from Chick-fil-A isn’t considered real ice cream.

Wendy’s

You’re completely right if you’ve ever felt that Wendy’s well-known Frosty misses the appearance, flavor, and texture of conventional ice cream. It is well-known for having a thick, creamy texture that resembles a milkshake more than an ice cream scoop. Well, it explains perhaps why, when you order it, you receive a spoon and a straw. That makes sense now!

No ice cream should be served at 21 degrees Fahrenheit; ice cream that is typical and nutritious is always served at 10 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. Furthermore,  is made with fresh milk, cream, sugar, and cocoa, and it gets its thick and creamy texture from ingredients including carrageenan, cellulose gum, guar gum, and calcium sulfate. However, it’s probably too low in milkfat for it to deserve its name.

Dairy Queen

Compared to other famous fast foods mentioned above, Dairy Queen was super honest about their so-called ice cream, and they said that it doesn’t qualify as a real ice cream but rather ice milk. This doesn’t sound that great, yet it’s better to be honest even with the risk of customers saying goodbye to you.

The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) banned this product category. The business restates that its traditional recipe “has not changed” and says it is happy with offering a soft serve with 5% butterfat following FDA regulations. Hmmm…

McDonald’s

Dang! Unfortunately, McDonald’s is on the list of fake ice creams. This comes up as a disappointment, especially if you love to eat it as a treat after your favorite sandwich. But did you pay attention that this ice cream isn’t listed as “ice cream” on the menu?

McDonald’s states milk, sugar, cream, and corn syrup as the primary components of the vanilla cone without going into great detail. According to CNBC, in the past years, the company has been attempting to lower the amount of artificial additives in their frozen desserts. Nonetheless, this vanilla cone is still among customer’s favorites and a staple for the franchise.

When most of the famous fast foods aren’t serving real ice cream, or if they do, it’s most likely not so tasty either, it’s time to learn how to make your own. You will know exactly what you put in it, how much sugar you use, and most importantly, the quantity of dairy to make it as creamy as it should. Up for a homemade scoop? Check out this recipe book for Ice Cream, Gelato, Sorbets, Sauces, and Toppings, with a lot of vegan, keto, and no-churn recipes as well. It is available on Amazon for $11.99.

You may also want to read about 13 Cheap Frozen Foods that Are Great for Your Health.