13 Dairy Queen Items You Forgot About

When it comes to ice cream, it’s hard to think of a more recognizable name than Dairy Queen. The beloved treat shop, first founded in the mid-1940s, has been the backdrop for many hot-fudge-covered childhood memories and continues to capture us even as adults. It occupies this unique space between being deeply rooted in the penny-candy, soda-shop nostalgia of the past and simultaneously feeling like a place that never goes out of style. Which isn’t too hard because who doesn’t love ice cream?

Regardless of whether you’re a Blizzard fanatic who’s tried almost every new concoction or you prefer simpler pleasures, like a tasty cherry-dipped cone, there’s something for everyone at Dairy Queen. Of course, once you find your thing, there’s nothing worse than taking a trip to the beloved home of the Dilly Bar only to find out that they’ve taken your go-to order off the menu completely. Waffle cones gone, Blizzard flavors eliminated, dreams crushed—it could very well be treated as a crime scene. 

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Related: Dairy Queen Just Announced a New ‘Breakfast Collection’ Inspired by Childhood Favorites

The sad truth is that while there are some constants (like the cutesy curl at the end of a cone), nothing lasts forever. Not even your favorite menu item. If you’ve ever wondered exactly how Dairy Queen determines which items get the proverbial axe, or want to experience some mouthwatering FOMO, we’ve rounded up 13 Dairy Queen items you forgot about and which ones might be making a comeback. Keep reading to find out more.

What Dairy Queen Menu Items Have Been Discontinued?

There is a reality where Dairy Queen never got rid of the Girl Scout Tagalongs Peanut Butter Patties Blizzard, but sadly, we haven’t quantum jumped to that timeline yet. Every now and then, DQ makes the difficult decision to discontinue a fan favorite for one reason or another, and regardless of the size of that specific treat’s fandom, the pain left behind is just as enormous. Here are seven discontinued Dairy Queen menu items.

1. Waffle Cones

This might come as a surprise because it definitely was to me, but you won’t find too many Dairy Queen locations making waffle cones anymore. While a few remain due to differences among franchisees, waffle cones have largely been phased out of the DQ zeitgeist. Despite their obvious popularity, freshly made waffle cones require significant additional labor and have a notoriously short shelf life, making them a costly, high-waste item. This led many franchise owners to remove them from the menu.

2. Sour Patch Kids Blizzard

While over 170 Blizzard flavors have been introduced since its creation, the Sour Patch Kids Blizzard was surprisingly among Dairy Queen’s most popular flavors. Redberry flavored soft serve blended with Sour Patch Kids Bitz—a combo that shouldn’t have worked, but it definitely did. It worked so well, in fact, that since it’s very one-the-nose sour, sweet and gone release in July of 2019, fans have been petitioning for it to make a comeback. There’s even an ongoing campaign on Change.org. 

3. DQ Fudge Bars

Not to be confused with the iconic Dilly Bar, Dairy Queen once stocked Fudge Bars, a low-calorie, sugar-free alternative to some of the brand’s other sweets. Unfortunately, the healthier sweet option wasn’t a bestseller for the brand, leading to its discontinuation in 2022.

4. Butterscotch Dipped Cone

When it was announced that the Butterscotch Dipped Cone would be removed from menus, fans couldn’t contain their disappointment. The fan-favorite flavor was a menu staple at Dairy Queen for decades before being relegated to seasonal status sometime in 2019. Today, you can find the flavor as a limited-time seasonal offering or grab a box of Butterscotch Dilly Bars instead.

5. Wet Walnuts

We promise not to go nuts with puns on this one, but yes, you’re reading that correctly: Wet Walnuts were, in fact, a previous topping at Dairy Queen. Despite its name that would make even the most mature fifth grader crack up, wet walnuts were essentially a sticky-sweet topping made of walnuts or walnut pieces mixed with maple syrup. You could get them added to your sundae or blended into a milkshake, and although they weren’t the most popular topping on the menu, they had one shell of a cult following. Sadly, due to rising ingredient costs and general lack of demand from fans, DQ removed the topping from menus sometime in 2022.

6. Chocolate Sprinkles

Personally speaking, the only sprinkles we acknowledge are rainbow, but no judgment if you prefer chocolate. At least not directly to your face. That being said, we can totally understand how it must’ve felt to find out that Dairy Queen had decided to phase out chocolate sprinkles for good in June 2022. The move was made in response to supply chain issues and was ultimately intended to promote menu consistency across the stores. Please accept our condolences. 

7. Cherry Dipped Cones

We can’t talk about Dairy Queen without mentioning the Cherry Dip. Although it’s a newer flavor for the chain, the bright red candy shell is arguably one of the brand’s most popular, and once you taste it, you’ll understand why. It’s the perfect complement to DQ’s creamy, vanilla-laced soft serve, and it doesn’t hurt that its bright red color looks stunning in photos. With that in mind, it makes sense that when Dairy Queen announced that the cherry dip would be phased out of stores in 2023, fans were ready to riot. Fortunately, the beloved flavor has returned since then as a limited-time seasonal offering rather than a permanent menu item.

What Were the Most Popular Dairy Queen Treats in the Past?

Over the course of its 85-year history, Dairy Queen has consistently delivered countless treats that practically cater to every kind of sweet tooth. From sundaes and malts to the iconic Blizzard, DQ is and always will be the place to go when you’re looking for a little bit of a sugar rush. And if you’ve ever wondered what else is popular at Dairy Queen, we’ve rounded up 5 of the most popular treats from the past below. You might even be able to find some in a very special place.

