The Best Ice Cream Treat At 7 Fast Food Chains

Ice cream is such a familiar dessert. The great thing about ice cream and frozen dairy treats is that you can enjoy them year-round. Of course, they're associated with hot summer moments, but no rule says you can't enjoy them on a cold winter day. So, when you're in the mood for a chilly treat, you might want to grab one quickly from a fast food restaurant — rather than going to a grocery store to make something at home or spending extra time and money at a sit-down restaurant. Fast food eateries offer a variety of scrumptious ice cream treats to satisfy your cravings.

Before we dive in, we want to clarify that these are dairy- and milk-based desserts. Since there are very specific USDA definitions of milk fat and milk solids content for what counts as ice cream (10% milk fat and 20% total milk solids), we are using the term quite broadly. To streamline things for you, we've compiled the best treats you can get at a fast food eatery, so you can grab them whenever you want. While there might be a range of frozen dairy dessert options at a given fast food restaurant, we identified one standout flavor that has been highly regarded in previous Tasting Table rankings and other review platforms. We found desserts with many positive reviews and insights, giving you options at various eateries. We'll give you the inside scoop on what to order.

For something slightly refreshing with a fruity twist, you must try Shake Shack's Strawberry Shake. It was the No. 1 pick among many Shake Shack milkshakes for its balanced, classic strawberry flavor. The great part is that the fruit addition is well mixed into the shake, so it's not like you get big vanilla-forward pockets with strawberry flavoring in a concentrated area. You know how some strawberry-flavored things taste medicinal? That's not the case with this milky treat. It tastes like strawberries because real fruit is spun into the vanilla custard base. 

It's very smooth with an even, almost silky texture. That's because Shake Shack uses strawberry puree to get the real-deal flavor without dense fruit chunks — ideal for anyone who never could enjoy those yogurt cups with fruit bottoms because of the texture. It's creamy and doesn't offer a lumpy, jarring mouthfeel, which makes it terrific to dunk your fries into. Others share that the shake seems like it's high-quality, almost like someone made it from scratch or at a diner. There is no iciness that you may find in soft serve. It's not too sweet, so it's ideal when you want the fruit to do the talking.

If you prefer something a little more basic, Chick-fil-A's Icedream Cone is a must-try — it's even considered one of the best fast food ice cream treats out there. You can totally get a shake, if preferred; they're also made with Icedream dessert, so you can't go wrong with any frozen dairy offering at the chain. But we specifically wanted to highlight the Icedream cone that's ideal when a bunch of flavorings and add-ins don't sound appealing. 

You can get Icedream in a cup, which is great if you want to take it home and store it in the freezer since it comes with a lid. However, it's more nostalgic and satisfying in a cone. Icedream is somewhat light, smooth, and simple, but it's still totally satisfying. "I got the best cone yesterday," one Redditor said, showing off a picture of their perfect cone. "It was an amazing height, the perfect swirl, and tasted awesome!"

It has a creamy, vanilla flavor that's familiar and delicious; folks say it's the best and that there's nothing quite like it. It's great for the warmer temperatures because it holds its shape for a few minutes before it starts to melt. You could whip up an Icedream sandwich using a Chick-fil-A ordering hack: order two cookies, scoop the Icedream onto a cookie, and make a sandwich.

If you want something utterly loaded with chocolate, then Brownie Batter Chocolate Frosty Swirl from Wendy's is calling your name. This cold treat uses your choice of chocolate or vanilla Frosty base, swirled with sauce to create the signature swirly-looking appearance. It's then topped with a brownie batter sauce, which is the standout element. People say they are particularly keen on the sauce, even those who say they're not typically fond of chocolate like to order extra of the rich condiment. "This flavor is not 'okay' it is life changing," said one commenter on Reddit.

Both the vanilla and chocolate Frosty bases ranked highly in our Wendy's Frosty taste test, but the chocolate one fared slightly better. Our writer noted that the brownie batter's texture shines because it's on the thicker side and provides a pleasant textural contrast to the otherwise smooth Frosty base. Other reviewers share this sentiment, but it's worth noting that the batter sauce has a somewhat gritty texture, as it's meant to replicate crumbled brownie pieces in a condiment form. "I like the graininess it makes it like real brownie batter," a reviewer commented on TikTok.

Others rave about its decadence, giving it a perfect 10. "It tastes like happiness," said one Facebook review, explaining that the Brownie Batter Chocolate Frosty Swirl was money well spent — always a plus in this economy. "Would I sell my soul for another one? Possibly. Would I eat one every day until summer and pretend it's protein? Absolutely," they joked.

