Easy Wendy’s Frosty Recipe

They’re delicious. Every time you spoon up a Wendy’s Frosty, you think, “this is exactly what I needed.” It’s too soft to be ice cream, too thick to be a milkshake, and is technically classified as a “frozen dairy dessert.” Really, the only way to describe a Wendy’s Frosty is…well, as a Frosty. They’re exactly what they’re meant to be.

The Frosty is just so very crave-able. It pairs beautifully with a burger or chicken sandwich and fries. The fries are important—without them, what are you going to dip into your Frosty? (Don’t knock it until you try it).

It’s slightly healthier than a typical milkshake, and Wendy’s Frosty is gluten free, as well, which not all fast-food desserts are, although they do warn for the potential for cross-contamination.

What is the Wendy’s Frosty?

In 1969, Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas needed a dessert for his new restaurant. His menu had been strategically simple until then: the burger, fries, chili, and drinks. He knew he needed something sweet, and knew that milkshakes were a hit at other burger joints. Something told him he needed to deviate from the standard a little in order to stand out, though.

So he decided on a soft frozen dessert just thick enough to call for a spoon instead of a straw. (Just speculating here: did he also know that people who were eating a Frosty were probably more likely to order a soda than people who were drinking a milkshake? If that’s the case, well, very clever business move, Mr. Thomas!)

If you think about it, you’ll realize that chocolate flavor in the Frosty is quite mild. That was by design—if the Frosty was going to be eaten along with the meal (who hasn’t dipped their fries in a Frosty?) then he didn’t want the chocolate to overpower everything else. The “chocolate” Frosty is actually a mix of chocolate and vanilla flavors. And knowing that is the key to developing the perfect copycat recipe.

How to Make a Homemade Wendy’s Frosty

Why make your own when the original is so inexpensive and easy to obtain? Well, as common as Wendy’s is in the USA, there’s certainly no guarantee you’ve got one nearby when a sudden soft frozen dessert craving hits.

Maybe you know, as many of us do, that you’re really never going to end up with just a Frosty. A Frosty craving may well turn into a craving for a cheeseburger, fries, chili, Coke AND a Frosty before you know what you’re doing. That’s just how going to a fast-food restaurant works. For many of us, that’s not something we want to indulge in all the time, so we need to find a way to avoid the temptation.

And also: as classic and simple as the Frosty is, its ingredient list is no longer exactly classic and simple. When Wendy’s was founded, it was a straightforward mix of chocolate and vanilla ice cream. But while the modern Frosty does contain milk and cocoa powder, the recipe also includes mono and diglycerides, cellulose gum, disodium phosphate, guar gum, and carrageenan. Sometimes ignorance is bliss when it comes to our favorite fast foods…

Many people try to follow the “don’t eat foods with ingredients you can’t pronounce” nutritional advice. With a copycat Wendys Frosty recipe, you’re free to use all-natural and organic ingredients that you can feel more confident feeding your family.

This easy Wendys frosty recipe is extremely simple to make, with ingredients you probably already have (or at least want) in your fridge, freezer, and pantry.

What are the Different Wendy’s Frosty Flavors?

The classic Frosty is, of course, chocolate, and has been since the beginning. Over the years, other flavors and variations have come and gone; none of them have ever been as popular as the basic chocolate Frosty.

Plain vanilla was introduced as a regular flavor in 2006 and has been on the menu ever since. For a while, Wendy’s was promoting milkshakes made with Frosty, which came in chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. For a few years, Wendy’s offered Frosty Parfaits and the Twisted Frosty—the standard Frosty combined with candy/cookie/flavor mix-ins. In 2019, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the chain, Wendy’s offered a Birthday Cake Frosty, which blended their vanilla Frosty with a birthday cake flavor.

You might fondly remember the Frosty float; Coke or root beer topped with Frosty, and right now, they serve the “Frosty-ccino,” an iced coffee combined with a dollop of Frosty.

The mild combo of chocolate and vanilla—the original Chocolate Frosty—has never gone away.

It’s easy to make variations on this recipe while keeping the right texture—switch up the flavoring powder, the ice cream, or both.

Here are a few favorites

Strawberry: Nesquik makes a strawberry milk mix, which you can swap for the chocolate. For a stronger flavor, replace the vanilla ice cream with strawberry as well.

Banana: it’s not as common on shelves, and it seems Nesquik’s version has been retired, but banana milk powder is amazing. If you can find it, don’t pass it up.

Malt: switch all or some of the chocolate powder with a malted milk powder like Ovaltine.

Mocha: a frosty with coffee ice cream instead of vanilla? Perfection.

Finally: if you want to break out the ice cream maker instead of the blender?

4 oz. of whipped topping + 1/2 can of sweetened condensed milk + 1/2 gallon of chocolate milk. Mix, then churn in an ice cream maker until it reaches the right consistency.

Conclusion

Texture. It’s all about that Frosty texture.

Too soft for a cone, too thick for a straw.

Milkshakes are a dime a dozen. They’re great, but they’re everywhere.

That soft, spoonable frozen dessert, though? It only exists at Wendy’s. And, now, your blender!

Now you know how to make wendy’s frosty for yourself at home.

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