3 days Ago By [email protected] (Jay Wilson)
Dairy Queen's Blizzard is a dessert of utter legend. While the Dairy Queen Blizzard has changed over the years , at its core it's still one thing: A really tasty way to end a meal. These desserts started as a fairly simple affair when they debuted back in 1985, with a combination of smooth ice cream and various mix-ins providing a texture contrast and a variety of delicious flavors.
However, as the years progressed, Dairy Queen Blizzards gradually became more and more extravagant, and the fast food chain began to roll out some wild and wacky varieties that tested the boundaries of what a dessert could be. It's so surprising, therefore, that not all of their flavors have lasted for good. DQ has introduced and removed flavors more quickly than we can keep track of over the years — but a lot of these Blizzards have left a lasting impression on customers.
Fan favorites like the Thin Mints Blizzard, the Grasshopper Mousse Blizzard, and the Oreo Brownie Earthquake Blizzard have left people begging Dairy Queen to bring them back. As yet, the company hasn't quite made the move, but until then we can all enjoy them via a trip down memory lane. 1.
Thin Mints Blizzard In 2008, if you were sick of waiting for the Girl Scouts to come and sell you some Thin Mints on your doorstep, you could simply have gone down to Dairy Queen. That was the year that the fast food chain debuted its Thin Mints Blizzard (officially known as the Girl Scouts Thin Mint Cookie Blizzard), and it was an instant smash. The Blizzard was a fairly simple combo of vanilla ice cream and Thin Mints cookies, but the mix of the more neutral-flavored base and the sharp, minty additions really hit the spot for some folks.
However, while the Thin Mints Blizzard was a much-beloved item, it was at its core a promotional food that relied on working with another company to exist — and honestly, these desserts are tricky to make work long-term. It was little surprise, then, that Dairy Queen eventually discontinued this dessert. It did make a comeback back in 2022 as DQ's Blizzard of the Month, but it didn't stick around long.
Predictably, there are a few folks out there who still mourn the loss of this Blizzard. 2. Salted Caramel Blondie Blizzard Salted Caramel? In a blondie? Mixed into an ice cream? Okay, we're getting in the car.
It seems like Dairy Queen knew exactly what it was doing with this combo of flavors when it debuted its Salted Caramel Blondie Blizzard back in 2017. This Blizzie's sharp, sweet, salty notes were the perfect contrast to the smooth, easygoing ice cream (although it should be said that some folks didn't taste the salted caramel as much as they'd have liked). What really made it pop, though, was the addition of praline candy pieces, which gave each mouthful a slight crunch and a pop of sugary, nutty flavor.
Texture-wise, this thing rocked. Honestly, we're a little surprise that Dairy Queen didn't elect to keep the Salted Caramel Blondie Blizzard around for good. It had everything that people like going for it, and with just a few tweaks of the recipe to amp up the salted caramel notes, it could have been the best thing on its menu.
Maybe the company just decided that its current output was too crowded, as it eventually discontinued the Blondie. 3. Drumstick Blizzard If you've never tried a Drumstick, you've never lived.
These ice cream cones pack a huge amount of flavor into each bite, thanks to their layers of chopped nuts, chocolate, and the ice cream itself. Can you improve on perfection? In 2022, Dairy Queen tried. The fast food chain released not one, but two different varieties of Drumstick Blizzard (although it should be pointed out that the two of them were pretty similar).
The Caramel Drumstick with Peanuts Blizzard combined DQ's soft serve with Drumstick pieces, caramel topping, and crushed nuts. The Drumstick with Peanuts Blizzard, on the other hand, omitted the caramel, but had all the other ingredients. We're not sure why you'd go for the one without caramel, but hey, that's just us.
Drumstick Blizzards were a big hit with the Dairy Queen community, and so when they were discontinued, people were pretty upset. Folks subsequently started trading tips about how to recreate the Blizzard's flavors at home. If you're inclined to do so, we've got the lowdown: Grab yourself some soft serve vanilla ice cream, and then mix in graham cracker pieces, chopped peanuts, and chocolate shavings.
Then, top it with some store-bought caramel sauce. It may not taste exactly the same as the Drumstick Blizzard, but it's not too far off. 4.
Tripleberry Brownie Blizzard How many berries do you like in your ice cream? One? Two? Well, how about three? We can only presume that was the thought process that went into making Dairy Queen's Tripleberry Brownie Blizzard back in 2013. With the dessert made with raspberry, strawberry, and blackberry purée, combined with chocolate chunks and brownie pieces, this thing promised to be a taste explosion and deliver just the right balance of tanginess to chocolatey goodness. So how did it stack up? Not great.
The main issue with the Tripleberry Brownie Blizzard was that it didn't taste like three berries at all, but just one. The strawberry note in this ice cream was way too strong, and it overpowered the raspberry and blackberry flavors. As for the brownie bites, they were dry and chalky, and contributed little to the overall experience.
