Dairy Queen's Keto Ice Cream: What You Need To Know

Dairy Queen, a fast-food chain with over 4000 locations in the US, is famous for its ice cream and desserts. However, it also offers a variety of savoury options, including burgers, sandwiches, salads, and grilled chicken. While the menu items are not specifically labelled as keto-friendly, it is possible to make keto-compliant choices by customising your order. This involves primarily avoiding buns, sauces, and high-carb ingredients, as well as steering clear of the ice cream, cakes, milkshakes, and other sweetened treats that Dairy Queen is known for.

Dairy Queen's keto-friendly options

Dairy Queen, despite its name and association with ice cream, does offer some keto-friendly options. While the choices may vary by location, you can find keto-friendly snacks and meals at Dairy Queen. Here are some tips and options to consider when visiting Dairy Queen while on a keto diet:

Tips for Ordering Keto at Dairy Queen:

• Avoid combo meals as they often include fries or blizzards that are not keto-friendly.
• Use the drive-through to avoid the temptation of ice cream and cakes on display inside the store.
• Check the nutrition information on Dairy Queen's website to make informed choices.
• Opt for a salad instead of fries or onion rings.
• Avoid high-carb dressings on salads and choose oil and vinegar or lemon juice instead.
• Stay away from ice cream, cakes, milkshakes, and sweetened beverages.

Keto-Friendly Options at Dairy Queen:

• Bunless and sauceless beef burger with a side salad (hold the croutons and dressing).
• Grilled chicken sandwiches without the bun and sauce.
• Bacon cheeseburger without the bun and sauce.
• Grilled Chicken BLT Salad (hold the dressing).
• Turkey BLT without the ciabatta roll.
• Flamethrower Grillburger without the bun and sauce.
• Original Cheeseburger without the bun.
• Chicken Bacon Ranch without the ciabatta roll.
• Rotisserie-style chicken bites with ranch sauce (hold the fries and soft drink).

Keto ice cream alternatives

While Dairy Queen does not have keto ice cream, there are several alternatives available in the market for keto dieters. Here are some keto-friendly ice cream brands to satisfy your sweet tooth:

Halo Top

Halo Top offers a range of unique flavours in their Keto Series, such as Chocolate Caramel Lava Cake and Mint Chocolate Cookie. While some may not enjoy its grainy texture, others find it tasty. A serving of their Chocolate Caramel Lava Cake flavour has 190 calories, 6 g of protein, 6 g of fibre, and only 3 g of net carbs.

Edy's Slow Churned No Sugar Added

Edy's replaces sugar in their fan-favourite flavours with sorbitol, maltitol syrup, and Splenda (sucralose). Their Vanilla Bean flavour contains 130 calories and 14 g of net carbs per two-thirds cup serving.

Enlightened

Enlightened offers a range of keto ice cream options, including bars and pints. They use allulose, a sugar alcohol, and monk fruit extract to replace sugar. Their ice cream has 2–3 g net carbs for most flavours and is known for its creamy texture and lack of aftertaste.

So Delicious No Sugar Added (Dairy-Free)

So Delicious makes dairy-free ice cream from full-fat coconut milk, sweetened with erythritol and monk fruit extract. A serving has 130–160 calories, 9–10 g of net carbs, and 2 g of protein.

Rebel

Rebel is a brand designed for keto dieters, with pints made from cream, high-fat ingredients, erythritol, and monk fruit. It is higher in fat and calories compared to other brands, with just 4–8 g of net carbs per pint.

Other Options

In addition to these popular brands, there are other keto ice cream options available, such as Real Good ice cream, Aldi's Sundae Shoppe, and Nick's Ice Cream.

So, while Dairy Queen may not be the place to satisfy your keto ice cream cravings, there are plenty of alternatives available to enjoy without compromising your diet.

Keto-friendly Dairy Queen desserts

Dairy Queen is famous for its desserts, but unfortunately, none of them are keto-friendly. However, if you're looking for a quick snack or a low-carb meal, there are some keto-friendly options on the Dairy Queen menu.

When ordering keto-friendly at Dairy Queen, focus on salads and burgers without buns. You can also opt for grilled sandwiches and plain water instead of sugar-laden drinks. If you don't like burgers and sandwiches, Dairy Queen also offers a range of salads, which can be both filling and healthy.

