Cincinnati, Ohio-based food reviewer Katie Harris (@katieharris_0) shared a bargain blind bag find that Dairy Queen lovers may appreciate.
In a viral clip that’s garnered over 2.7 million views on TikTok, she showed off the $5 deal.
But is there a catch? Well, that depends on how particular you are about the ice cream you receive.
The $5 Dairy Queen Mystery Bag
The paper container she extricates from one of the store’s freezers has a note appended to it. It reads, “Mystery bag. $5.00. Contains 2-3 DQ treats.”
But why is the bag so relatively inexpensive? According to Hack the Menu, a single medium Blizzard starts at $4.09, and adding extra toppings to the dessert can result in a charge that exceeds the $5 for two to three prospective items.
So what’s up with these mystery items that they’re being sold at such a hefty discount? For one, these items aren’t made to order. Furthermore, it’s not like customers get to really pick what they want. Whatever’s in the bag, they’ll have to take home after shelling out their five bucks.
But there’s another added detail on the bag’s insert that indicates why these secret goodies cost $5.
“These items could have been made during employee training. We may have made a duplicate item or made the wrong flavor or size. Either way, this mystery bag is a steal of a deal,” it states.
After that informative sales pitch, allergy information is added to the mystery bag. “May contain peanuts, tree nuts, gluten.”
What’s in the $5 Dairy Queen Mystery Bag?
While holding the bag, Harris comments that the container feels “heavy,” indicating there’s probably a lot of ice cream inside of it.
“I wonder what’s in there?” she asks before placing the bag back, and her video comes to a close.
Folks who replied to her clip were miffed that she didn’t buy the bag.
“People showing mystery bags and not showing us what’s in it … bane of my existence,” one said.
Another bluntly stated: “What was the point of this video?”
“Why would you make this video if you weren’t going to buy it and show what’s inside?” someone else asked.
But other viewers were less concerned about what was inside.
“Only bad thing is I don’t see a date of when it was placed in the freezer,” one said.
Whereas another person commended Dairy Queen for coming up with an inventive way to sell botched orders. “That’s a cool way to not waste food,” they wrote.
She Finally Buys It. Is It Worth It?
Upon seeing the amount of interest in what’s inside the mystery bag, Harris posted a follow-up clip. In it, she documents her purchase of two separate mystery bags, along with what’s inside them.
The mom of six records herself with her children. They open the bags and take out their contents.
Inside one of the bags are three small Blizzards. In the other are Blizzard cups of varying sizes: there appear to be two medium and one large.
The biggest cup looks like a frozen chocolate milkshake, followed by a medium mint chocolate chip Blizzard. Third is a medium-sized Oreo and cotton candy cup of ice cream.
Another one of the bags contains a cookies & cream Blizzard with vanilla ice cream, along with a cup that contains cookies and cream with a chocolate ice cream base. Her son is eating what he thinks is pistachio. However, Harris believes it’s actually a pecan/praline concoction.
Towards the end of her clip, she reveals that she purchased two other ice creams in addition to the mystery bags. They received eight cups total, resulting in a grand total of $16.58.
Dairy Queen Mystery Bag Rules
Given the surprise nature of the purchase and discounts, there are stipulations for purchase. Namely, guests cannot return the mystery bag after it’s bought. Prices for these treats seem to vary depending on location, availability, and the items inside.
Another Dairy Queen visitor documented their own Mystery Bag find. The tag attached to this person’s bag, however, promised 3-4 treats. But despite the promise of an extra ice cream, it cost just one dollar more.
And the buyer wasn’t left disappointed. Their mystery bag came with three separate desserts. These included a Heath Caramel Brownie Cupfection, a Hot Fudge Sundae, and an Oreo Blizzard.
Another July 2025 post from a different DQ shopper showed the contents of a $6.89 mystery bag. It also came with three treats: a chocolate soft serve ice cream with chocolate sprinkles, along with a Blizzard in a Superman cup, and what appears to be a Peanut Buster Parfait.
If you’re interested in trying a mystery bag out, check out the freezer at your local DQ. It’s worth considering that because they’ve been sitting in a freezer, the ice cream may be harder than a direct soft serve pour. So, that plastic spoon may not cut it if you want to satisfy your sweet tooth in a hurry.
Subplot News has reached out to Dairy Queen via email and Harris via Instagram direct message for further information. We will update this story if they respond.
@katieharris_0 Should I get 1 or 2? #blindbag #dq #mystery #dairyqueen ♬ original sound – Katie Harris
