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Dairy Queen?

shacon-bacon

By shacon-bacon
in Gluten-Free Restaurants

Recommended Posts

shacon-bacon Apprentice
shacon-bacon
Posted

With summer coming, I'm dying for our old ritual of Sunday night Dairy Queen...

Does anyone know if there is ANYTHING there gluten free??? Any ice cream???

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jerseyangel Proficient
jerseyangel
Posted

Here's their gluten-free list--

Open Original Shared Link

Enjoy! :D

JennyC Enthusiast
JennyC
Posted

We also like to go to Dairy Queen. My son gets ice cream sundays or dilly bars. Here is some information I got from their website:

DQ

celiac-mommy Collaborator
celiac-mommy
Posted

Also, if you get soft serve, make sure and ask if they practice making cones and then dump the ice cream back into the machine--CC. We used to do that where I worked in high school :o

Darn210 Enthusiast
Darn210
Posted
Also, if you get soft serve, make sure and ask if they practice making cones and then dump the ice cream back into the machine--CC. We used to do that where I worked in high school :o

Same here . . . of course that was over 25 years ago . . . did I say 25? I meant 15? . . . 10?

Also use to dump back in if it weighed too much. . . we had to weigh each cone and made sure it was within tolerance. If it weighed too much, it got dumped into a special container that was allowed to melt in the refrigerator, strained and then put back into the soft serve machine.

babysteps Contributor
babysteps
Posted

wow, good tip about the re-cycled soft serve!

at the DQ link, if you click through to the "nutrition calculator" you can get a full list of ingredients. For example, the vanilla soft serve ingredient list (as of Apr 23, 2008) is:

Dairy Queen Vanilla Soft Serve: Milkfat and nonfat milk, sugar, corn syrup, whey, mono and diglycerides, artificial flavor, guar gum, polysorbate 80, carrageenan, and vitamin A palmitate.

(I chose "cone" category, but ingredients for cone & soft serve are listed separately)

home-based-mom Contributor
home-based-mom
Posted

Has anyone asked DQ if this is still how they do things? In the process of asking, let them know that if they still do this, they need to stop listing the product as gluten free. This could easily be another situation where they don't "connect the dots."

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celiac-mommy Collaborator
celiac-mommy
Posted
Has anyone asked DQ if this is still how they do things? In the process of asking, let them know that if they still do this, they need to stop listing the product as gluten free. This could easily be another situation where they don't "connect the dots."

I guess that's why the disclaimer:

Dairy Queen

home-based-mom Contributor
home-based-mom
Posted
I guess that's why the disclaimer:

Dairy Queen

Darn210 Enthusiast
Darn210
Posted

I'm switching over to the DQ site right now and I will shoot them an email. I will let you know what their response is . . .

toomuchagony Apprentice
toomuchagony
Posted

OH WOW EH :o

Well gee I just LOVE soft-serve!!! Here I usually buy it by the "take-home liter" (quart for ya southers!)

I am going to go and pay an in person visit to the DQ here in my little town and ASK them about their current practices and what they can assure me IS in fact gluten free tomorrow. I'll post my results after.

Darn210 Enthusiast
Darn210
Posted

My email:

My daughter was diagnosed with celiac disease a little over a year ago. At that time I joined an online forum that shares information/recipes/coping strategies etc for people with celiac disease and gluten intolerance. Recently, a member asked if anyone knew what was available at Dairy Queen that was gluten free. Another member responded with the information that is listed on your website. The chocolate and vanilla soft serve were both listed as gluten free.

When I was in high school (a long, long time ago - OK, about 25 years ago), I worked at a DQ. When I was there, they had a policy of saving the soft serve from the practice cones of trainees, or cones that were not up to par in looks/shape/size. They would scrape the top off of the cone, discard the cone, allow the soft serve to melt in the refrigerator, strain it (for cone pieces) and then cycle it back through the machine. Do you know if this is a common practice? Is it still something that could happen today? I bring this up because this soft serve would be considered cross contaminated and some individuals would suffer a reaction. As it is currently an open discussion, I plan to share your response with the forum that I participate in.

I also want to add, that your answer will not keep me from taking my family to DQ, but it will determine what I will allow my daughter to order and I know many Celiacs that feel the same way. (This was my attempt to let them know that the truth is more important than the practice, if you know what I mean.)

Their response:

Dear ,

Thank you for contacting International Dairy Queen, Inc. (IDQ) with your

request for Dairy Queen

home-based-mom Contributor
home-based-mom
Posted
So here's the new question . . . if it's not an IDQ practice (and I would expect that it never was), would a franchise admit that they do it?

Unfortunately that is going to depend on the character qualities of the manager. :huh:

Wouldn't you just love to be the (invisible so you didn't get swatted) fly on the wall so you really knew? :lol:

shacon-bacon Apprentice
shacon-bacon
Posted
  • Author

Wow thank you so much for taking the time to find that out. I suspect that at my local dairy queen, I could walk in and ask the 16 year old girl behind the counter if that was what she did when she was trained and she would tell the truth...

That's interesting to know they may do that, I would have NEVER thought of that. Thanks all for the responses!

  • 3 weeks later...
Rabbit280 Newbie
Rabbit280
Posted

Hello,

I am newly diagnosed with wheat intolerance, and I really appreciate a site that will help me with this new lifestyle change. Thank you all for doing so much research. It is refreshing to see people really get to the heart of the wheat issue with restaurants.

