There’s something about the holidays that sneaks up through the back door of your memory, right around the time the first red-and-green sprinkle hits your tongue. For me, it’s that first bite of the Dairy Queen Frosted Sugar Cookie Blizzard. Soft sugar cookie pieces tucked into vanilla soft serve, icing streaks running like ribbons of childhood through every spoonful, and the crunch of sprinkles that don’t do much but somehow make the whole thing feel like magic.
I remember getting one in December, parked outside a strip mall with fog on the windows and Christmas music leaking from a neighbor’s car stereo. It was cold outside, colder in my hands, but warm in that funny way only a sugar rush can be. This copycat recipe brings it all back, without the line at DQ or the regret of not ordering a second one.
It’s simple. Soft vanilla ice cream blended with tender sugar cookie pieces, a kiss of almond-vanilla icing, and just enough festive sprinkles to make you feel five years old again. The best part? You can have it in July if you want. Santa won’t mind.
Table of Contents
How to Make the Dairy Queen Frosted Sugar Cookie Blizzard
Start with a soft vanilla base, ice cream thinned with milk and cream so it’s spoonable like DQ’s soft serve. Toss bakery-style sugar cookie chunks in a bit of almond-vanilla frosting to keep them soft. Gently fold them into the base with sprinkles and thin streaks of icing. You want pockets of cookie, swirls of sweet, and a creamy, cold texture that feels like December.
Nutrition facts (per 12 oz serving)
Calories: 510
Total Fat: 20 g
Saturated Fat: 12 g
Carbohydrates: 77 g
Sugar: 64 g
Protein: 7 g
Ingredients (1 large Blizzard or 2 minis)
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 1–2
- 2 cups vanilla ice cream (low butterfat, like classic vanilla, not super-premium)
- ½ cup cold whole milk
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon powdered milk (optional, helps mimic soft-serve feel)
- 6 soft sugar cookies, bakery-style, chopped into ½-inch pieces
- ¼ cup vanilla frosting (room temp, not runny)
- ⅛ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 tablespoons red and green sprinkles
- 2 tablespoons vanilla frosting (for icing drizzle)
- 1 teaspoon milk (to loosen drizzle)
Tools You’ll Need
• Blender or stand mixer
• Chilled metal bowl
• Spatula
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Serving cups or bowls
• Piping bag or small plastic bag (for icing)
• Freezer-safe container (if prepping ahead)
Instructions
1. Chill the bowl.
Stick your mixing bowl and spatula in the freezer for 10 minutes. It keeps the base thick and creamy.
2. Make the vanilla base.
In the chilled bowl, combine the vanilla ice cream, cold milk, heavy cream, powdered milk (if using), and vanilla extract. Blend or beat on low speed just until thick and smooth like soft serve, about 15 to 20 seconds. Don’t over-whip.
3. Prepare the cookie mix-ins.
In a small bowl, stir together ¼ cup vanilla frosting and almond extract. Toss your chopped cookie pieces in this frosting blend. This keeps the cookies soft and gives them that “freshly frosted” flavor DQ nails.
4. Fold in the good stuff.
Gently fold the cookie pieces and sprinkles into your vanilla base. Use a light hand so the cookies don’t turn to crumbs.
5. Add icing drizzle.
In a separate bowl, mix the 2 tablespoons of frosting with 1 teaspoon milk until it’s drizzle-ready. Pipe or spoon it over the Blizzard mix and fold once or twice to create ribbons, not a full blend.
6. Freeze briefly (optional).
If your Blizzard got a little soft, pop it in the freezer for 8–10 minutes before serving. This helps set the texture without hardening the cookies.
7. Serve and enjoy.
Scoop into chilled cups, top with extra sprinkles, and maybe an extra icing swirl if you’re feeling festive.
Tips
• Use soft sugar cookies, not crunchy. Grocery store bakery ones work perfectly.
• Don’t skip the almond extract. It’s subtle but crucial for that “frosted sugar cookie” flavor.
• Keep your base cold at all times. If things get too runny, a quick freeze helps.
• If your frosting is too thick to drizzle, microwave it for 5 seconds, stir, then cool slightly.
What to Serve With
Sweet pairings
- White chocolate bark with peppermint bits – Adds a refreshing crunch and holiday flavor that complements the creamy, cookie-filled Blizzard.
- Gingerbread snaps – A spicy-sweet contrast that wakes up the mellow vanilla in the Blizzard. Perfect for dunking, too.
- Hot cocoa with marshmallows – Cold dessert with warm drink? Always a win. Especially if it’s snowing out, or pretending to be in July.
Savory balance
- Pretzel bites with honey mustard – The salty crunch makes the Blizzard sweeter by contrast, and the texture game is strong.
- Mini grilled cheese sliders – If you want to lean into comfort food territory, these balance the sweetness with buttery richness.
- Popcorn with sea salt and paprika – Snacky, light, and just weird enough to work. Try it. You’ll be surprised.
Festive touches
- Cranberry-orange loaf – Slightly tart, subtly citrusy, and a little more grown-up. Makes the Blizzard feel like part of a dessert board.