• Bunless Flamethrower Grill Burger: This burger contains half a pound of beef, bacon, jalapenos, lettuce, pepper jack cheese, and tomatoes. By removing the bun, you can significantly reduce the carb content of this meal.
• Bunless Cheeseburger: The basic cheeseburger with pickles, lettuce, onions, and mustard is another keto-friendly option.
• Turkey BLT (No Ciabatta Roll): This sandwich features sliced turkey, bacon, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, and mayo. Removing the roll makes this a low-carb option.
• Grilled Chicken BLT Salad: This salad contains grilled chicken, bacon, cheese, lettuce, and tomato. You can ask for oil and vinegar or lemon instead of the high-carb salad dressing.
• Chicken Bacon Ranch (No Ciabatta Roll): This sandwich includes grilled chicken breast, bacon, Swiss cheese, ranch sauce, tomato, and lettuce. Removing the roll makes it a keto-friendly choice.

While Dairy Queen doesn't offer keto-friendly desserts, you can still enjoy their low-carb meal options. Just remember to avoid all treats, such as ice cream, cakes, milkshakes, and sweetened beverages, to stay on track with your keto diet.

Dairy Queen's keto-friendly history

Dairy Queen, or DQ, has come a long way since it first opened as a soft-serve ice cream store in 1940. While it is known for its ice cream, treats, and fast food, it does offer some keto-friendly options.

Over the years, Dairy Queen has expanded its menu to include hot foods, such as grilled chicken sandwiches, bacon cheeseburgers, and salads. These options provide a good base for a keto-friendly meal, but modifications are usually necessary. For example, removing buns, sauces, and certain toppings can help reduce the carb count.

The Early Years: Soft-Serve Focus

Dairy Queen started as a soft-serve ice cream store in 1940. Even in its early years, the company experimented with different offerings, including ice cream treats and, later, hot foods.

Expansion and Diversification: The Rise of Hot Foods

Over time, Dairy Queen expanded its menu to include a greater variety of ice cream treats and introduced hot foods to its lineup. Some locations still only sell ice cream, typically remaining open only during the summer months. However, many locations now operate year-round, serving a range of hot foods in addition to ice cream.

Keto-Friendly Options: Customizable Choices

While Dairy Queen is not specifically a keto-focused restaurant, it does offer some customizable options that can fit within a keto diet. The key is to make wise choices and modifications.

For example, instead of a traditional burger, opt for a bunless and sauceless beef burger. You can also add extra toppings like bacon, pepper jack cheese, or Swiss cheese. Salads are another good option, but be mindful of the dressing, as some options are high in carbs.

Dairy Queen has nutritional information available on its website, making it easier to navigate the keto-friendly options.

Challenges and Limitations: High-Carb Temptations

Despite the availability of some keto-friendly base options, Dairy Queen presents challenges for those on a keto diet due to its focus on treats and high-carb offerings. The environment, with cakes and ice cream on display, can be tempting, especially for those with a sweet tooth.

It is important to note that Dairy Queen's ice cream and treats are not keto-friendly, and even their ice cream falls short of the required milkfat content to qualify as real ice cream.

Strategies for Success: Navigating the Menu

To stay on track with a keto diet at Dairy Queen, it is recommended to stick to the drive-through to avoid temptations, avoid combo meals, and be mindful of high-carb ingredients.

While Dairy Queen doesn't offer keto ice cream, there are other brands on the market or even recipes to make your own keto-friendly ice cream at home.

In summary, Dairy Queen has evolved from a soft-serve ice cream store to a fast-food chain offering a range of treats and hot foods. While it may not be the ideal place for those on a keto diet, with careful ordering and modifications, it is possible to make keto-friendly choices.

Dairy Queen's keto-friendly future

Dairy Queen has come a long way since its early days as a soft-serve ice cream store. While it is still famous for its ice cream, it now offers a range of other food items, including hot dogs, burgers, and grilled chicken.

However, for those on a keto diet, the options are more limited. There is no keto ice cream available at Dairy Queen, and the ice cream they do sell is best avoided due to its high carb content.

That being said, there are some keto-friendly options available at Dairy Queen. These include:

• Grilled chicken BLT salad (without the dressing)
• Bunless and sauceless cheeseburger
• Turkey BLT (without the ciabatta roll)
• Flamethrower GrillBurger (without the bun)
• Grilled chicken sandwich (without the bun and sauce)

In addition to these options, those on a keto diet can also order bunless hot dogs, grilled chicken tacos, and beef taco salads (without the shell or refried beans).

While Dairy Queen does not currently offer keto ice cream, there are some low-carb ice cream options available on the market, and it is also possible to make your own at home.

For those on a keto diet, it is important to be mindful of the nutritional information and carb content of the food they are consuming. Dairy Queen provides detailed nutritional information on their website, which can be helpful for those following a keto diet.

While Dairy Queen may not be the first choice for a keto-friendly meal, it is possible to make some adjustments to their menu items to fit within the keto diet. However, it is always best to prepare your own meals at home using high-quality ingredients whenever possible.

Frequently asked questions