How Are Dippin' Dots Even Made?

Dippin' Dots have long been a staple in theme parks, sports stadiums, and the sentimental memories of Elder Millenials and Gen X'ers. Who could resist begging their parents for a cup of those sweet frozen Dots, purchased on a school field trip or family vacation? While this treat might be the ultimate novelty ice cream item, its origin is surprisingly scientific. 

Dippin' Dots were first created in the late 1980s, when inventor and microbiologist Curt Jones was developing cryogenically-frozen cow feed. He thought to apply this same process to ice cream. Unlike standard churned ice cream served in scoops on a cake, sugar, or waffle cone, Dippin' Dots are made by dripping an ice cream base into liquid nitrogen in a controlled manner. This super-cold (-320 degrees Fahrenheit!) freezing method ensures that the droplet-sized Dots are frozen almost immediately, with no ice crystal formation, giving them that quintessential spherical shape.

This process also ensures that the Dots melt slowly, enhancing the cold and creamy experience on the tongue. The amount of liquid nitrogen used is critical for maintaining the proper freezing conditions. Too cold, and the ice cream globes can become too solid; too warm, and you no longer have individual "dots," as they might melt together.

The first Dippin' Dots store opened in Lexington, Kentucky, but honestly, it wasn't very successful. One of Curt Jones' relatives suggested that he reach out to Opryland USA, a now-defunct theme park in Nashville, Tennessee. Opryland initially projected that it could sell up to 100 gallons of Dippin' Dots every day — meaning that Jones would need to expand on his homemade operation. With a rebrand that positioned Dippin' Dots as "the ice cream of the future," the deep-frozen Dots' popularity took off like a rocket soon after.

In keeping with its ultra-modern branding, this novelty ice cream found its way into the Kennedy Space Center  (where they are known as "Space Dots"), in addition to many other popular theme parks. Jones' Dippin' Dots company reached its peak success in 2006, but the product later struggled to survive a patent battle and the 2008 recession, filing for bankruptcy in 2011. 

In 2012, an oil tycoon acquired the company for almost $13 million, restored its profitability, and sold the company to J&J Foods for $222 million in 2022 (saving the Dots from becoming a discontinued ice cream we may never see again!). That same year, Dippin' Dots announced a partnership with the Shark Tank-featured IncrEdible Eats, which makes vanilla- and chocolate-flavored edible spoons. In 2020, Dippin' Dots also expanded its operations to include Dippin' Dots Cryogenics, a branch that experiments with other applications for the company's freezing process — including plant-based meat, probiotics, and sauces/gravies.