Fast food prices aren’t what they used to be. Gone are the days when you could get a $1 cheeseburger or a whole meal for under $5. Prices of Dairy Queen deals have increased along with the rest of ‘em, but we’ve got a list of the 10 best Dairy Queen items, ranked by value.
Your best bet — spoiler alert — is the Dairy Queen $7 Meal Deal. While it’s not a $5 meal, the $7 price tag is still good enough to compete with other fast food chains and is over 40% less than buying the items separately.
We looked at the current Dairy Queen menu prices and compared them to other restaurants or similar items on the menu to rank them by cost savings. The prices listed are from a Dairy Queen store outside of Pittsburgh in Washington, PA. Prices vary by location.
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$7 Meal Deal
When we add up the regular prices for medium fries (regularly $2.79), a 21-ounce fountain drink (regularly $2.19), a small sundae (regularly $3.49), and an Original Cheeseburger (regularly $3.29), it costs $11.76 on this meal.
The Dairy Queen $7 Meal Deal gets you the same meal for $7 — a discount of just over 40%.
6-Pack Dilly Bars, $10.99
A single Dilly Bar is $2.39 and a 6-pack is $10.99. Buying the 6-pack works out to $1.83 per treat. The Dilly Bars are 3.5 ounces each, or $0.52 per ounce.
Let’s compare that to a similar item: a Kid’s Chocolate Dipped Cone. The cone is three ounces of ice cream with a chocolate shell, similar to the Dilly Bar. It’s also $2.29 for one cone, which is $0.76 per ounce, or about 32% more per ounce than the Dilly Bar.
If you’re a chocolate-covered ice cream fan, the 6-pack of Dilly Bars is the best value.
Tip: On the first day of spring each year, you can enjoy Free Cone Day at Dairy Queen with a free small cone — make it a chocolate dipped cone for $1.
Large Blizzards, $6.19
Here’s how the Blizzard sizes stack up when it comes to price per ounce. Prices vary widely by location, but these are current prices at a Dairy Queen in Washington, PA.
Even if your prices are different, the large size will almost surely be the best value at your location based on the price per ounce.
Size | Price | Price Per Ounce |
Mini (6 oz) | $4.39 | $0.73 |
Small (12 oz) | $5.19 | $0.43 |
Medium (16 oz) | $5.79 | $0.36 |
Large (21 oz) | $6.19 | $0.29 |
One of my favorite Dairy Queen hacks is to split a large DQ Blizzard between two people. The 21-ounce size splits into two 10.5-ounce portions with each person paying $3.10 — that’s over $1 (or 29%) less than you’d pay for a Mini Blizzard (and like getting 4.5 extra ounces for free).
Banana Split, $5.49
The Banana Split Blizzard is a popular Dairy Queen secret menu item, but you’ll save around $4 by ordering the classic Banana Split treat.
Unless your local DQ has a Banana Split Blizzard on the menu, you’ll pay for all additional add-ins. A medium Blizzard is $5.39, but if you add the banana, strawberry, pineapple, and chocolate sauce, you’d run the bill up to around $9.45. A Banana Split is $5.49 — a better value by up to 42%.
Tip: Ask your local DQ staff if they can make the Banana Split Blizzard and how much it would cost. If they’re willing to charge you the normal price of a medium Blizzard, it's a better value than the Banana Split.
Onion Rings or Cheese Curd Upgrade, $1.49 - $2.99
A side of Cheese Curds runs $4.19 on the menu. If you upgrade your combo to substitute Cheese Curds instead of fries, you'll pay just $2.99 for the upgrade — a 29% savings.
Similarly, upgrade from fries to Onion Rings (regularly $2.99) with your combo meal for just $1.49, saving you 50%.
Mix & Match 2 Items for $5
The 2-for-$5 deal isn’t as good as the $7 Meal Deal, in my opinion, but it’s still a good value. Make the most of this deal by opting for the pricier options in your pairing.
Item | Regular Price |
Small Sundae | $3.49 |
Original Single Cheeseburger | $3.29 |
Pretzel Sticks with Queso | $2.99 |
Regular Fry | $2.79 |
Large Soft Drink | $2.39 |
2-Piece Chicken Strips | $1.16 |
The best value option is the Original Cheeseburger and a small sundae — a savings of 26%.
Cupfection, $5.49
A Cupfection is $5.49 and comes in two flavor options: Brownie Oreo and Heath Caramel Brownie. These babies are massive and, dare I say, even tastier than a Blizzard.
If you were to try to create this yourself — either with a chocolate sundae or an Oreo Blizzard — you’d spend $1.20 to $2.20 more, respectively.
The Brownie Oreo Cupfection comes with soft serve, marshmallow sauce, chocolate sauce, two brownie halves, and Oreo pieces. If you were to build this yourself, you’d spend $1.50 for the brownie pieces and $0.75 per sauce. Save up to 28% by ordering the Cupfection instead of trying to create this delicious treat on your own.
Ice Cream Cake, $29.99
If you’re feeding a crowd, a Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake averages $30 and feeds 8 - 10 people. This works out to $3 per serving — less than the price of a sundae or even a mini Blizzard.
And if you’re flying solo? Check out the Dairy Queen Cupcake — a single-serve portion of their classic ice cream cakes. You’ll pay on average around $3.19 for one of these babies, which isn’t much more than a serving of the full cake.
Chili Cheese Dog Combo, $5.99
At $5.99, the Chili Cheese Dog Combo at Dairy Queen is $1.30 less than the same meal at Sonic. You’ll get the Chili Cheese Hot Dog, medium fry, and a 21-ounce drink for $5.99. The same combo at Sonic runs $7.29 — 18% more than you’d spend at Dairy Queen.
Peanut Buster Parfait, $5.49
The Peanut Buster Parfait is the best value if you like peanuts added to your ice cream. The parfait is $5.49 and comes with soft serve, chocolate fudge, and peanuts. If you were to add peanuts to a large sundae, it would actually cost $0.05 more — which isn’t much, but we’re all about getting the best deal possible. If you’re craving ice cream, chocolate, and crunchy peanuts, get the Peanut Buster Parfait — it’s a good value.
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