CookoutMenuAndPrices

Cookout Desserts Menu — Floats, Cheesecakes, and More

Cookout's dessert menu is short but distinctive — built around the signature Cheerwine Float, three other ice cream floats, and three cheesecake flavors. Every dessert is $$2.39 — the simplest pricing structure on the entire menu. Plus the chain's 39 hand-spun milkshake flavors give you over 40+ total dessert options at any visit.

7 Desserts
$2.39 All desserts
4 Float flavors
3 Cheesecakes

Cookout's dessert menu is structured around the chain's regional Southeast identity. The Cheerwine Float at the center of the menu is the single most distinctive item — Cheerwine cherry cola (a North Carolina staple since 1917) over vanilla soft-serve ice cream. It's the dessert most regulars would order if they had to pick one item to represent what makes Cookout different from national chains.

Beyond the Cheerwine Float, the menu offers three more floats (Coke, Fanta, Root Beer) and three cheesecake flavors (Classic, Strawberry, Chocolate). All seven items cost $$2.39 — the simplest pricing on the entire menu. Calorie ranges run from 360 (cheesecakes) to 380 (floats).

The chain's 39 milkshake flavors at $3.99 are technically the largest dessert category if you count them, but they have their own dedicated page. The page below covers the float and cheesecake menu specifically, plus the dessert ordering tips most regulars take a few visits to figure out.

All 7 Cookout Desserts

The complete dessert menu, organized by type. Every item is $$2.39.

Floats

Vanilla soft-serve ice cream with soda or root beer poured over top. Assembled at order. The Cheerwine Float is the chain's signature.

Signature

Cheerwine Float

$2.39 380 cal

Cheerwine soda over vanilla soft serve. The signature Southeast dessert.

Coke Float

$2.39 380 cal

Coca-Cola over vanilla soft serve.

Fanta Float

$2.39 380 cal

Fanta over vanilla soft serve.

Root Beer Float

$2.39 380 cal

Root beer over vanilla soft serve.

Cheesecakes

Pre-portioned cheesecake slices, three flavors. Cold-served, single portions.

Classic Cheesecake

$2.39 360 cal

New York style cheesecake on a graham cracker crust.

Strawberry Cheesecake

$2.39 360 cal

Cheesecake topped with strawberry sauce.

Chocolate Cheesecake

$2.39 360 cal

Cheesecake with chocolate crust and chocolate crumble.

Cheerwine Float — The Chain's Signature Dessert

The Cheerwine Float is the most distinctively Cookout item on the entire menu. Vanilla soft-serve ice cream topped with Cheerwine — a cherry-flavored cola produced in Salisbury, North Carolina since 1917. The combination is unique to the Southeast: outside the Carolinas, Virginia, and Tennessee, you can't easily find Cheerwine, let alone in a fast food float format.

The flavor profile is unlike any other float at any other chain. The Cheerwine cherry notes pair with vanilla ice cream the way a black cherry sundae pairs with whipped cream — but lighter and fizzier from the carbonation. The result is a dessert experience most first-time visitors describe as "what cherry coke and vanilla ice cream wishes it tasted like."

For diners visiting Cookout from outside the Southeast, the Cheerwine Float alone is worth the trip. You can buy bottled Cheerwine in some specialty stores, but the char-grilled-burger-and-cherry-vanilla-float experience is uniquely Cookout.

The Cookout regulars' move: Order a Cookout Tray ($$7.39) and swap your included drink for a Cheerwine Float at no extra charge. Most first-time visitors don't know this works, but every location accommodates it. You get a complete meal + dessert for the standard tray price — saving $$2.39 vs. buying the float separately.

See the Cookout Drinks Menu (more on Cheerwine and the float drink swap) →

Cookout Floats — All 4 Varieties Compared

Cookout serves four floats at the same $$2.39 price. All use the same vanilla soft-serve base; the difference is the soda. Quick comparison to help you pick:

Cheerwine Float

Signature

$$2.39 • 380 cal

The chain's signature. Cherry cola + vanilla. Most distinctive flavor profile. The float to order if you've never been to Cookout before.

Coke Float

$$2.39 • 380 cal

Classic Coca-Cola float. Familiar flavor profile, safest pick for first-timers not ready for Cheerwine. Smoother and less distinctive than the Cheerwine version.

