Quick Answer
A Chick-Fil-A cookies and cream milkshake contains around 880 calories. The exact calorie count can vary slightly depending on the size and customizations.
Detailed Answer
Chick-Fil-A offers cookies and cream milkshakes in three sizes – small, medium, and large. The calorie content for each size is as follows:
| Size | Calories |
|---|---|
| Small | 540 calories |
| Medium | 700 calories |
| Large | 880 calories |
As you can see, the small cookies and cream milkshake from Chick-Fil-A contains 540 calories. The medium contains 700 calories. And the large comes in at 880 calories.
The calories mainly come from the milkshake’s rich ingredients like ice cream, milk, and whipped cream. Let’s break down the nutrition facts in more detail:
Milkshake Ingredients
The cookies and cream milkshake is made with the following main ingredients:
– Vanilla soft serve ice cream
– Milk
– Whipped cream
– Chocolate cookie crumbles
Each of these contributes calories and other nutrients to the milkshake.
Ice Cream
The base of the milkshake is Chick-Fil-A’s vanilla soft serve ice cream.
Soft serve ice cream is lower in fat than regular ice cream, but still contains a significant amount of calories. A 1/2 cup serving of vanilla soft serve contains around 130 calories.
So just the 2-3 scoops of soft serve in a cookies and cream milkshake can add 390-520 calories.
Milk
The milkshake also contains 2% milk. An 8 ounce glass of 2% milk contains about 120 calories.
There is likely around 8-16 ounces of milk in a Chick-Fil-A milkshake. So the milk contributes about 120-240 calories.
Whipped Cream
Whipped cream is added on top of the milkshake to add a tasty finishing touch.
Whipped cream is high in fat, with around 50 calories in 2 tablespoons. A milkshake likely has around 4-8 tablespoons of whipped cream.
So the whipped cream can add around 100-200 calories.
Cookie Crumbs
Finally, the cookies and cream flavor comes from crushed chocolate sandwich cookies blended into the shake.
Two sandwich cookie halves contain about 140 calories. A milkshake probably has crumbles equivalent to 2-4 cookie halves inside.
That’s an estimated 140-280 calories just from the cookie crumbs.
Total Calories
Adding up the calories from each ingredient gives us a total calorie estimate for a Chick-Fil-A cookies and cream milkshake:
– Ice cream: 390-520 calories
– Milk: 120-240 calories
– Whipped cream: 100-200 calories
– Cookie crumbs: 140-280 calories
In total, a small cookies and cream milkshake made with the lowest amounts of each ingredient would contain around 540 calories.
A large milkshake with higher amounts of ingredients could have up to 880 calories.
So the small is a lighter option at 540 calories, while the large tops out at 880 calories. Getting a medium clocks in right between at 700 calories.
Factors Affecting Calories
Keep in mind that the exact calorie count can vary between different Chick-Fil-A locations based on:
Milkshake Size
The most significant factor is milkshake size. The small has the least calories, medium more, and large the highest amount.
Ingredient Quantities
The amount of ice cream, milk, whipped cream, and cookie crumbles added can vary slightly. More generous portions will increase calories.
Cookies and Cream Versus Other Flavors
Cookies and cream has more calories than lighter milkshake flavors like strawberry or vanilla. But it has less than heavier options like chocolate or brownie batter.
Add-ins
Customizing your milkshake boosts calories. Mixing in candy pieces, cookies, brownies or other toppings will raise the counts.
Dietary Preferences
Non-dairy milk substitutes like almond milk tend to be lower in calories than dairy milk. So subbing in almond milk could potentially lower the calorie total slightly.
Nutritional Contents
Now let’s take a more detailed look at the full nutritional contents of a Chick-Fil-A cookies and cream milkshake:
| Nutrient | Amount | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 880 | 44% |
| Total Fat | 40g | 62% |
| Saturated Fat | 24g | 120% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | |
| Cholesterol | 125mg | 42% |
| Sodium | 380mg | 16% |
| Total Carbohydrates | 103g | 34% |
| Dietary Fiber | 0g | 0% |
| Sugars | 74g | |
| Protein | 16g | |
| Vitamin A | 18% | |
| Vitamin C | 4% | |
| Calcium | 36% | |
| Iron | 6% |
As you can see, the cookies and cream milkshake provides 880 calories in a large size.
