If Dairy Queen Blizzards Technically Aren't Ice Cream, What Are They?

Dairy Queen Blizzards — they're not just a classic, but they also satisfy all of our ice cream cravings. There's just one caveat, though: Blizzards aren't actually ice cream. (If you're in shock right now, don't worry — we're right there with you on this.)

How does Dairy Queen's beloved Blizzard not fall into the "ice cream" category? Dairy Queen's Blizzards are frozen, they can melt, they're sweet, and they pretty much look and "behave" like ice cream typically does.

But while Dairy Queen serves up plenty of treats on the daily in the form of sundaes, soft-serve cones, and milkshakes, their Blizzards don't technically have any ice cream in them — and they're not the only menu item that you'd think contains ice cream that actually doesn't (via Dairy Queen). If you're completely flummoxed right now, you might be surprised to learn that there's actually a simple explanation for the lack of ice cream in your favorite Blizzard (via How Stuff Works).

Unless you work in the restaurant industry, you may not think about the FDA every day, but they're the reason that Dairy Queen's Blizzard doesn't have any ice cream in it. You may notice that Dairy Queen has labeled their Blizzards "treats" rather than "ice cream," and the reason for this comes down to how the FDA classifies certain types of food (per How Stuff Works).

Ice cream — like many other foods — has certain FDA-determined qualifications to classify it that way. According to the FDA, an ice cream product must have a certain amount of milkfat — "not less than 10 percent milkfat, nor less than 10 percent nonfat milk solids."

On their website, Dairy Queen is upfront about the lack of butterfat in their Blizzards, sharing that the frozen treat only has 5% butterfat instead of the minimum 10% for ice cream. Of course, not many people may choose to sift through Dairy Queen's website if they're just headed to their nearest DQ for an Oreo Blizzard, so it makes sense that we've all missed this ice cream definition nuance.

Dairy Queen's Blizzard treats may not have any ice cream in them at all, but what about the rest of the chain's menu? With soft serve, sundaes, shakes, and other frozen goodies dominating the menu, surely Dairy Queen uses ice cream to make some items, right?

Blizzards aren't the only Dairy Queen menu items that masquerade as legitimate ice cream, though, and it turns out that you'd be hard-pressed to find ice cream at your local Dairy Queen (per Dairy Queen). Dairy Queen deliberately leaves the label "ice cream" out of descriptions of its products because everything at Dairy Queen is made with the lower butterfat "non-ice cream" variation (via How Stuff Works).

Dairy Queen fans won't miss the ice cream — the chain's treats are just as tasty as what you would find at another chain that makes the same treats with ice cream. But it's certainly a shock to know that the "ice cream" you've ordered at Dairy Queen your entire life isn't actually ice cream at all. If you want a Blizzard, head to Dairy Queen, but if you're craving real ice cream, hit up your local ice cream parlor instead.