7 Fast Food Chains That Don't Serve Real Ice Cream

Who doesn't adore a scoop of ice cream? It's a treat that brings smiles to people of all ages. Across the US, folks devour an average of 20 pounds of ice cream each year -– a true testament to its popularity. But hold on -– when it comes to your favorite fast-food joints, things might not be as straightforward as they seem. 

Traditionally, ice cream is made from milk, cream, and sugar, and the key ingredient that differentiates it from other frozen desserts is its butterfat content. Butterfat is the fat present in the milk and cream and contributes to the creamy, smooth texture and rich taste of ice cream. To be legally labeled as "ice cream" in the US, a frozen dairy product must meet specific standards set by the Food and Drug Administration. One of these standards is that ice cream must contain at least 10% butterfat by weight.

When you savor that swirl of sweetness from your favorite fast food joint, you're often indulging in a close cousin of ice cream rather than the genuine thing. Not that there's anything wrong with that, because it's still delicious. So which fast food chains are serving up "fake" ice cream? Keep reading to discover seven chains that don't serve real ice cream, and the type of frozen treats they offer instead. 

Dairy Queen is undisputed royalty when it comes to frozen treats. But did you know that its iconic Blizzards are not made with "real" ice cream? That's because Dairy Queen offers its own unique soft serve recipe to get that smooth, fluffy texture that we all love. This velvety soft serve creates the foundation for the chain's iconic frozen treats like Blizzards, sundaes, and dilly bars. It definitely satisfies a sweet tooth, but it only contains about 5% butterfat. This lower butterfat content gives Dairy Queen's treats a lighter texture and a milder taste, but rather than calling it "ice cream," Dairy Queen calls it "ice milk."

Dairy Queen's soft serve is similar to ice cream but has a slightly different composition. Unlike the creamy, dense texture of ice cream, soft serve contains more air due to the specific churning process in the machine that gives it a lighter consistency. It's also stored at about 23 degrees Fahrenheit, which keeps it softer and lighter than traditional ice cream. This combination of air, temperature, and milkfat percentage is what makes Dairy Queen's Blizzards famously defy gravity. 

Ice cream probably isn't the first thing you think of when you think of Burger King. Known for its burgers and chicken sandwiches, you might actually be surprised to learn that you can pick up a vanilla cone during your next visit. In fact, Burger King has been selling milkshakes and other desserts since the restaurant chain was founded in Florida in 1954.

However, much like Dairy Queen and other fast food chains that offer soft-serve frozen treats, Burger King's vanilla soft-serve, is technically ice milk, not ice cream. It has a similar butterfat content of about 5%, which gives it a lighter and creamier texture, distinct from classic ice cream. Still, it remains a popular choice for customers seeking a cool, sweet fix. You can get Burger King's soft-serve frozen treats in a variety of ways, including a classic vanilla cone, sundae, or shake. Some locations even offer tasty mix-ins, like Oreo and Twix. 

If you've ever thought that Wendy's famous Frosty doesn't have the look, taste, or feel of traditional ice cream, then you're completely right. That said, it doesn't fit into your standard soft serve and ice milk box, either. Known for its thick and creamy texture, it's almost closer to a milkshake than it is to a scoop of ice cream. Wendy's says that its signature dessert is made with "fresh milk, cream, sugar, and cocoa." Ingredients like guar gum, cellulose gum, carrageenan, and calcium sulfate help make it thick and creamy.

Wendy's first introduced the Frosty 1969, and ever since then, it's been one of the chain's signature items that sets it apart. The original Frosty was available in chocolate, but funnily enough, a vanilla version wasn't offered until 2006. Today, the company occasionally releases seasonal flavors like strawberry to mix things up and keep the dessert feeling exciting. However, the Frosty remains its only frozen dessert item.

Despite not really fitting into either the ice cream or soft serve categories, Wendy's has managed to carve out a unique niche for its Frosty as a frozen treat that doesn't need extra toppings. However, the brand has been known to post cheeky memes and tweets that endorse the delicious practice of dipping your fries in the frosty for a sweet and salty sensation!

Not long after A&W was founded as a roadside root beer stand in 1919, the company began selling its iconic root beer floats, which remain a signature item on its menu to this day. A&W is one of the largest and most prominent companies to celebrate the frozen treat on National Root Beer Float Day, which has taken place every year since at least 1983. So it may surprise you to learn that the ice cream served in those iconic floats is not actually ice cream, but rather ice milk. Like other fast food giants, the frozen treat served at A&W only contains about 5% butterfat. 

The thick and creamy soft serve sold at A&W can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. If a root beer float isn't for you, then you can opt for a cone, sundae, shake, or Polar Swirl — A&W's answer to a Blizzard — that is available with a variety of toppings, such as chocolates and candies.

Here's a fast food soft-serve with a bit of a twist. Chick-Fil-A's "Icedream" is a delightful alternative to traditional ice cream, with a similar flavor but a slightly different taste. This simple soft-serve vanilla cone is made of milkfat, nonfat milk, sugar, artificial flavorings, and carrageenan, which serves as a thickening agent. Like the other products on this list, Chick-Fil-A's Icedream doesn't count as real ice cream. Moreover, it doesn't contain any cream and very little fat, which makes it a somewhat healthier alternative to traditional ice cream, but with a much softer texture. 

The carrageenan is really the start of the show here, and what differentiates "Icedream" from other soft serve treats offered at other fast food chains. The light and airy texture of the soft serve is created by whipping air into it during the churning process inside the soft-serve machine. Icedream is made in a similar way, but the thickening agents help to give it a much more robust consistency that holds its shape better and doesn't get runny as quickly. You can try Icedream for yourself by ordering a cone, cup, or milkshake. 

Sure, McDonald's is famous for its ice cream machines that never seem to be working. But did you know that those famous ice cream machines don't even make actual ice cream, and your vanilla cone was something else? The chain's soft serve does not meet the technical criteria to be classified as real ice cream, so you'll never see that term being used on any menu, advertisement, or webpage, and you'll only ever see it being referred to as soft serve. 

McDonald's has been offering some sort of ice cream on its menu since the restaurant opened in 1955, usually in the form of a "Triple Thick" shake or ice cream soda. But a soft serve cone wasn't on the menu until at least the early '70s, and it wasn't until 1978 that the chain first began selling its soft serve ice version we know and love in the form of sundaes. Today, soft-serve products make up the majority of McDonald's dessert menu.

Nonetheless, it remains a favorite choice for those looking for a budget-friendly frozen treat. McDonald's may be famous for its classic menu items like burgers, fries, and chicken nuggets, but it also boasts a variety of frozen desserts like its sundaes, signature McFlurry with a selection of toppings like Oreo and M&M's, and vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate shakes.   

Jason's Deli may be just as popular for its "ice cream" as it is for any of its other meals. While the main draw of this deli-style fast food chain is its soups, salads, and sandwiches, arguably the best part of a Jason's Deli meal is the free soft-serve ice cream cone or cup. This ice cream does not contain enough butterfat to be considered real ice cream, but that doesn't stop it from being one of the more popular parts of the menu.

You can grab yourself a cone and serve up a swirl at the self-serve soft serve machine, and choose between vanilla, chocolate, or vanilla swirl. Jason's soft serve isn't quite as smooth and creamy as some of the other items on this list, but it still has that signature light and airy feel that you get from the churning process of soft serve machines. You can also top your ice cream with fudge sauce if you like and make a sundae.