Yes, Dairy Queen (DQ) ice cream has milk in it.
However, it’s not really ice cream if we are being technical about it. DQ even admits that it not really ice cream on its website.
The ice cream lacks sufficient butterfat to be considered ice cream based on the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) definition. Ice cream must have at least 10 percent butterfat and DQ’s soft serve falls sort of this threshold.
DQ soft serve is considered reduced fat with a 5% butterfat content. This type of product was once called “ice milk” but the FDA now categorizes it as “reduced-fat” soft serve.
While DQ’s soft serve lacks sufficient butterfat to be considered ice cream, it still certainly has dairy or milk in it. People who wish to avoid dairy should not eat DQ soft serve.
DQ is excellent about disclosing the allergens in its food. If you visit its nutrition facts page, you’ll find tables reflecting the nutrition facts for the various menu items. Simply scroll to the end of a table to see the common allergens in DQ’s food.
Some locations may have non-dairy Dilly Bars. These are gluten-free and dairy-free ice cream bars that are made with a coconut cream base that is surrounded by a chocolate coating. Contact your favorite DQ location to see if they have these non-dairy bars in stock for you to enjoy.