Searching for ice cream containers for your business? Whether you sell gelato, frozen yogurt or traditional ice cream, takeout containers are one of the most important items for keeping your business running smoothly.

Ice cream containers come in a variety of sizes, ranging from small cups designed for a single serving of ice cream to large containers designed to sit in the freezer and provide upwards of a month’s supply.

They’re also available in a variety of materials, from conventional paper containers to plastic parfait and sundae cups.

In this guide, we’ve explained which container sizes are available, as well as the strong points of each size. We’ve also listed how paper and plastic containers differ, both in usage as well as the specific advantages and disadvantages of each option.

If you’re searching for containers for your ice cream store and don’t know where to start, we’re sure you’ll find the information below helpful in purchasing the right supplies for your business.

Ice Cream Container Sizes

We offer ice cream containers in a variety of sizes, with options to suit everything from a single serving of gelato to an entire container of ice cream. All of our sizes are listed below, along with information on the purpose for which each size is intended:

3.5 Ounce Ice Cream Containers

These are the smallest ice cream containers available. They’re made of paper, come without lids and are designed to hold a small portion of gelato, ice cream or frozen yogurt. Because these containers are small, they’re ideal as a small or kids’ size serving option.

Because these are containers, rather than cups, they’re perfect for selling single servings of ice cream in convenience stores and other distribution outlets.

Like other paper containers, these ice cream containers are designed to be disposable, with a low unit cost that makes them an easy addition to your business. You can also customize them to suit your business, with a custom logo, color scheme or other branding features.

4 Ounce Ice Cream Cups

The smallest ice cream cups we offer, these four-ounce cups are designed for fresh ice cream, soft serve, and gelato stores. With an open cup design, they can easily fit between one and two scoops of ice cream at a time.

This makes these cups ideal as a small or medium-sized serving option for your ice cream shop, café or gelato store. Because these are paper cups rather than containers, they’re not designed for an attachable lid and are intended for single servings only.

5.5 Ounce Ice Cream Cups

Slightly larger than our four-ounce ice cream cups, these 5.5-ounce cups can hold between one and two larger scoops of ice cream or gelato. They’re also ideal for medium to large servings of frozen yogurt or soft-serve ice cream.

Like other ice cream cups, these paper cups aren’t designed to hold a lid, meaning they’re not suitable for storing ice cream sold in convenience store freezers and other distribution methods.

14, 16 and 32 Ounce Ice Cream Containers

These larger ice cream containers are designed to hold multiple servings of ice cream, making them great for selling larger servings of your ice cream destined for customer’s freezers.

Our smallest to-go ice cream container is the 14-ounce paper container, which is made of PE coated disposable paper. This container fits a plastic lid (sold separately from the container), can accommodate both hot and cold contents and has a thick, durable paper exterior.

The 16-ounce containers are slightly larger and designed specifically for containing an entire cup of ice cream, gelato or frozen yogurt.

Finally, the 32-ounce containers are the largest of the lot, offering enough space for a massive serving of ice cream. These containers are ideal for selling large amounts of your ice cream to customers interested in consuming it at home as a dessert treat or snack.

All of our large ice cream containers are made using PE coated disposable paper and feature compatibility with plastic lids, which are sold separately.

8 Ounce Plastic Sundae Cup

Made from clear plastic, sundae cups are designed specifically to hold ice cream, syrup, melted chocolate, toppings and other sundae ingredients. Because these cups are made from a clear PET plastic, they’re perfect for showcasing the colorful, beautiful look of an ice cream sundae.

Like our other containers, these eight-ounce plastic sundae cups can be fitted with lids, which are sold separately. They’re fully recyclable and ideal for selling mid-sized sundaes and other ice cream treats at events or in your store.

9 and 12 Ounce Plastic Parfait Cups

With a tall, thin design, these plastic cups are designed specifically for parfaits and other “tall” ice cream sundaes. They have a large, wide opening at the top of the cup, making it easy to access the ice cream using a spoon, with a smaller, thinner bottom.

This design makes parfait cups ideal for parfaits, soft-serve ice cream, frozen yogurt and a variety of other ice cream treats where a large surface area is required for applying whipped cream, syrup and other toppings.

The nine-ounce parfait cups are perfect for small and mid-sized parfaits, while our large 12 ounce cups are great for jumbo-sized parfaits and ice cream sundaes. As with our ice cream containers and sundae cups, both of our parfait cup sizes are compatible with plastic lids.

Paper or Plastic: Which is Best?

Both paper and plastic ice cream containers have advantages and disadvantages. Because of their lower cost and better biodegradability, paper cups are almost always used for servings of ice cream, gelato, and frozen yogurt.

The downside of using a paper cup is that it doesn’t provide a side-on view of the ice cream, making it less than ideal for a beautifully presented sundae or parfait.

Generally, most ice cream stores use paper cups for the majority of their standard ice cream and gelato products, with plastic cups reserved for sundaes, parfaits and special dishes that require the extra visibility a plastic cup offers.

For take-home ice cream intended for storage in the freezer and repeated servings over a period of weeks or months, paper containers are used exclusively.

Contact Our Team for More Information

Are you interested in purchasing ice cream cups or containers for your business? From quotes for plain paper or plastic cups to complete custom designs, we provide everything you need to set our ice cream business apart from the competition.

For more information, view our entire range of ice cream cups and containers online or contact us now to speak to a member of our team.