As fall arrives and the leaves start to change, many people start craving the familiar flavors of the season like pumpkin spice. Brands like Starbucks have made pumpkin spice lattes a staple seasonal drink. Other fast food chains and restaurants have started offering their own pumpkin spice menu items to cater to this demand. One popular restaurant that people are wondering about is Dairy Queen – do they offer any pumpkin spice shakes or other pumpkin treats? Let’s take a look at what Dairy Queen has available for those looking for that taste of fall.
What Fall Flavors Does Dairy Queen Offer?
Dairy Queen does offer some limited time fall-inspired menu items. However, they do not specifically offer a pumpkin spice shake. Here are some of the seasonal fall flavors you can find at Dairy Queen:
- Pumpkin Pie Blizzard – This blend of pumpkin pie filling and pie crust pieces has been an annual fall Blizzard flavor for many years.
- Snickers Peanut Butter Pie Blizzard – While not pumpkin, it combines peanut butter and chocolate that are familiar fall flavors.
- Pumpkin Pie Cake – Dairy Queen occasionally offers a slice of pumpkin pie cake with cream cheese icing during the fall.
- Fall Harvest Skillet Meal – Features turkey, gravy, cornbread and apple topping.
- Pumpkin Pie Smoothie – A creamy, pumpkin pie flavored smoothie available for a limited time.
So while Dairy Queen doesn’t specifically market a pumpkin spice shake, they do have shake and smoothie options featuring pumpkin pie flavor. The Pumpkin Pie Blizzard and Pumpkin Pie Smoothie are probably the closest equivalents to a pumpkin spice shake that can be found at Dairy Queen in the fall.
Why Doesn’t Dairy Queen Offer Pumpkin Spice Shakes?
There are a few potential reasons why Dairy Queen hasn’t joined the pumpkin spice craze with their own branded pumpkin spice shake:
- Brand recognition – Dairy Queen is known for their signature soft serve, Blizzards and classic frozen treat flavors. They may not want to dilute their brand identity by hopping on seasonal food trends.
- Development costs – Creating a new seasonal food or drink takes time and money for R&D. The pumpkin spice market may already be saturated.
- Supply chain issues – With ingredient shortages and supply chain disruptions, it can be difficult to source seasonal ingredients like pumpkin puree.
- Less demand – Dairy Queen may feel their current fall options are sufficient to meet consumer demand.
Ultimately, Dairy Queen seems satisfied with their current seasonal offerings featuring familiar pumpkin pie spice flavor profiles. They likely don’t see enough return on investment by developing an entirely new pumpkin spice shake product.
Hacks to Make a DIY Pumpkin Spice Shake
Even though it’s not on the menu, there are some easy ways to create a pumpkin spice shake at Dairy Queen if you’re craving those flavors:
Add Pumpkin Pie Filling
Order a vanilla shake and ask for a side of pumpkin pie filling. Stir a few spoonfuls of the filling into your shake until thoroughly combined. The creamy filling will add a true pumpkin flavor. Top with whipped cream, sprinkles and a dash of pumpkin pie spice.
Spice Up a Blizzard
Choose a Blizzard flavor like vanilla soft serve and add a dash of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and ginger. You can keep pumpkin pie spice mix on hand to quickly add the classic blend. The spices will complement the creamy soft serve for a DIY pumpkin spice shake.
Include Fall Mix-Ins
Select mix-ins that capture fall flavors like caramel or peanut butter. You can also ask for a drizzle of caramel or fudge sauce. Top it off with crunchy graham cracker pieces or crushed peanut butter cups to really bring the pumpkin spice vibe together.
Use Pumpkin Pie Syrup
Some specialty syrup brands make pumpkin pie flavored syrups. Bring a few ounces of your favorite flavor and ask for it to be added to your shake. The syrup provides a quick pumpkin spice boost to any basic shake order.
Conclusion
Dairy Queen sticks to their classic frozen treat roots and doesn’t offer a pumpkin spice shake – yet. But with some creative mixing and matching of flavors and ingredients, you can easily customize your Blizzard or shake order to get the tastes of fall. Or satisfy your pumpkin craving with their Pumpkin Pie Blizzard or Smoothie. Here’s hoping Dairy Queen will put an official pumpkin spice shake on their fall menu in the future!