The majority of calories come from fat, providing 62% of the daily recommended value. Saturated fat is quite high at 120% DV.
Carbohydrates mainly come from sugar at 74 grams. The shake is low in fiber and protein.
It also contains decent amounts of calcium and vitamin A. But is lacking in most other vitamins and minerals.
Overall, the milkshake packs a indulgent calorie and fat punch, but is low in nutritional value. It should be enjoyed occasionally as a treat rather than a daily habit.
Comparisons With Other Chick-Fil-A Treats
To put the calories of the cookies and cream milkshake in context, let’s compare it to some other popular Chick-Fil-A frozen desserts and shakes:
| Menu Item | Calories |
|---|---|
| Cookies & Cream Milkshake (large) | 880 |
| Chocolate Milkshake (large) | 930 |
| Vanilla Milkshake (large) | 790 |
| Strawberry Milkshake (large) | 850 |
| Brownie Batter Milkshake (large) | 1,080 |
| Cookies & Cream Hand-Spun Milkshake (large) | 1,280 |
| Icedream Cone | 230 |
| Vanilla Cone | 210 |
| Vanilla Milkshake (small) | 530 |
The cookies and cream has less calories than heavy milkshake flavors like brownie batter or chocolate. It’s also lower in calories than the ultra-rich hand-spun version.
But it still contains significantly more calories than lighter options like the icedream cone or vanilla soft serve cone.
In the milkshake lineup, cookies and cream ranks somewhere in the middle calorie-wise. So it’s a nice balance between decadent and light.
Ways to Make it Healthier
If you want to lighten up your cookies and cream milkshake, there are a few easy ways to cut down on calories:
– Order a small or medium instead of a large
– Ask for low-fat or skim milk
– Hold the whipped cream
– Skip the cookie crumbles on top
– Share your shake with a friend
You can also boost nutrition by adding in extra fruits like banana slices or strawberries. Overall though, milkshakes will always be an indulgent treat.
Health Impact of Frequent Consumption
What happens if cookies and cream milkshakes become a daily habit rather than an occasional treat?
Frequently consuming these indulgent high calorie shakes can lead to:
Weight Gain
At 880 calories each, just one milkshake a day could lead to nearly 1 pound of weight gain per week. The high fat and sugar content gets stored as excess body fat.
Blood Sugar Spikes
All those grams of sugar promote huge blood sugar spikes and crashes. This can increase diabetes risk and complications.
Inflammation
The dairy, fat, and sugar causes systemic inflammation, damaging blood vessels. This raises cardiovascular disease risk.
Skin Issues
Spiking blood sugar can worsen acne, wrinkles, and other skin conditions.
Fatigue
Sugar highs lead to energy crashes as insulin is released. This can make you feel sluggish after the initial rush.
Nutrient Imbalances
The milkshakes take the place of more nutrient-dense foods, creating possible vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
Digestive Troubles
Dairy, fat, and sugar can cause stomach upset, bloating, diarrhea and other digestive woes.
Overall, frequent milkshake consumption promotes weight gain and negatively impacts health in multiple ways. It’s best reserved as an occasional treat in an otherwise balanced diet.
The Bottom Line
A Chick-Fil-A cookies and cream milkshake contains approximately:
Small: 540 calories
Medium: 700 calories
Large: 880 calories
The indulgent blend of ice cream, milk, whipped cream and cookies packs a big calorie punch with high amounts of sugar and saturated fat.
When enjoyed in moderation, it’s an occasional sweet treat. But daily milkshakes promote weight gain and several negative health effects. Stick to lighter menu options for more frequent enjoyment.
Overall, Chick-Fil-A cookies and cream strikes a nice balance between delightfully decadent and over-the-top indulgent. Sip mindfully and enjoy every creamy, cookie-filled sip!