The world of cold desserts is changing. Ice cream remains a summer essential, but today it shares the spotlight with new options such as frozen yogurt, açaí bowls, desserts with toppings, fruit combinations and formats designed to be enjoyed anywhere.
For ice cream shops, cafés, food trucks, healthy concepts, restaurants and take away services, this trend represents a clear opportunity: offering visual, customisable and easy-to-transport products. This is where ice cream cups play an essential role.
From classic ice cream to personalised cold desserts
Today’s consumer is looking for more than just a scoop of ice cream. They want to choose flavours, add toppings, combine textures and enjoy an attractive presentation. This evolution has helped formats such as frozen yogurt, açaí bowls and ice creams with premium ingredients become increasingly present on menus and counters.
Personalisation is one of the key aspects of this trend. Fresh fruit, chocolate, nuts, granola, syrups, creams, biscuits or crunchy toppings turn a simple cup into a more complete and visual experience.
For businesses, this makes it possible to create products with higher perceived value, adapt the offer to different consumption moments and provide options both for customers looking for a sweet treat and for those who prefer a fresher or healthier alternative.
Açaí, frozen yogurt and ice cream: formats that work all year round
Although summer is still the strongest season, cold desserts are no longer only seasonal products. Frozen yogurt and açaí fit perfectly into breakfasts, snacks, brunches, healthy treats and take away options.
Açaí stands out especially for its healthy image and its easy combination with fruit, seeds, cereals and toppings. This makes it a very attractive option for businesses that want to expand their offer with visual products adapted to new consumption trends.
In the case of ice cream, premium flavours, more carefully developed recipes and formats for delivery or take away are also gaining importance. Product presentation is becoming increasingly important, especially when it is sold outside the premises.
The importance of choosing the right cup
A good cup does not only serve to hold the product. It also helps improve presentation, make service easier and protect the contents during transport.
In businesses with a high volume of orders, such as ice cream shops, cafés or food trucks, choosing the right format helps speed up work and maintain a professional image. The capacity of the cup should be adapted to the type of product: individual portions, tastings, ice cream with toppings, frozen yogurt, açaí bowls or more complete desserts.
It is also important to check compatibility with lids, especially for take away and delivery services. A suitable lid helps protect the product better, reduces the risk of spills and makes handover to the customer easier.
Visual cups for highly photogenic products
Ice cream, frozen yogurt and açaí have one thing in common: they are highly visual products. Colours, layers, toppings and textures strongly influence the customer’s perception.
That is why the cup is also part of the experience. The right packaging helps enhance the product, provides a more polished image and makes the customer perceive it as a more appetising option.
In a context where many consumers share what they eat on social media, presentation can make all the difference. A well-chosen cup turns a cold dessert into a more attractive, recognisable and easier-to-sell product.
Which Ice cream cups to choose depending on the type of product
Choosing the right cup is essential so that the product maintains a good presentation, is comfortable to consume and easy to transport. Not all cold desserts have the same needs: serving a classic scoop of ice cream is not the same as preparing a frozen yogurt with toppings, an açaí bowl with fruit or a cold dessert intended for delivery.
For classic ice creams, small and medium Paper ice cream cups are a practical solution for serving one or more scoops comfortably. They are ideal for ice cream shops, cafés, ice cream carts, events and fast services where efficiency at the counter is essential. If the ice cream is served with toppings, syrups or biscuits, it is better to choose a cup with enough capacity so that the product does not look too compressed and the presentation remains appetising.
For frozen yogurt, cups with a wider top opening work very well, as they allow fruit, cereals, chocolate, nuts, sauces or crunchy toppings to be added visibly and neatly. This type of product sells strongly thanks to its customisable appearance, so the packaging should help highlight layers, colours and textures. A comfortable and stable cup makes both counter service and on-the-go consumption easier.
For açaí bowls, it is advisable to choose wide, resistant and stable cups. Açaí is usually served with a dense base and toppings such as banana, strawberries, berries, coconut, granola, peanut butter, seeds or honey. The cup should therefore provide enough space to present the ingredients attractively, preventing the contents from overflowing or losing visual impact during transport.
For cold desserts with toppings, such as parfaits, smoothie bowls, premium ice creams, mousses, cold creams, yogurts with fruit or layered desserts, it is important to assess both the capacity and the shape of the packaging. More Plastic Ice cream cups help display the product better, while deeper formats are practical for generous portions or preparations with several layers.
For tastings, samples or events, small cups are a very useful solution. They allow controlled portions of ice cream, frozen yogurt, sorbets, toppings or mini desserts to be served in a practical and visual way. They are perfect for catering services, trade fairs, promotional actions, product launches or services where small portions are offered without complicating logistics.
For take away and delivery services, the choice of lid is just as important as the choice of the cup itself. Compatible lids help protect the product, reduce the risk of spills and make transport more comfortable and secure. In businesses with delivery, take away orders or high sales volumes, having cups and lids that fit correctly allows orders to be prepared more quickly and offers the customer a more professional experience.
- Transparent lids are especially useful when you want to keep the contents visible, which is very interesting for açaí bowls, frozen yogurt, desserts with fruit or preparations with toppings. They allow the product to be checked without opening the cup and help preserve an attractive presentation until the moment of consumption.
- Flat lids are a practical solution for simple orders, individual portions and services where stacking needs to be optimised. They make storage, transport and order organisation easier at the counter, in refrigerated displays or in delivery bags.
- Dome lids or higher lids are ideal for products with bulky toppings, whipped cream, fruit, granola, shavings, sauces or decorations that need extra space. This type of lid helps protect the presentation without crushing the contents, which is especially important for visual products with higher perceived value.
It is also worth considering whether the cup will be used for immediate consumption, display in a showcase, in-store collection or home delivery. For immediate consumption, comfort and presentation may be prioritised. For delivery, however, a good closure, stability, lid compatibility and ease of transport are essential.
Ultimately, the perfect cup should suit the product, the type of service and the experience you want to offer. For ice cream, frozen yogurt, açaí bowls and cold desserts, choosing the right cup + lid combination helps improve presentation, speed up business operations and ensure a cleaner, safer and more comfortable delivery.
An opportunity for ice cream shops, cafés and take away businesses
The trend for personalised cold desserts offers many possibilities for B2B businesses. It allows them to create new combinations, expand the menu, improve presentation and adapt to different types of customers.
Ice cream shops, cafés, hotels, catering services, restaurants, food trucks and healthy establishments can take advantage of this type of product to offer more current and profitable options.
Ice cream cups for ice cream, frozen yogurt and açaí help complete this experience by providing practicality, image and convenience in every service.
