Ice Cream Truck Menu: Classic Treats, Prices and Ordering Guide

An ice cream truck menu usually covers four groups: packaged novelties like ice pops, coated bars and ice cream sandwiches; packaged cones; frozen cups such as Italian ice, sherbet and shaved ice; and, on trucks with a machine, made-to-order soft serve, sundaes, shakes and banana splits. There is no single national ice cream truck menu. Selection and prices are set truck by truck.

That last point matters more than anything else on this page. Two trucks parked ten miles apart can carry different brands, different sizes, and prices that differ by several dollars on the same item. Everything below is tied to a named operator or a named manufacturer product so you can see exactly where a figure came from.

Ice cream truck menu at a glance

Those examples come from four operator menus published in 2026: TITO Ice Cream Truck in Chicagoland, Mike's Ice Cream Truck in Southern California, Metropolitan Ice Cream Truck in northern New Jersey, and Peaches & Cream in New Jersey, plus the 2026 ice cream truck menu PDF from Green Acres Ice Cream in Depew, New York.

Ice cream truck prices: what can you expect?

Most ice cream truck operators do not publish prices at all. Of seven operator sites checked for this guide, only two posted a per-item price list. The rest show a product menu and handle pricing by phone or booking form. Here is what the two price-publishing operators actually post.

How to read that table. Within this two-operator sample, packaged novelties ran $4.00 to $7.00 and made-to-order soft serve items ran $4.00 to $18.00. That is the range inside this sample of two trucks on opposite coasts, not a national average, and two menus cannot produce one. The same item is priced differently across them: a basic soft serve cone is $5.00 at Mike's and $4 to $6 at Metropolitan, while a banana split is $18.00 at one and $8 at the other.

One detail worth catching before you pay: Mike's menu notes that card transactions add $0.50 to most items. That kind of surcharge is easy to miss, and it is the sort of thing we check when we publish a price, as described in how we verify menu prices.

For comparison, an ice cream shop publishes one standardized list, and the gap is wider than it looks. The Baskin-Robbins menu shows a box of four coated novelty bars at $8.80 and a Banana Split at $12.58, both read from that shop's own Uber Eats storefront in Glen Burnie, Maryland on September 16, 2026. A truck sells comparable bars one at a time for $5.00 to $7.00 and prices its banana split anywhere from $8 to $18. At the window you pay more per treat, and the truck comes to you.

Classic ice cream truck treats

Ice pops and rocket pops

Water-and-sugar pops on a stick, usually the cheapest thing on the truck. Verified examples include the Original Bomb Pop, Bomb Pop Watermelon, Bomb Pop Nerds, the Super Sour Strawberry from the Bomb Pop Extremes line, Goal Pop, the Two Ball Screwball in cherry and blue raspberry, Sour Apple Bar and Cry Baby Sour Ice Cream. The Original Bomb Pop in its 1.75 oz size lists a serving as 1 pop (47 g) at 40 calories.

Chocolate-coated and cake-coated bars

Here the stick is a frozen dairy center wrapped in a shell. Coated bars on real truck menus include the Chocolate Eclair, Strawberry Shortcake, Cookies n Cream Bar, Sonic Ice Cream Bar and Fudge Bar. The crumb coating on a shortcake-style bar is cake, not chocolate, which is why it reads as drier and less rich than an eclair bar.

Character-shaped frozen treats

These are the ones kids point at: SpongeBob and Spiderman popsicles and a Powerpuff Girls bar at TITO, and a generic Faces Ice Cream Bars line at $6.00 at Mike's. Licensed characters rotate with manufacturer contracts, so no specific character is a safe bet. Worth knowing if it matters to you: Atlanta Ice Cream Truck states that most of its items are certified Kosher but specifically flags its SpongeBob and Spiderman products and Helados Mexico Fresa as not Kosher.

Wafer and cookie ice cream sandwiches

The wafer version uses two soft chocolate-flavored wafers. Verified examples are Big Vanilla, Big Neapolitan, Big Mississippi and Cookies n Cream sandwiches. The cookie version swaps in real baked cookies and costs more for it: Chips Galore is $7.00 at Mike's, the most expensive packaged item on that truck's list, against $6.00 for a standard ice cream sandwich.