It's a shame as this Blizzard could have really changed the game, but it didn't stick the landing. Perhaps that's why Dairy Queen only released it as a limited-edition option, and soon it disappeared for good. We can't say we're too disappointed, to be honest.
5. Grasshopper Mousse Pie Blizzard We absolutely love it when a fast food company goes totally wild with a flavor option, and puts something on their menu that we just weren't expecting. In 2015 that happened at Dairy Queen, when it debuted its Grasshopper Mousse Pie Blizzard.
This Blizzard took the classic retro flavors of a Grasshopper Pie , shoved it in a paper cup, and served it to the masses. Its mint-infused soft serve base was combined with little flecks of mint pieces, choco chunks, and graham cracker crumbs for extra texture. The whole thing was topped with a swirl of whipped cream, too.
Sounds like a winner, right? It definitely was — but it was also way too niche to keep on the regular menu for good. Despite most people likely knowing that, it was still a heartbreaking day when it was removed from circulation. As is so often the case with these things, though, Dairy Queen's customers went underground and started trading hacks for how to recreate the Grasshopper Mousse Pie Blizzard in-store.
The solution? Grab yourself a Mint Chip Blizzard, add a graham base, and ask for extra whipped cream. You're welcome, folks. 6.
Zero Gravity Blizzard Every few years, some wild stunt related to space rolls around and gets everyone talking. In 2025, it was the fact that Katy Perry went into space for roughly two minutes; back in 2019, it was the debut of the Zero Gravity Blizzard. This Blizzard was released to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, and quite honestly, it was a serious sight to behold.
Dairy Queen announced on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the dessert was made with "Oreo cookie pieces, sparkly cosmic swirls and sweet cotton candy topping blended with our world-famous soft serve and topped with colorful galaxy sprinkles." In practice, that translated to a Blizzard that was astonishingly colorful and bursting with sugar..
We're not quite sure why Dairy Queen decided to commemorate the moon landing in this fashion — it's not like anyone was asking for them to — but we've gotta admit that it was a pretty cool flex. Sadly, though, the Zero Gravity Blizzard was only ever intended to be a limited-edition item, and so it soon disappeared from menus. Hey, you never know: Maybe the restaurant will bring it back for the 60th anniversary.
7. Sour Patch Kids Blizzard An ice cream combined with a totally delicious candy — yep, we're in. Dairy Queen clearly knew exactly what it was doing when it came out with its Sour Patch Kids Blizzard in 2019.
This dessert took the pretty unique approach of combining Dairy Queen's ice cream with pieces of the sour gummy candy, and favored chewiness where other desserts go for crunch. It was a little bit of a risk, which was made even more high-stakes by the potential for this ice cream to just be too unpleasantly acidic and tangy. Thankfully, Dairy Queen really stuck the landing on this one.
Its Sour Patch Kids Blizzard smelled just like a bag of its titular candy, and while the little nubs of candy weren't quite as chewy as they'd be at room temperature, they still provided a burst of sourness. That sourness wasn't overwhelming, though, as the ice cream itself was wonderfully sweet. The contrast between the two really worked, and the Blizzie was a success — although not enough to keep it around forever.
The Sour Patch Kids Blizzard was soon discontinued, having really only been intended to be a limited-edition vibe. Ah, well. 8.
M&M's Peanut Butter Monster Cookie Blizzard Sometimes, fast food desserts can be restrained and somewhat delicate; other times, they can throw literally everything they have into a single cup. The latter was the case with Dairy Queen's M&M's Peanut Butter Monster Cookie Blizzard. The word "monstrous" in its name was true to form here, as honestly, this thing was absolutely enormous.
Each cup was bulging with vanilla soft serve blended with a mixture of peanut butter, M&M's, choco chunks, and peanut butter cookie pieces. If you were watching your sugar intake, this one definitely wasn't for you — but if you wanted to really indulge in something sweet, it would have been up your street. We're willing to bet that this Blizzard was pretty expensive to make, what with all of its ingredients and all, so it's no shock that it didn't stay around for long.
It debuted in 2016, but at some point in the next year it was removed from menus. Even though it was only around for a blink in the company's eye, people still remember it with fondness, and are no doubt hoping that it'll come back soon. We don't think that's super likely, but hey.
You can dream, huh? 9. Lemon Meringue Pie Blizzard Dairy Queen is no stranger to turning pies into Blizzards. It did it with the Grasshopper Mousse Pie Blizzard, and it also did it with the Lemon Meringue Pie Blizzard — which we have to say, sounds absolutely delicious.
This Blizzard was released in the summer of 2013, and the timing for it was just right. The lemon meringue pie flavors were perfect for the hot summer months, offering a burst of citrusy refreshment and a pleasing textural contrast as well. Vanilla soft-serve was combined with golden pie pieces and a lemon filling, and was crowned with a meringue-infused creamy topping.
We're not gonna lie, we're super upset we didn't get to try this one. It sounds delish. We're willing to bet that not that many people managed to try it, either.