Fanta Float

$$2.39 • 380 cal

Orange-vanilla creamsicle in a cup. The lightest-tasting float on the menu. Popular with kids and diners who don't want cola flavor.

Root Beer Float

$$2.39 • 380 cal

Traditional root beer float — the original American soda fountain dessert. Reliable and familiar. Best pick for nostalgia.

The Cheerwine Float is the standout for regional uniqueness. The Coke Float and Root Beer Float are the most familiar. The Fanta Float is the lightest and most kid-friendly. All four are equally fresh and use the same soft-serve base.

Cookout Cheesecakes — All 3 Flavors Compared

Cookout offers three cheesecake flavors at $$2.39 per slice. All are 360 calories. Pre-portioned, cold-served slices delivered frozen and thawed for service.

Texture across all three is closer to grocery-store cheesecake than a sit-down restaurant version — uniform, dense, and reliably consistent. At $$2.39 per slice, Cookout cheesecakes are the cheapest serious cheesecake in fast food. Most chains either skip cheesecake entirely or charge $5+ for comparable slices.

Pairing tip: Cheesecake pairs naturally with hot coffee or coffee-flavored drinks. Cookout doesn't serve coffee, but the Mocha or Cappuccino milkshake (both $3.99) paired with a cheesecake slice ($$2.39) is the closest the menu gets to a coffee-and-dessert experience.

The Best Cookout Tray + Dessert Combinations

Most Cookout regulars don't order desserts à la carte — they bundle them with a Tray. Below are the four most-recommended Tray + dessert combinations.

#1

Big Double Cookout Style Tray + Cheerwine Float (drink swap)

Big Double Burger (520 cal) • 2× Hushpuppies (1,180 cal) • Cheerwine Float as drink (380 cal)

Total: $7.39  •  Calories: ~2,080

The "free dessert" Tray. Cheerwine Float swapped for the included drink at no extra charge — saving $$2.39 vs. buying separately. Complete Cookout meal experience for the base tray price.

#2

Cajun Chicken Tray + Banana Pudding Shake + Cheesecake (à la carte)

Cajun Chicken (380 cal) • 2× Hushpuppies (1,180 cal) • Banana Pudding shake upgrade (+$1.00) • Classic Cheesecake (+$$2.39)

Total: $$10.78  •  Calories: ~2,300+

The "double dessert" indulgent Tray. Milkshake upgrade plus à la carte cheesecake. Heaviest dessert experience on the menu. Order this on a celebration night.

#3

BBQ Sandwich Tray + Coke Float (drink swap) + Hushpuppies

BBQ Sandwich (370 cal) • Slaw (170 cal) • Hushpuppies (590 cal) • Coke Float as drink (380 cal)

Total: $7.39  •  Calories: ~1,510

The Carolina BBQ + classic float pairing. BBQ sandwich for the regional protein, Coke Float for the classic American dessert. Free float swap means dessert is included in the tray price.

#4

Chicken Strips Tray + Strawberry Cheesecake (à la carte)

3 Chicken Strips (680 cal) • Cheese Fries (390 cal) • Hushpuppies (590 cal) • Sweet Tea (290 cal) • Strawberry Cheesecake ($$2.39)

Total: $$9.78  •  Calories: ~2,310

The chicken-and-cheesecake meal. Chicken Strips Tray for protein, Strawberry Cheesecake as à la carte dessert. Cheesecake works better as à la carte than as a drink swap (it's not a drink).

Cookout Dessert Calorie Reference

All Cookout desserts are calorie-dense — designed for indulgence, not for daily eating. Sorted lightest to heaviest:

Dessert Calories Price
Classic Cheesecake 360 cal $2.39
Strawberry Cheesecake 360 cal $2.39
Chocolate Cheesecake 360 cal $2.39
Cheerwine Float 380 cal $2.39
Coke Float 380 cal $2.39
Fanta Float 380 cal $2.39
Root Beer Float 380 cal $2.39

The three highlighted options (cheesecakes at 360 cal each) are the lightest dessert picks. Floats run 380 cal each due to the additional sugar from the soda. The difference is small but worth knowing if you're calorie-tracking.

For comparison: a Cookout milkshake runs 510-900 calories depending on flavor — significantly heavier than these floats and cheesecakes. If you want a lighter dessert option, the cheesecakes (360 cal) are your best pick.

Cookout Desserts — Tips From Regulars

Cookout Desserts vs. Milkshakes — Which Should You Order?