I am happy that I can still have blizzards!!! (of course, I will have to ask about putting the ice cream back in. :rolleyes: )

Thanks!!

celiac-mommy Collaborator
celiac-mommy
Posted
I am happy that I can still have blizzards!!! (of course, I will have to ask about putting the ice cream back in. :rolleyes: )

Please be SO careful with the blizzards. They often use the same spoons for all the mix-ins, there is such a huge risk for CC and a lot of the times the candy mix-ins are all in open containers. I would hate for a twix to get into the M&M's..... Not to mention if the machine isn't cleaned thoroughly between each blizzard. If you have a Cold Stone Creamery, try them. They will dig 'clean' ice cream from a new bucket, get mix-ins from a new box and mix for you on a clean stone. They are always super accomodating and I always tip well for their above and beyond efforts--more places should follow their lead!

Darn210 Enthusiast
Darn210
Posted
Please be SO careful with the blizzards. They often use the same spoons for all the mix-ins, there is such a huge risk for CC and a lot of the times the candy mix-ins are all in open containers. I would hate for a twix to get into the M&M's..... Not to mention if the machine isn't cleaned thoroughly between each blizzard. If you have a Cold Stone Creamery, try them. They will dig 'clean' ice cream from a new bucket, get mix-ins from a new box and mix for you on a clean stone. They are always super accomodating and I always tip well for their above and beyond efforts--more places should follow their lead!

Likewise for our local Maggie Moo's. They've been wonderful!!!

GRUMP 1 Contributor
GRUMP 1
Posted

Ok I am wondering, has any one tried the tacos from D.Q.? When we were down south in Oklahoma and Texas a few years ago they were serving tacos. They are just the best, to bad we cant get them up here. But we are going to be making a trip to Arkansas in October to see the kids. I would love to have some D.Q. tacos. So can any one any one tell me are they safe?

Thank you,

Grump

Yellow Rose Explorer
Yellow Rose
Posted

Another thing to watch out for at DQ is the chopped pecan topping. I have had several sundays without the pecans and I don't get sick but every time I ask for the pecans on top I do get sick. There is what I thought was pecan crumbs along with the chopped pecans but I don't think they are pecan crumbs after all since I do get sick each time. I have eaten lots of other things with pecans and it doesn't effect me.

Don't ya just love DQ!!! :P

Yellow Rose

Rabbit280 Newbie
Rabbit280
Posted

Thank you so much for that information! :lol:

I do have a cold stone near me; I will go there and see what they can do for me. Ice cream is something we should still be able to enjoy!

I have never had DQ tacos. They don't have them in Colorado, so I don't know if they are safe or not.

linuxprincess Rookie
linuxprincess
Posted
Ok I am wondering, has any one tried the tacos from D.Q.? When we were down south in Oklahoma and Texas a few years ago they were serving tacos. They are just the best, to bad we cant get them up here. But we are going to be making a trip to Arkansas in October to see the kids. I would love to have some D.Q. tacos. So can any one any one tell me are they safe?

Thank you,

Grump

I would assume the tacos would be safe assuming they are using corn. You could always ask to see the box they come in if you want, too. One thing I do want to point out is that gluten is transmitted easily in liquids, and if they use the same oil to fry the shell for the taco and the breaded chicken strips you might get some CC action that would be unwelcome on a trip. Then again, if you're not that sensitive to gluten then I would worry about it. If you don't know, this might be the time to find out and enjoy those tacos once again!

mommy2two99 Newbie
mommy2two99
Posted

I, too, would suggest Cold Stone. They always go the extra mile for me.

I definitely agree about the CC issues at DQ. I think that I would be sure to have them clean the mixing machines before making your blizzard.

Good luck!

  • 3 years later...
Sarah Alli Apprentice
Sarah Alli
Posted

This is really old, but I found it via a search and wanted to provide personal experience for others who might find it.

I've been gluten-free for only about a month, and I don't have a definitive diagnosis (trial diet) but I went to DQ yesterday and wanted a blizzard desperately- got a mint blizzard with chocolate chips. I asked them to clean the machine which they did and were very accommodating. However, for the rest of the day I was very dizzy, emotional, spaced out. Just generally severe brain fog. I've never been glutened before so I can't absolutely say, "yes, I got glutened at DQ"- but it seems a bit likely. Note also that I seem to react poorly to THB/THBQ so it might have been that.

That said, I got a caramel/pecan sundae there a few weeks ago and there was no problem. I think the blizzards are just bad news, unfortunately.

Cold stone is amazing. I'm going to try making my own ice cream...

kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

I like DQ. I usually get a plain cup of "Swirl". Just my favorite. Anything mixed might be an issue because they do mix cookies in the Blizzard. Not sure what is in the mint flavor. It is usually served with oreos?

Allergy info:

Open Original Shared Link

Added: looks like they include malt in the wheat category (probably should be called gluten not wheat)

Sarah Alli Apprentice
Sarah Alli
Posted

I like DQ. I usually get a plain cup of "Swirl". Just my favorite. Anything mixed might be an issue because they do mix cookies in the Blizzard. Not sure what is in the mint flavor. It is usually served with oreos?

Allergy info:

Open Original Shared Link

Added: looks like they include malt in the wheat category (probably should be called gluten not wheat)

Well, it did say somewhere that the mint blizzards are ok as long as you don't have cookies.

Honestly, I knew it was a risk when I did it. For me food cravings have not really been a problem doing gluten free but for whatever reason I wanted that blizzard more than anything.

Yesterday was my birthday and I asked for an ice cream maker attachment for my mixer. I'm hoping soon I will be able to make my own blizzards!!

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