This Blizzard was one of Dairy Queen's Blizzard of the Month offerings, and while it made quite a splash in July of that year, it wasn't long before it had been taken off the menu. It made quite an impression in the time it was around, though, thanks to the uniqueness of its flavor profile. Dairy Queen, bring it back — we're begging you! 10.
Piñata Party Blizzard We have to admire Dairy Queen's ability to continue coming up with new Blizzard flavors, given that it churns them out at a frankly wild rate. In 2020, it worked out yet another new variety to offer its customers (we give it particular plaudits for being able to do this at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, too). The Piñata Party Blizzard was based on a piñata cake, with the idea being that when you dug into its center, it revealed a brand new flavor.
Plunge your spoon past the confetti cake pieces and icing, and you were greeted with a bunch of white chocolate stars in various different colors. The whole thing was crowned with rainbow glitter and a swirl of whipped cream. We're not entirely sure how DQ pulled off the stars in the center (wouldn't they just get covered in ice cream?), but the brand really nailed this one.
People loved this Blizzard, and while it was only around for June of that year, it really stuck in people's minds. So much so that in August 2020, someone started a petition to reintroduce the Piñata Party Blizzard to the menu. It didn't get a whole bunch of signatures, but it speaks to how much people loved this little guy.
11. Strawberry Golden Oreo Blizzard Okay, so we can understand why people were a little hesitant about trying the Strawberry Golden Oreo Blizzard when it debuted back in 2010. This Blizzard looked, for want of a better word, sugary.
The strawberry ice cream promised a lot of sweetness, and when you combine that with the perhaps one-note flavor of the Golden Oreos, it felt like folks were in for something simultaneously flat and overwhelming. We're happy to report that wasn't the case. The Strawberry Golden Oreo Blizzard was actually a delightfully light affair, and didn't beat you over the head with its flavors.
Instead it kept things refreshing and crisp, with the gentle tartness of the strawberry cutting through just enough. To be honest, we're surprised that the Strawberry Golden Oreo Blizzard didn't stick around longer, as it seems like the perfect alternative for people who don't like the normal chocolate flavor of the cookie. However, as with so many other Blizzard flavors, this one soon went all the way to the fast food graveyard, where it's rested ever since.
12. Chips Ahoy! Blizzard If there's one thing you need to know about Dairy Queen, it's that it absolutely loves to collaborate with other food brands. Chips Ahoy! was the brand of choice back in August 2014, when Dairy Queen made a Blizzard of the Month featuring the iconic cookies.
Its Chips Ahoy! Blizzard was released to celebrate the snack food's 50th birthday, and it was the brand's first step into working with a fast food outlet. The idea was to put these cookies front and center, and not distract from them with any other additions. That's exactly what Dairy Queen did — but it ended up making a Blizzard that sounded frightfully boring.
The Chips Ahoy! Blizzard was a simple concoction of vanilla soft serve and chocolate chip cookies, mixed with choco chunks and topped with chocolate topping. Not exactly revolutionary stuff, but that kinda wasn't the point. Given that this was a Blizzard released for an event, it's no surprise that it was removed from the menu fairly quickly.
13. Oreo Brownie Earthquake Blizzard Some Blizzard flavors disappear without trace; others stick around in people's memory for a lifetime. This was the case with the Oreo Brownie Earthquake Blizzard, which for some folks still evokes precious childhood memories.
We're not surprised, as this dessert had all of the flavors that people absolutely love when they're kids. The ice cream combined vanilla soft serve with Oreo cookie crumbles, chunks of brownie, marshmallows, and a squirt of hot fudge to finish it all off. It wasn't exactly an "earthquake," but it sounds pretty darn delicious to us.
The Oreo Brownie Earthquake Blizzard was only around for a short time in the 2010s, but the good news is that some of those clever folks on the internet have figured out how to recreate it with some order modifications at DQ. All you have to do is order a regular Oreo Blizzard and ask for extra marshmallows, brownie pieces, and fudge sauce . Dairy Queen stores usually have all of these items, so it should be easy enough.
You just have to be prepared to pay slightly extra, but you can't put a price on happiness. 14. Banana Cream Pie Blizzard Some Blizzards take on a life of their own, and once their popularity starts to build, they're unstoppable.
So much so that this can leave Dairy Queen restaurants struggling to keep up with demand. This happened back in 2005, with the Banana Cream Pie Blizzard. This dessert was July 2005's Blizzard of the Month, and Dairy Queen had projected that its stores would likely sell a couple hundred of the ice creams each.
In reality, they ended up selling way more than this, as customers quickly fell in love with the Blizzie's creamy, fruity flavors. It got to the point that Dairy Queen restaurant managers had to go out to stores and buy packs of the banana pudding Jell-O mix used to make the banana cream pie flavor for the Blizzard, in a desperate attempt to keep up with demand. We'd imagine that when July of that year finally came to a close, the people who worked at Dairy Queen were pretty pleased: They didn't have to worry about making them anymore, and they had successfully made a cult item.
Almost 20 years later, people are still talking about this Blizzard and how much they loved it. How's that for a cultural impact?.
