Erin Elizabeth
Jack in the Box first opened as a standard fast-casual, family burger joint over 70 years ago, offering classic American comfort fare. Over the decades, each fast-food burger chain took unique measures to distinguish itself, and Jack in the Box began to evolve into the chain it is today.
Jack in the Box began targeting young adults and professionals with new and eccentric menu items like hard-shelled tacos, seasoned curly fries, entree salads, the Sourdough Jack, and other less conventional menu items.
They also started offering a decadent late-night menu, quickly becoming a favorite spot for college kids and young professionals to grab much-needed munchies after a night of partying.
Their unconventionality carries over into a diverse dessert menu that includes both tried and true classics as well as nuanced desserts that you’d never expect from a fast-food chain.
Jack in the Box Desserts
I have compiled the following list of the best Jack in the Box desserts that will satisfy your sweet tooth and provide the perfect ending to a savory fast-food feast.
Chocolate Overload Cake
This sinfully sweet, super-rich, yet delicate chocolate cake features cocoa in three ways.
The Chocolate Overload Cake starts with a light and fluffy cocoa-infused, individual-sized Bundt cake, adds bittersweet chocolate chips throughout, and tops everything off with a drizzled of chocolate buttercream icing.
If you’re a chocoholic, this cake is for you. Its rich flavor and perfectly moist texture punctuated by hard bites of chocolate chips is a dessert worthy of a five-star bistro.
Like a fine-dining dessert, its modest size ensures maximum indulgence with minimal consequences.
You can overload on chocolate without overstuffing your belly and still feel completely satisfied.
Oreo Cookie Shake
Cookies and Cream has always been the king of ice cream flavors and happens to be the best milkshake on the Jack in the Box dessert menu.
Made with vanilla ice cream, a splash of whole milk, and real Oreo chunks strewn throughout, this beloved dessert takes dunking cookies into milk to the next level.
Jack in the Box makes their milkshakes super thick. The ice cream is combined with a small proportion of milk to create a custard-like consistency with delightful chunks of Oreo cookies for a wonderful crunch.
Top it off with a hearty serving of whipped cream and a maraschino cherry, and you have the perfect old-fashioned milkshake with a modern Nabisco twist.
Mini Churros
Jack in the Box really went the extra mile with this Mexican culinary treat.
Churros are like Mexican beignets; fried cylindrical donuts rolled in granulated sugar and cinnamon.
They’re a special street food or carnival treat that pairs perfectly with hot chocolate.
Jack in the Box offers bite-sized mini churros stuffed with a gooey cinnamon filling. Each bite begins with a decadent crunch that explodes into an oozing flavor bomb.
Instead of hot chocolate, you could pair them with a chocolate shake or Jack in the Box’s delicious mocha sweet cream iced coffee.
Chocolate Shake
Employing the same thick, custardy, old-fashioned milkshake technique as the Oreo Shake, Jack in the Box’s Chocolate shake is as classic as they come.
This milkshake uses a vanilla ice cream base infused with rich, velvety chocolate syrup.
While you might prefer chocolate ice cream, the vanilla base complements the chocolate flavor perfectly.
A little-known fact is that vanilla is usually a key ingredient in most chocolate desserts. It actually balances the flavor and neutralizes the bitterness of cacao.
Jack in the Box’s chocolate shake is thus a well-balanced dessert, made even better with a dollop of whipped cream and a cherry on top.
NY Style Cheesecake
You won’t need to travel to a New York deli to savor a creamy, decadent slice of New York cheesecake.
Instead, you just have to travel to your neighborhood Jack in the Box counter.
The NY Style Cheesecake at Jack in the Box has the classic graham cracker crust, cradling a fluffy, cream cheese batter that is equal parts tangy and sweet.
The contrast between the creamy cake and the crumbly crunch of graham cracker crust gives it the perfect texture profile.
While it may not have a soaked strawberry topping, you could request a drizzle of strawberry syrup.
Vanilla Shake
How vanilla has become synonymous with plain is a mystery that this Jack in the Box dessert disproves every time.
Vanilla is the original milkshake flavor and continues to be a fan favorite worldwide.
This old-fashioned thick milkshake with creamy vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, and a maraschino cherry on top is as delicious as you’d expect it to be.
There’s nothing wrong with playing it safe with a dessert like this!
It’s not overly sweet, either. The whipped cream adds a comforting milky flavor that further mellows the sugar while complimenting the vanilla.
Strawberry Shake
Strawberries and cream is an iconic pairing, combining a tart, subtly sweet berry with the velvety richness inherent in cream.
The Strawberry Shake at Jack in the Box is less like strawberry ice cream and more like strawberries and cream, its flavor milkier and more delicate.
The Strawberry shake uses Jack in the Box’s thick vanilla ice cream custard base and adds copious swirls of strawberry syrup.
You won’t get chunks of fresh strawberry. You’ll just get a simple, perfectly thick strawberry flavored frozen custard served with whipped cream and a cherry.
Its amazing texture and simple yet delicious strawberry cream flavor are enough to make the final dessert cut.
Jack in the Box Desserts
- Chocolate Overload Cake
- Oreo Cookie Shake
- Mini Churros
- Chocolate Shake
- NY Style Cheesecake
- Vanilla Shake
- Strawberry Shake
Final Thoughts
Jack in the Box’s reputation as an edgier, hipper fast-food joint with a well-rounded menu continues to attract sophisticated and experimental palates.
Of course, they’re still an American comfort food joint serving no-frills classics like burgers, fries, and shakes.
Their dessert menu reflects their homage to old-fashioned, tried-and-true favorites as well as their adventurous ingenuity.
Whether you’re looking for a comforting and familiar chocolate milkshake or a novel cinnamon-filled churro, my list of the best Jack in the Box desserts has something for everyone.
For more delicious options to indulge your sweet tooth, check out these popular chain restaurant desserts.
