Dairy Queen is an American chain of soft serve ice cream and fast-food restaurants throughout the world. According to Wikipedia, there were more than 6,400 locations in 27 countries at the end of 2014. But does this large fast-food franchise have any vegan friendly menu options? With the word “dairy” in its title you wouldn’t think so, but there actually is a few. In this article we list the best 6 vegan options at Dairy Queen.
Ingredients and allergen information were gathered from Dairy Queen’s allergen guide.
1. Side Salad
While a side salad is not a very exciting option, most fast-food side salads can be made vegan friendly including the one at Dairy Queen. The ingredients of a standard Side Salad at Dairy Queen are fresh lettuce with diced tomatoes, shredded carrots, and cabbage. Vegan salad dressings at Dairy Queen include the following:
- Marzetti Asian Sesame Dressing
- Marzetti Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
- Marzetti Fat Free California French Style Dressing
- Marzetti Light Italian Dressing
2. Fries
Dairy Queen’s french fries are vegan! According to Dairy Queen’s website, their fries are cooked in Soybean Oil unlike McDonald’s fries. These go great with all of Dairy Queen’s vegan sauces:
- BBQ Dipping Sauce Cup
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Wild Buffalo Dipping Sauce Cup
3. Pretzel Sticks (Without Queso)
As they are listed on Dairy Queen’s menu, the Pretzel Sticks come with a Zesty Queso dipping sauce and are topped with a butter spread. The Queso is not vegan (contains milk), but it can be substituted for one of the other vegan sauces at Dairy Queen. So in order for the pretzel sticks to be vegan, ask for them without butter upon ordering and substitute the Queso for a vegan sauce option.
The Dairy Queen vegan sauce options are:
- BBQ Dipping Sauce Cup
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Wild Buffalo Dipping Sauce Cup
4. Applesauce or Banana (Kid's Menu)
Two vegan friendly fruit options are listed on the Kid’s menu as sides. These are Musselman’s Applesauce and a Banana. If you aren’t in the mood for a frozen dessert, then these would be a great alternative.
5. Star Kiss Bar
Dairy Queen’s Star Kiss bars do not exist at all locations, but if you have a location near you that sells them then you are in for a treat! These cherry and Stars & Stripes flavored frozen treats are perfect for a hot summer day. Peta has even described to be “rich and creamy like ice cream.”
At the time of this writing, the Star Kiss bars are no longer listed on Dairy Queens main website. That being said, they still exist on location specific menus so it is best to call your local Dairy Queen locations to find out the availability near you.
6. Drinks
Last, but not least, we have the vegan friendly drink options at Dairy Queen. Unfortunately, all of their Blizzards, shakes, malts, and their MooLatte’s contain milk or egg ingredients. However, Dairy Queen’s Misty Slushes are vegan friendly but don’t confuse these with the Misty Freezes which contain milk. Supreme Banana on YouTube has also pointed out that the Premium Fruit Smoothies can be made vegan by replacing the yogurt in them with water or another non-dairy liquid. A full list of all drink options is below.
Misty Slush
- Cherry
- Grape
- Lemon Lime
- Blue Raspberry
- Strawberry Kiwi
Premium Fruit Smoothies (Replace yogurt with water or other non-dairy liquid)
- Strawberry Banana
- Mango Pineapple
- Tripleberry
Other Drinks
Summary
As with many fast food establishments, Dairy Queen has VERY limited food options for vegans. Your best bet here is to get a side salad, pretzel sticks, and a Misty Slush. Other fast food establishments have better vegan options if you’re in need of a full meal.
As Dairy Queen is usually know for its frozen Blizzards, it would be nice if they had a vegan friendly option. If you would like to sign a petition to persuade Dairy Queen to add a dairy-free option you can find one on Peta.org or Change.org.
If you liked this article, take a look at at our other “Eating Out” vegan guides here.