- Holiday sugar cookie truffles – Yes, more cookies. But in a new texture. It’s like Blizzard meets truffle and they decided to be best friends.
Variations
Mini Blizzard Bites
Scoop the final mix into mini cupcake liners and freeze for party-friendly finger treats.
Boozy Blizzard
Add a splash of vanilla vodka or Bailey’s to the base for a grown-up dessert. Don’t serve to the kids.
Color swap
Use pastel sprinkles for Easter, rainbow jimmies for birthdays, or spooky black-and-orange for Halloween. This Blizzard’s not just for December.
Chocolate chip twist
Swap half the sugar cookies for soft chocolate chip cookies for a hybrid Blizzard. It’s like holiday cookie swap in a cup.
Vegan version
Use almond milk, coconut cream, vegan ice cream, and plant-based sugar cookies. The texture stays dreamy, the taste still holiday-worthy.
Ingredient Substitutes
Vanilla Ice Cream
Original: Low-butterfat vanilla
Substitutes: Frozen yogurt, soft-serve mix, banana nice cream (for a fruitier twist), or coconut milk-based ice cream
Whole Milk
Original: Whole milk
Substitutes: Oat milk (adds creaminess), almond milk, cashew milk, or evaporated milk for a thicker texture
Powdered Milk
Optional booster for soft-serve vibe
Substitutes: Skip it, or use 1 tsp vanilla pudding mix
Sugar Cookies
Original: Soft bakery sugar cookies
Substitutes: Soft snickerdoodles, vanilla wafers soaked in milk for 1 minute, or even cake cubes if in a pinch
Frosting
Original: Vanilla frosting + almond extract
Substitutes: Cream cheese frosting (adds tang), marshmallow fluff (lighter), or DIY with powdered sugar, butter, and almond
Sprinkles
Original: Red and green jimmies
Substitutes: Any color combo you love, rainbow, gold stars, pastel pearls, or skip them for a rustic look
Icing Drizzle
Original: Thinned vanilla frosting
Substitutes: Melted white chocolate, sweetened condensed milk, or skip it entirely for a simpler blend
Honest Review
After a few test runs (and one near disaster involving melted frosting and cookie mush), I finally landed on a version that really feels like the real thing. The texture is where this copycat shines, soft but not soggy sugar cookie pieces, ribbons of icing that melt into the vanilla like holiday magic, and that cold, creamy base that hits you with nostalgia on the first bite. The sprinkles? Totally unnecessary from a flavor standpoint, but absolutely essential to the whole “DQ December Blizzard” vibe.
Is it an exact match? Not quite. DQ likely has some ultra-processed cookie mix-ins and a soft-serve machine that’s churning out that signature air-light swirl. But for a home version? This one is dangerously close. Close enough that I had to hide the leftovers from myself. If you’ve ever wished you could get that Frosted Sugar Cookie Blizzard in April, or let’s be honest, while wearing pajamas, this recipe’s your golden ticket.
Make it once, then make it again with whatever cookies you’ve got. Just don’t skip the almond extract. That’s the sneaky magic in the frosting.
Ingredients
- 2 cups vanilla ice cream (low butterfat, like classic vanilla—not super-premium)
- ½ cup cold whole milk
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon powdered milk (optional, helps mimic soft-serve feel)
- 6 soft sugar cookies, bakery-style, chopped into ½-inch pieces
- ¼ cup vanilla frosting (room temp, not runny)
- ⅛ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 tablespoons red and green sprinkles
- 2 tablespoons vanilla frosting (for icing drizzle)
- 1 teaspoon milk (to loosen drizzle)
Instructions
Start by chilling your mixing bowl and spatula in the freezer for about ten minutes. This small step helps keep your Blizzard base thick, creamy, and perfectly smooth. Once cold, combine the vanilla ice cream, milk, heavy cream, powdered milk if you’re using it, and a splash of vanilla extract in the chilled bowl. Blend or beat gently on low speed for fifteen to twenty seconds until it reaches a soft-serve texture, thick and smooth but not over-whipped.
In a small bowl, stir vanilla frosting with a few drops of almond extract, then toss in your chopped cookie pieces until they’re lightly coated. This little trick keeps the cookies soft and adds that freshly frosted flavor Dairy Queen does so well. Gently fold the cookie pieces and colorful sprinkles into the vanilla base, mixing just enough to distribute without crushing the cookies.
To get that signature swirl, mix the remaining frosting with a teaspoon of milk until thin enough to drizzle. Spoon or pipe it over the Blizzard mixture, then fold once or twice to create ribbons through the cream. If it feels a bit soft, let it rest in the freezer for eight to ten minutes, just enough to firm it up while keeping the cookies tender. When ready, scoop into chilled cups, top with extra sprinkles, and finish with a playful swirl of icing if you’re feeling festive.
Notes
Calories: 510 Total Fat: 20 g Saturated Fat: 12 g Carbohydrates: 77 g Sugar: 64 g Protein: 7 g
