The Most Sugary Frozen Desserts From 25 Chains [Data]

“Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first,” said American author Ernestine Ulmer.

There’s a reason why dessert is so universally loved. In the heat of the summer months, there is nothing more refreshing than a cool, frozen confection.

While it’s certainly acceptable to indulge in a sweet treat every now and then, excess sugar consumption can lead to serious, lasting health problems. Even many seemingly innocent American diets are filled with hidden sugar, a topic explored by Katie Couric in her documentary “Fed Up.”

HealthGrove, a health care research and analysis site powered by Graphiq, found the most sugary frozen desserts at 25 popular chain restaurants. To do this, they compared all frozen dessert menu items at each respective chain and selected the one with the most grams of sugar. The data is pulled from menus as of July 20, 2016.

Frozen desserts with a combination of candy, ice cream and baked goods dominate the top of the list. More than half of these desserts double the World Health Organization’s daily sugar intake recommendation of 25 grams. In fact, the most sugary desserts on this list are five to six times more than the recommended allowance. So, next time you reach for the dessert menu, make sure to consider all of your options.

Note: For desserts with different size options, the medium size was selected for comparison. Ties were broken by calorie count.

#25. Chic-fil-A

Icedream

Sugar: 38g
Calories: 260
Carbs: 45g
Fat: 6g

See the menu here.

#24. Burger King

Caramel Sundae

Sugar: 39g
Calories: 290
Carbs: 53g
Fat: 6g

See the menu here.

#23. IHOP

Ice Cream Sundae w/ Chocolate Sauce

Sugar: 46g
Calories: 410
Carbs: 56g
Fat: 19g

See the menu here.

#22. Pinkberry

Salted Caramel Frozen Yogurt

Sugar: 55.2g
Calories: 276
Carbs: 59.8g
Fat: 0g

See the menu here.

#21. TCBY

Mango Sorbet

Sugar: 57.75g
Calories: 302.5
Carbs: 71.5g
Fat: 0g

See the menu here.

#20. Shake Shack

Regular Concreation Foundation, Vanilla

Sugar: 59g
Calories: 560
Carbs: 64g
Fat: 29g

See the menu here.

#19. Wendy’s

Vanilla Frosty

Sugar: 65g
Calories: 460
Carbs: 77g
Fat: 0.5g

See the menu here.

#18. Carl’s Junior

Strawberry Malt

Sugar: 75g
Calories: 770
Carbs: 98g
Fat: 36g

See the menu here.

#17. Steak ‘n Shake

Walnut Brownie Fudge Sundae

Sugar: 78g
Calories: 820
Carbs: 106g
Fat: 42g

See the menu here.

#16. Sonic

Strawberry Banana Split Molten Cake Sundae

Sugar: 86g
Calories: 720
Carbs: 113g
Fat: 28g

See the menu here.

#15. McDonald’s

McFlurry with M&M’s Chocolate Candies

Sugar: 89g
Calories: 650
Carbs: 96g
Fat: 23g

See the menu here.

#14. Jack in the Box

Chocolate Shake with Whipped Topping

Sugar: 89g
Calories: 780
Carbs: 103g
Fat: 38g

See the menu here.

#13. Arby’s

Chocolate Shake

Sugar: 90g
Calories: 570
Carbs: 99g
Fat: 15g

See the menu here.

#12. Joe’s Crab Shack

Sea Turtle Sundae

Sugar: 90g
Calories: 1280
Carbs: 140g
Fat: 75g

See the menu here.

#11. Culver’s

Banana Split

Sugar: 92g
Calories: 1060
Carbs: 122g
Fat: 60g

See the menu here.

#10. Red Robin

Classic Chocolate Malt

Sugar: 93g
Calories: 692
Carbs: 111g
Fat: 22g

See the menu here.

#9. A&W

M&M Polar Swirl

Sugar: 93g
Calories: 710
Carbs: 107g
Fat: 25g

See the menu here.

#8. Coldstone

Countrytime Pink Lemonade Sorbet

Sugar: 95g
Calories: 380
Carbs: 95g
Fat: 0g

See the menu here.

Note: Image of the actual dessert was not available.

#7. Dairy Queen

Brownie Cookie Dough Blizzard

Sugar: 121g
Calories: 1140
Carbs: 166g
Fat: 48g

See the menu here.

Note: Image of the actual dessert was not available.

#6. Friendly’s

Jim Dandy Sundae

Sugar: 123g
Calories: 1122
Carbs: 164g
Fat: 47g

See the menu here.

#5. Chili’s

Skillet Toffee Fudge Brownie

Sugar: 125g
Calories: 1260
Carbs: 171g
Fat: 60g

See the menu here.

#4. Buffalo Wild Wings

Dessert Nachos

Sugar: 125g
Calories: 2100
Carbs: 230g
Fat: 119g

See the menu here.

Note: Image of the actual dessert was not available.

#3. Baskin Robbins

Made with M&M’s 31 Below

Sugar: 126g
Calories: 1000
Carbs: 139g
Fat: 40g

See the menu here.

#2. Carvel

Peanut Butter Cup Sundae Dasher

Sugar: 128g
Calories: 1060
Carbs: 95g
Fat: 31g

See the menu here.

#1. Applebee’s

Chocolate Chip Cookie Sundae

Sugar: 143g
Calories: 1490
Carbs: 211g
Fat: 64g

See the menu here.

Note: Image of the actual dessert was not available.