3 Ordering Tips To Get The Best Culver's Custard

Since opening in Sauk City, Wisconsin (the oldest incorporated village in the Dairy State) in 1984, Culver's has grown a dedicated fan base for its signature ButterBurgers and Fresh Frozen Custard. Indeed, the burger chain is known for this high-quality frozen treat, especially its free kids' scoops (included with kids' meals), popular Flavors of the Day, and Concrete Mixers with seemingly endless taste combinations. If you're overwhelmed by all the options or are simply looking to upgrade your typical selection, tips like DIY-ing Culver's favorite Flavor of the Day, adding peanut butter to your Concrete Mixer, and recreating a Shamrock Shake at any time of year will help you get the tastiest Culver's frozen custard.

First, there are a few things you should know about Culver's custard. This treat is different from ice cream because it's made with egg yolks and churned with less air to give it that signature dense, creamy texture. Culver's custard, according to the restaurant's website, is made with around 10% butterfat and 1.4% pasteurized egg, following the federal regulation for this dessert.

Culver's makes its frozen custard in the restaurant, slow-churning small batches multiple times throughout the day to ensure that it's always fresh for customers. During this process, the custard is frozen extremely slowly to reduce the amount of air that's mixed in, creating a thick, velvety texture. Culver's also serves its frozen custard at a warmer temperature than regular ice cream, which enhances its flavor (the addition of the egg yolk prevents it from melting too fast).

Not only is cookie dough one of customers' favorite mix-ins at Culver's, it's also the Midwest burger chain's favorite Flavor of the Day, according to its website. This is no ordinary cookie dough ice cream — it's thick and creamy vanilla frozen custard with cookie dough pieces, fudge swirls, and salted caramel.

Thankfully, you don't have to wait for this flavor to appear on the Flavor of the Day calendar. Customers can recreate this treat any day of the week by making their own dish with mix-ins. While some of Culver's Flavors of the Day use bases other than vanilla and chocolate, its Caramel Fudge Cookie Dough starts with the basic vanilla Fresh Frozen Custard. Simply order a scoop (or more) of vanilla and three necessary additions to mimic the flavor: cookie dough pieces, hot fudge, and salted caramel. Each topping costs around $0.35 (depending on location), except the nuts, which are around $1.

If you prefer your custard and mix-ins more blended, spring for a Concrete Mixer. These offer the same toppings options, but instead of scooping them onto the frozen custard like a sundae, the Culver's team uses a blender to mix in the toppings thoroughly. They blend it for just a short amount of time to prevent it from turning into a shake and to keep the mix-in pieces whole.

Culver's fans have shared plenty of favorite Concrete Mixer combinations on Reddit. While the ideas for the best flavor combos are endless, many enjoy peanut butter in their mixers, alongside a variety of other ingredients. Peanut butter's sweet and savory flavor blends well with an array of toppings, from fruit to fudge. It also makes your mixer extra thick and buttery.

One favorite peanut butter combo that comes up often is berries — think strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries — in a vanilla frozen custard base. Customers say this mimics a tasty peanut butter and jelly sandwich in dessert form. Peanut butter and bananas are another yummy food combo that tastes great in a Concrete Mixer. Throw in a little chocolate sauce for decadence.

Another popular choice is vanilla frozen custard with peanut butter and marshmallow creme for a fluffernutter frozen treat. Oreos and peanut butter also make a winning Concrete Mixer combo, whether you use chocolate or vanilla frozen custard. Any chocolatey mix-in will likely taste amazing with peanut butter, like Heath bar pieces, Dove Chocolate, and Snickers, to name a few. You can also ask for double (or more, according to the online order form) of whatever mix-in you choose — just keep in mind that you'll be charged double for that ingredient.

Fans of McDonald's Shamrock Shake (not to be confused with Arby's version) will love Culver's mint shake made with Fresh Frozen Custard. The best part? Unlike Mickey D's, which offers its minty green treat only around St. Patrick's Day, customers can order this dessert from Culver's year-round. If you prefer the rich creaminess of custard over the soft-serve ice cream McDonald's uses, the Culver's version might just be your new favorite minty delight.

Culver's shake is made with vanilla frozen custard, but you may be able to substitute this to get a chocolate mint shake, depending on the location and staff. However, this request must be made in person at the restaurant since there's no option to select chocolate frozen custard for your shake online. For comparison, a medium shake at Culver's costs $4.69 in southeast Wisconsin, and a medium McDonald's Shamrock Shake cost around $5 to $6 in 2026, depending on location.

If the Culver's mint shake doesn't do it for you (and you're okay with eating your frozen treat with a spoon rather than a straw), consider jazzing it up by ordering a Concrete Mixer with mint sauce and other tasty mix-ins like Andes Mints, Oreos, and/or marshmallow creme. Essentially, anything chocolatey and minty will taste good together. Customers can even double the mint sauce for extra minty flavor. Unlike Culver's shakes, which are made with a vanilla frozen custard base, customers choose whether they want vanilla or chocolate frozen custard for their Concrete Mixer base flavor.