Vegan Guide to Dairy Queen: 2022 Menu Options, Swaps, and More (2024)

Dairy Queen's soft-serve ice cream treats have been a staple in American fast food since 1940. Alongside their signature curl-top cone, Dairy Queen introduced typical hamburger stand fare in the late 1950s, and today their menu has expanded to include a variety of specialty frozen drinks.

As you can imagine, given the nature of its name, finding a satisfying vegan meal at Dairy Queen can pose a bit of a challenge. But with a few adjustments and a little creativity, you can enjoy a vegan meal fit for royalty.

Treehugger Tips

Dairy Queen's fries and hash browns are cooked in soybean oil and do not contain animal products, whereas the onion rings do contain milk products. Keep in mind: The onion rings are cooked in the same oil as the fries, so skip the fried sides altogether if you are concerned about cross-contamination.

Best Bet: Side Salad, Fries, and a Non-Dairy Dilly Bar

This simple combo at Dairy Queen ranks comfortably in our list of decent vegan fast food meals. DQ's pre-made side salad comes with romaine and iceberg lettuce, diced tomatoes, shredded carrots, and cabbage.

Dress your salad with one of the vegan salad dressings available at Dairy Queen: Marzetti Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing, Marzetti Fat-Free California French Style Dressing, and Marzetti Light Italian Dressing.

Next, order yourself some fries and the new vegan Non-Dairy Dilly Bar to enjoy some hot eats and cool treats.

Vegan Burgers and Sandwiches

Until DQ offers a plant-based patty, the next best thing is to order a custom non-patty burger. Choose from either the split-top bun or the plain top bun, both of which are vegan, and order your Grillburger without the beef patty, cheese, or mayo.

Top off your creation with ketchup and mustard, then ask for extra tomato, lettuce, onion, and pickles. If you like your food on the spicy side, swap the FlameThrower Sauce (which contains egg) for a fiery vegan sauce of your choosing: BBQ Dipping Sauce or Wild Buffalo Dipping Sauce.

Vegan Snacks and Sides

In addition to their vegan-friendly fries, Dairy Queen offers a few other vegan sides.

  • Pretzel Sticks (Order them minus the Zesty Queso and ask for BBQ Dipping Sauce, Wild Buffalo Dipping Sauce Cup, ketchup, and/or mustard. Be sure to ask your server not to brush your Pretzel Sticks with butter before serving.)
  • Lay's Potato Chips (Plain, BBQ, and Oven Baked are all vegan.)
  • Applesauce (Packaged, from the Kids' Menu.)
  • Banana (From the Kids' Menu.)

Treehugger Tip

Skip the Kids' Meal, which comes with a small vanilla soft-serve Kids' Cone that is not vegan. Instead, order your vegan entrée, side, and drink separately. If you're looking for a healthier side dish, borrow from the vegan Kids' Meal side options: applesauce or a banana.

Vegan Treats

The vast majority of Dairy Queens's Classic Treats as well as their Moolattes, cones, cakes, cupcakes, and smoothies cannot be made vegan, but here are the few treats vegans can enjoy, too.

  • Non-Dairy Dilly Bar (Available in single-serve and multipacks of six.)
  • Star Kiss Frozen Treat (Available only at select locations.)
  • Misty Slush (Please note, the Misty Freeze is not vegan, but all the Misty Slush flavors are.)

Vegan Breakfast

If your local DQ has breakfast hours, these are your safe-bet vegan options.

  • Coffee
  • Hash browns
  • Orange juice

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Does Dairy Queen have any vegan Blizzards?

    No, Blizzard Treats have a base that includes milk products and sometimes eggs.

  • Are there vegan shakes or malts at Dairy Queen?

    No, all their shakes and malts contain dairy. The same goes for smoothies and Julius Originals.

Vegan Guide to Dairy Queen: 2022 Menu Options, Swaps, and More (2024)

FAQs

Vegan Guide to Dairy Queen: 2022 Menu Options, Swaps, and More? ›

Are Dairy Queen's pretzel sticks vegan? Yes! If you order Dairy Queen pretzel sticks without the queso, they are vegan-friendly!

Are Dairy Queen pretzels vegan? ›

Are Dairy Queen's pretzel sticks vegan? Yes! If you order Dairy Queen pretzel sticks without the queso, they are vegan-friendly!

Does Dairy Queen have plant-based options? ›

In the past, their dairy-free menu items were limited, but now they have quite a few options for non-dairy diners of all ages. In fact, they even have dairy-free ice cream bars! Their non-dairy Dilly Bars are made with vegan chocolate and coconut ice cream.

Are Dilly bars dairy-free? ›

Our Non-Dairy Dilly® Bar is gluten free, dairy-free, and plant-based, made with a coconut cream based protein and finished with our delicious crunchy chocolatey coating.

Are star kisses dairy-free? ›

Non-Dairy Dilly Bar and Star Kiss Frozen Treat. French Fries (though they are fried in the same oil as foods with gluten) Slushes (all flavors, but not the freezes) Toppings (veggies)

Are dq onion rings vegan? ›

Dairy Queen's fries and hash browns are cooked in soybean oil and do not contain animal products, whereas the onion rings do contain milk products. Keep in mind: The onion rings are cooked in the same oil as the fries, so skip the fried sides altogether if you are concerned about cross-contamination.

Are Dairy Queen hash browns vegan? ›

No animal fat here—Dairy Queen's fries and hash browns are both vegan. You won't find many other animal-free options here, but surprisingly, Dairy Queen has a non-dairy version of its Dilly Bar, so you can indulge in a salty-and-sweet combination of French fries and ice cream.

Does Dairy Queen have an impossible burger? ›

No, the Dairy Queen menu does not have a veggie burger as of now. While you can modify their double cheeseburgers to tailor-fit your vegan lifestyle, this fast-food chain does not offer veggie patties in their menu yet (we're hoping they catch up soon!).

What is a Buster bar? ›

Dairy Queen's famous Buster Bar was first served in 1968 and have been on their menu ever since. The classic Buster Bar is an ice cream treat on a popsicle stick that consists of layers of vanilla ice cream, a layer of chocolatey fudge and peanuts, all dipped in a chocolate coating.

Are Mint Dilly bars being discontinued? ›

With not much fanfare, Fudge Bars, alongside Mint Dilly Bars, got their decommission orders from the Dairy Queen headquarters in 2022. With the clocking ticking on their demise, longtime lovers had to scramble to stores to get whatever stock remained.

Is Anne's pretzel vegan? ›

You can now find Auntie Anne's in nearly every mall, and sometimes in other retail locations. Many of the big, soft, doughy, twisted pretzels at Auntie Anne's are dairy-free and vegan when ordered without butter. They're great for noshing while shopping or running errands.

Where does Dairy Queen get their pretzels from? ›

PENNSAUKEN, NJ--(Marketwired - October 11, 2016) - J&J Snack Foods Corp. ( NASDAQ : JJSF ) supplies the Dairy Queen system with oven-hot soft pretzel sticks with zesty queso, an extension to the DQ Bakes! ® Snack Menu. The soft pretzel sticks have been uniquely developed exclusively for the Dairy Queen menu.

Are store bought pretzels vegan? ›

So, yes pretzels are vegan (most of the time) and one of the oldest snack foods but yes they can be a little salty. The reason for their saltiness is because they traditionally have salt added to the ingredients but also sea salt or coarse salt sprinkled on to top.

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