Dairy Queen introduced the Blizzard frozen dessert in 1985.
The Blizzard is a soft-serve-based dessert blended with mix-ins such as cookie pieces, candy, fruit, or brownies. Dairy Queen’s restaurants typically serve it in a cup, and its thick texture became central to the product’s identity and advertising.
The dessert was developed after Dairy Queen franchisee Samuel J. Temperato demonstrated a similar blended treat. Dairy Queen adopted the idea and launched the Blizzard nationally in the United States in 1985. It quickly became one of the chain’s best-known menu items.
The Blizzard is often confused with ordinary soft serve or a milkshake. It is thicker than a typical shake because the mix-ins are incorporated into the frozen dessert rather than simply flavoring a drink. Available flavors and promotional varieties have changed over time, while the basic blended format has remained consistent.