1. Monkey Tails

Unless you grew up in the 1970s and ’80s, you’ve likely never heard of Monkey Tails, a frozen banana on a stick dipped in chocolate. It was a simple treat that looked like, well, a monkey tail, and it was a staple on menus for about 20 years, dating back to the ’60s. Although there has never been a concrete explanation for why this perfect summer treat was discontinued, some fans speculate that it was simply to make room on the menu for other items. Luckily, if you’re still craving one, you can find them at the historic Moorehead, Minn., location, along with various other nostalgic sweets.

2. Mr. Maltie

This one might not ring any bells for the millennials out there, but at one point, Dairy Queen had a mascot named Mr. Maltie and a treat to go with it. It was essentially a frozen chocolate malt on a stick, first introduced in 1949. It was a staple on menus until the late 90s, when the brand all but stopped marketing the product. The trademark for the character was renewed in 2004, then canceled in 2016. Luckily, the Moorehead location still sells them if you’d like to try one for yourself.

3. DQ Bakes Apple Tart

DQ Bakes sound like some made-up mythic concoction, but at one point, they were one of Dairy Queen’s most beloved menu items. The premise was that you could get a rich, decadent treat featuring something warm, topped with DQ’s classic soft serve. While the Apple Tart was by and away the most popular flavor, fans could also choose between a Triple Chocolate Brownie or a Fudge-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookie. The decadent treats were unfortunately discontinued in 2022, and there’s no word on whether or not they’ll return.

4. Oreo Brownie Earthquake Sundae

As someone who loves anything to do with Oreos, this one is very near and dear to my heart. It had everything you could want in a sweet treat. Rich, creamy soft serve, chunks of fudgy brownies, hot fudge, marshmallow sauce, and a shower of Oreo crumbles—what’s not to love? Unfortunately, the treat is no longer a permanent item on menus, although most of the ingredients are readily available for other treats, so you can still build one yourself. Simply ask for a sundae with all the extras. 

5. DQ Jet

This one might not ring a bell for anyone who isn’t Gen X, but from the late ’50s through the ’70s, Dairy Queen carried the DQ Jet, which was essentially a push pop like a creamsicle, available in vanilla, chocolate, and other rotating flavors. It was made as a nod to the ongoing space race at the time and sold for a meager 10 cents. You could also get a six-pack for 55 cents or get 11 for $1. Unfortunately, it was discontinued in the ’70s, with no plans to return.

6. Old Fashioned Sodas

Although we’ve never thought of Dairy Queen as anything other than an ice cream parlor, its age should give you an idea of what the early days behind the counter might have looked like. Just when the beloved sweet shop first opened its doors, soda fountains were entering their golden age, and naturally, DQ had to jump on the bandwagon. Up until the late ’90s, Dairy Queen sold its own Old Fashioned Sodas, which featured a variety of syrups, soft serve and carbonated water.

Related: How Much Was a Coke From McDonald’s When It Opened in April 1955?

Why Does Dairy Queen Retire Menu Items?

Like most businesses, Dairy Queen occasionally retires menu items for a variety of reasons, including ingredient availability, declining sales, or a general refresh to offer customers something new. Also, from an operations perspective, it’s a lot easier to manage a menu with set items and a few exciting features than one that looks like the booklet at The Cheesecake Factory. 

That said, because Dairy Queen is a franchise, menu options can vary by location, so you might get lucky and stumble upon a waffle cone or Monkey Tail in the wild. Or you could take a road trip to the historic Moorehead, Minn., DQ, and check out a variety of vintage treats still on the menu.

Are Any Discontinued Dairy Queen Items Coming Back?

Thankfully, we’ve spent enough time talking about everything we’re missing and are now looking ahead to which discontinued items we can expect to see back in stores—even if only for a limited time. While there’s no word on whether Mr. Maltie is being reborn or if Dairy Queen will revamp the health-minded DQ Breeze, the brand has plenty in store for 2026, including a packed summer lineup of returning faves.

As far as blizzards go, you can grab a S’more’s, Cotton Candy or Oreo Dirt Pie Blizzard, all returning just in time for the warmer weather. The chain is also bringing back the Brownie Batter Blizzard as well as the beloved Cherry Dip. And the fun doesn’t stop there. Dairy Queen is also introducing a barrage of new flavors, including a Strawberry Angel Food Cake Blizzard, a Fruity Pebbles Shake, and a Cinnamon Toast Crunch Dipped Cone. Consider your summer treat calendar booked.

What Is Dairy Queen Best Known for Today?

It’s pretty much impossible to mention Dairy Queen without simultaneously mentioning the iconic Blizzard. Since it was first introduced to the world in 1985, the Blizzard has become Dairy Queen’s global calling card, often served with the signature flip upside down to showcase just how thick and luscious it is, even after it’s been expertly blended with mix-ins. It’s one of those things that tastes amazing at a molecular level, like it was always meant to exist. 

To get even deeper, the real unsung hero of DQ is that expertly crafted soft serve that’s the base of nearly everything on the menu. Beyond that, Dairy Queen is the perfect one-stop shop, no matter what kind of treat you’re in the mood for. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we just got the sudden urge to try every Blizzard on the menu.

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