When our writer tested 14 Dairy Queen Blizzards, the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup was the absolute best among them. The writer noted that the Reese's flavor was really true to the original, making the perfect blend of peanut butter and chocolate in the rich Blizzard form. It's typically made with vanilla soft serve, but some think it should use a chocolate base — you can ask to customize it if you prefer to go this route. The alluring part of the Blizzard is that it's not completely smooth because the addition of Reese's adds a welcome textural diversity. The morsels aren't particularly large, but they give you something to chew — it's more like added grit than a big chunk.

It is a very peanut butter-forward Blizzard with hints of chocolate to cut the PB richness. This is the perfect ice cream treat to get when you're craving something with a rich mouthfeel. Other reviews share that it essentially melts in your mouth. The Reese's might not be as well incorporated toward the bottom, so we'd suggest giving it a good mix about halfway through to ensure it's evenly distributed all the way to the bottom.

Culver's has a lot of fresh and creamy frozen custard options, so you can't go wrong with anything that catches your eye. It's made even better knowing that the company makes it fresh throughout the day, so it's not like you are eating a frostbitten treat that's been in the freezer forever. However, the Turtle Sundae is worth a shoutout; people consider it a delicious classic. If we had to describe the creation in one word, though, it would be decadent.

The sundae features vanilla frozen custard, loaded with crunchy, roasted pecans, luscious hot fudge, and what the fast food restaurant deems a "savory caramel." Lastly, it's topped with a bold, bright red maraschino cherry. You can start with one scoop, but you can get up to three if you want a larger treat or are sharing with someone. It is consistently highly rated by reviewers. People love the texture pecans provide, while others prefer ordering the sundae with chocolate custard. The one caveat someone mentions is that it could be too rich, – if there is such a thing — and still they rated it a 10 out of 10. So, if you're ready to take on something a little bit more exciting, this is the treat.

Maybe it's just us, but McDonald's M&M'S McFlurry feels deeply nostalgic, so enjoying it as an occasional treat feels like a joyful blast from the past. It's truly an iconic option that delicately balances the creamy soft serve with those perfectly crunchy mini M&M's. The tiny chocolate-coated candies get extra crunchy from the chilly soft serve, attaining more depth than they would have if you just ate them at room temperature. But they're still small enough that it doesn't feel like you're risking a trip to the dentist with a cracked tooth. 

People say they are fond of the M&M's McFlurry and that the candies really pair well, especially if you happen to get a lot in your treat. There's plenty of love for the Oreo McFlurry if you prefer a cookies and cream type, but the M&M's candies truly bring textural intrigue and pockets of chocolatey goodness. Some say they like Oreos but don't seem to like them in McFlurrys, so it appears to boil down to one's personal preference. Folks say they ask for extra candies in their McFlurry, which results in a mountain of M&M's on top of their treat. The color bleeds into the soft serve, but it just makes it more whimsical.

Sonic's Peanut Butter Classic Shake is yet another highly regarded PB offering, but unlike the Dairy Queen Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Blizzard, it doesn't have a chocolate element (unless you add it). Some people do exactly that, though. Folks like to add hot fudge to the mix for a rich, chocolatey touch. Sonic blends vanilla soft serve and peanut butter to create the foundation of the shake. Then, it gets whip topping and a cherry on top. 

For more peanut butter flavor, upgrade it with extra PB or add Reese's Peanut Butter Cups as a mix-in. Some even like adding Oreo to the PB shake. Sonic offers loads of drink customization options, so you can think outside of the box if you prefer something else. That said, you don't need to add anything to it; plenty of customers prefer the regular ol' Classic to other PB mix-in options and think that it's amazing just the way it is. 

A Tripadvisor reviewer said a coworker suggested getting the shake, and so they did. The results? "OH, MY WORD!!!! I went back three times in one week, and now I try to go at least once a week," they said. "If you like peanut butter, order their Classic Peanut Butter Shake. You will LOVE it!" They suggested getting a spoon too because of the rich, thick texture. 

We wanted to pick one treat per fast food restaurant, but there are plenty of flavorful options and customizations. Information about potential customizations is included where relevant. For example, places like Dairy Queen offer many ice cream and customization options; we picked one menu item that had earned a lot of praise, but you are free to order anything that catches your eye or add mix-ins to our suggestions. 

We understand that some of these are very particular flavors that might not appeal to everyone, so we tried to find a range of flavors — from fruity and extremely chocolatey to somewhat mellower and plainer options. We also picked various eateries, so you have a better chance of finding a location near you. Part of this ice cream treat selection was created using past Tasting Table reviews in which a dessert ranked highly or received a lot of praise; other times, we sought out reviews and commentary from platforms like Reddit, Facebook, and Tripadvisor. We located multiple positive reviews for each option to truly solidify its place on this list.