Packaged cones

A pre-made cone in a wrapper, pulled straight from the freezer. The Big Dipper Vanilla and Big Dipper Cookies & Cream cones appear on multiple truck menus, and the Big Dipper Vanilla sells for $6.00 at Mike's. The manufacturer lists Big Dipper Cone Vanilla at 1 cone (82 g), 250 calories, with a declared allergen statement of Milk, Peanuts, Soy, Wheat. That peanut declaration catches people out, since nothing in the name suggests it.

Italian ice and other frozen cups

Scoopable cups you eat with a flat wooden or plastic spoon. TITO lists Rosati Italian ice cups in mango, lemon and blue raspberry alongside a Berry Burst Cup, a Jolly Rancher Watermelon Cup, a Creamers Cup and Rainbow Sherbert Cool Tubes. Peaches & Cream publishes actual sizes for its cups, which is unusually helpful: Italian ices in cherry, lemon, mango and patriot at 10 fl oz, a SCREAMERS Cookies 'N Cream at 10 fl oz, and a Cotton Candy Sundae Cup at 6 fl oz.

Soft serve, scoops, sundaes and shakes

Not every truck has a soft serve machine. A novelty-only truck sells nothing but wrapped product from a freezer. Trucks with a machine typically run vanilla, chocolate and twist, then build everything else from that base.

The customization is where made-to-order pulls ahead. TITO's soft serve menu asks you to choose a format first (waffle cone, cake cone, cup, waffle bowl, clear cup or pre-bagged), then pick up to three toppings from a list including Snickers, Kit Kat, M&Ms, Reese's, Fruity Pebbles, gummies, peanuts, sprinkles, and caramel, chocolate or strawberry sauce. Note the cap: three toppings, not unlimited.

Green Acres in Depew, New York shows how much a soft serve truck can carry. Its 2026 truck menu lists French vanilla, chocolate and twist soft serve, plus six flavors of hard-scooped Perry's ice cream, specialty parfaits layered with cookie dough or Oreo pieces, Flurries blended with candy, milkshakes and smoothies in 16 oz cups, slushie floats and sundaes, with 12 toppings available. It also splits its offering into a Full Menu Option and a Cones & Sundaes Only Menu, which is a reminder that what a truck can make and what it brings to your event are two different lists.

Two things not to assume. First, a packaged cone is not soft serve: it was made in a factory, frozen hard, and handed to you wrapped. Second, toppings are not automatically included. Mike's charges $1 extra for toppings on a waffle cone, and Green Acres includes whipped cream, chopped mixed nuts and sprinkles only in its Full Menu option.

If you are weighing a truck stop against a drive-through, a chain item like the Wendy's Frosty options is the opposite proposition: the same two flavors at every location, year-round, at 190 to 510 calories from Small through Large.

How to choose your order

• Want something fruity and light? An Italian ice cup or a water-based ice pop. Both skip the dairy richness, and the cups come in larger volumes.
• Want chocolate or cookie flavor? A coated bar or a cookie sandwich. The cookie version costs about a dollar more where both are priced.
• Eating while walking? Ask for a cup rather than a cone. Operators that offer a choice usually charge the same for either, and a cup does not drip down your hand.
• Want to customize? You need a truck with a machine. A build-your-own sundae at $12.00 or a topped waffle cone at $9.00 plus $1.00 gives you control that a wrapped item cannot.
• Watching the total? Read the posted board before you order. On the menus checked here, packaged novelties were consistently the lowest-priced items on that same truck's list, but the actual cheapest item varies and only that board can tell you.

Dairy-free options and allergen checks

Keep this short and practical: check the wrapper, every time.

A fruit flavor tells you nothing about dairy content. Within one manufacturer's own pop line, the Original Bomb Pop is water, sugar and corn syrup with no milk declaration, while the Banana Fudge Bomb Pop begins with skim milk and declares Contains Milk. Same brand, same rack.

Sherbet is not a dairy-free category either, and that is federal law rather than a brand decision. Under 21 CFR 135.140, sherbet must contain not less than 1 percent nor more than 2 percent milkfat and at least 2 percent total milk solids. Italian ice and sorbet formulas vary by maker, so neither is automatically vegan without reading the label.

Never carry one brand's allergen information across to a lookalike. Several manufacturers make a strawberry-shortcake-style bar, and a truck menu that says only Strawberry Shortcake Bar does not tell you whose. One manufacturer's Strawberry Shortcake Bar is labeled a frozen dairy dessert at 1 bar (76 g), 190 calories, declaring Milk, Soy and Wheat. A different maker's version will have its own panel.