Both menus offer dessert experiences, but they're optimized for different cravings. Quick comparison:

Recommendation: First-time visitors should order a Cheerwine Float first. On your second visit, try a Banana Pudding milkshake. Most regulars rotate between both depending on craving — float for fizzy-cherry-vanilla days, milkshake for thick-creamy days.

See all 39 Cookout milkshake flavors →

Cookout Desserts Menu — Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Cookout desserts cost?
All Cookout desserts cost $2.39 each — every float and every cheesecake on the menu shares the same price. The chain's milkshakes (also a dessert option) are slightly higher at $3.99. The flat $2.39 dessert pricing is one of the simplest pricing structures in fast food and makes it easy to add a dessert to any order without complex menu math.
What is a Cheerwine Float?
A Cheerwine Float is the chain's signature dessert and one of the most distinctive items on the entire Cookout menu. Cheerwine cherry-cola soda poured over vanilla soft-serve ice cream, costing $2.39 for 380 calories. The cherry-vanilla flavor combination is widely considered the most distinctively regional item on the menu — Cheerwine is a North Carolina tradition since 1917 and is hard to find outside the Southeast. Many regulars rate this above the milkshakes for sheer flavor uniqueness.
What floats does Cookout serve?
Cookout serves four floats at $2.39 each: Cheerwine Float (signature, cherry-vanilla), Coke Float (Coca-Cola + vanilla), Fanta Float (orange + vanilla), and Root Beer Float (classic). All use the same vanilla soft-serve ice cream as the base. The Cheerwine Float is the standout — the cherry flavor is more distinct than the typical cola or orange floats and pairs uniquely with vanilla.
What cheesecakes does Cookout have?
Cookout serves three cheesecake flavors at $2.39 each: Classic Cheesecake (New York style, graham cracker crust), Strawberry Cheesecake (with strawberry sauce topping), and Chocolate Cheesecake (chocolate crust with chocolate crumble). All are 360 calories per slice. The cheesecakes are pre-portioned slices, not made-to-order. Texture is closer to grocery-store cheesecake than a fine-dining version, but the price point ($2.39) makes them the cheapest serious cheesecake in fast food.
Can I get a float as my Cookout Tray drink?
Yes — and it's one of the best-kept secrets on the menu. Every Cookout Tray includes a large drink, and any float can be substituted for the included drink at no extra charge. This means you can get a Cheerwine Float as your tray "drink" — saving $2.39 vs. ordering it separately. The Tray + Float combo is the highest-leverage value upgrade after the milkshake upgrade.
Are Cookout floats made with real ice cream?
Yes — Cookout floats use vanilla soft-serve ice cream, not whipped topping or imitation. The soft serve is the same base used elsewhere on the menu. The float is assembled at order: soft serve scooped into a cup, then soda poured over top until it foams. The result is a classic 1950s-style float experience.
Is the Cookout Cheerwine Float better than a milkshake?
Different category, both excellent. The Cheerwine Float ($2.39) is lighter and fizzier — soda + vanilla soft serve. A Cookout milkshake ($3.99) is thicker, richer, and comes in 39 flavors. For pure regional uniqueness, the Cheerwine Float wins — it's the most distinctively Cookout dessert. For variety and indulgence, milkshakes win. Many regulars rotate between both depending on craving.
Are Cookout desserts good for sharing?
Floats are easy to share — get extra cups and split the soda + ice cream. Cheesecake slices are pre-portioned single servings; sharing is awkward (split the slice with two forks). For sharing, two floats at $4.78 total works better than two cheesecakes at the same total. Or upgrade two milkshakes on a Tray for a structured shareable dessert experience.
Are Cookout cheesecakes fresh-made?
No — Cookout cheesecakes are pre-portioned slices delivered frozen and thawed before service. They are not baked on-site. This is standard for fast food cheesecake and the reason they're priced at $2.39 rather than $5+ at a sit-down restaurant. Quality is similar to grocery-store cheesecake. For a fresh-made dessert option, order a milkshake (each is hand-spun fresh) or a Cheerwine Float (assembled at order).

Explore More of the Cookout Menu

Desserts are one of 14 categories on the Cookout menu. Pair a dessert with a Cookout Tray for the best value, or upgrade to one of 39 hand-spun milkshake flavors for a bigger dessert experience.

← Back to the full Cookout menu     All milkshake flavors →     Cookout Tray menu →