Shared equipment is a real factor too. A soft serve machine, scoop well, or topping bin that handles milk, peanuts and wheat all day cannot be treated as a controlled environment. If an allergy is serious, ask the operator directly and read the actual package in your hand.

Street purchases vs. party packages

Buying at the window is per item. Booking a truck is an entirely different pricing model, and the two numbers are not convertible.

Read the fine print on each model, because the extras are where quotes move. Lil Dipper states that 20 percent gratuity and applicable taxes are charged separately, that paper products, staff, set up and breakdown are included, and that additional charges apply for travel of 25 miles or more. The Goody Truck includes travel within 20 miles of zip code 48096, charges $2 per mile beyond that, and caps travel at 60 miles. Mister Softee publishes no figures at all and states that financial arrangements are made with the franchisee and are usually based on number of people and length of time, with requests asked at least two weeks ahead.

Two notes on these examples. The Goody Truck's site stated at the time of access that the business is for sale and not accepting orders, so treat its figures as a published pricing structure to learn from rather than a quote you can book. And a package price divided by its treat count is not a menu price: $475 for 96 treats is a service fee covering the truck, the staff and two hours of time, not evidence that any item retails near $4.95.

If a booking is more than your event needs, a fixed-location dessert gives you a firm number up front. A Checkers milkshake is $3.45 for 12 fl oz, checked at a Baltimore store on September 13, 2026, against $7 to $14 for a milkshake on the two truck menus above.

How to check a local truck's current menu

1. Find the operator's own website or social account. Search the name painted on the truck, not “ice cream truck menu.” Chicagoland's TITO, northern New Jersey's Metropolitan, and Southern California's Mike's each publish their own current menu, and those are the only menus that apply to those trucks.
2. Read the board at the window. It overrides anything online. Operators swap product as distributors change what they carry.
3. Confirm size and topping charges before ordering. Ask which cone size a price covers, how many toppings are included, and what extras cost.
4. Ask for the final total and the payment methods. Card surcharges and cash-only policies are common, and neither is always posted.
5. Confirm availability for anything specific. If a child wants one particular character bar, or you need a dairy-free option, call or message ahead.

A truck's own calendar or social feed is the only reliable guide to where it will be. Nothing on this page should be taken as a schedule or a tracking tool.

Frequently asked questions

What is usually on an ice cream truck menu?

Packaged ice pops, coated bars, ice cream sandwiches, packaged cones, and frozen cups such as Italian ice or sherbet. Trucks with a soft serve machine add cones, sundaes, shakes and banana splits.

Does every truck sell soft serve?

No. Many trucks are novelty-only and sell wrapped product from a freezer. Soft serve, sundaes and shakes require a machine on board.

How much do ice cream truck treats cost?

It depends entirely on the operator. Mike's in Southern California posts packaged items from $5.00 to $7.00 and soft serve cones from $5.00 to $12.00. Metropolitan in northern New Jersey posts novelty popsicles at $4 to $5 and soft serve at $4 to $6. Most operators publish no prices at all, so check the board.

Which character-shaped treats are available?

It varies by truck and by season. SpongeBob and Spiderman popsicles and a Powerpuff Girls bar appear on TITO's 2026 menu, and Mike's lists Faces Ice Cream Bars at $6.00. Licensed items rotate, so no specific character is guaranteed.

Are there dairy-free options?

Sometimes, but you have to verify the specific product. Water-based ice pops often contain no milk, while other pops from the same brand do. Sherbet contains milk by federal standard. Italian ice and sorbet formulas differ by maker, so read the wrapper or ask the operator.

Are toppings included?

Not always. Mike's charges $1 extra for toppings on a waffle cone. TITO allows up to three toppings on soft serve. Green Acres includes whipped cream, nuts and sprinkles only in its Full Menu option.

How do party packages differ from individual purchases?

Packages are priced per person, per case of treats, or per block of service time, and may add gratuity, tax and mileage. Lil Dipper charges $8 per person for soft serve with toppings plus 20 percent gratuity and tax. The Goody Truck's structure was $475 for two hours including 96 treats, plus $2 per mile past 20 miles. Dividing a package by its treat count does not give you a menu price.

Before you order, do two things: read the board at the window, and ask what the total comes to with any card fee or topping charge. If you are booking a truck for an event, get the quote in writing with travel, gratuity and service hours itemized, because those are the lines that move the number.