Wendy's Pink Peppermint Frosty Was Designed To Trick You

As many of us know, Wendy's famous Frosty has been on the menu since the chain's opening in 1969. But while today's menu regularly offers chocolate and vanilla Frosty flavors, Wendy's also offers seasonal flavors from time to time.

For instance, Wendy's periodically brings back the strawberry Frosty as a tasty summertime treat, most recently this past summer. And in 2019, the chain celebrated its 50th anniversary with a birthday cake Frosty, per Pop Sugar. As if those weren't exciting enough, Wendy's launched another new Frosty flavor this past fall — the caramel apple Frosty, available only in Canada.

Oh, but the Frosty fun doesn't end there. In celebration of the 2022 holiday season, Wendy's has released yet another festive flavor, and this one may feel familiar. Let's be real, even the name "Peppermint Frosty" is reminiscent of another fast food ice cream treat everyone loves. Well, that might just be by design.

Although the vibrant pink color of Wendy's new Peppermint Frosty obviously sets it apart from other fast food chains' sweet treats, the flavor might not be as original. McDonald's Shamrock Shake? The Chick-fil-A Peppermint Chip milkshake? Literally, anything advertised as being minty? According to The Takeout, Wendy's Peppermint Frosty is "in flavor alone ... a lot like a Shamrock Shake." Seeing as the Shamrock Shake is only available for a few weeks each spring, this new Frosty might help anyone missing their minty ice cream treat.

That being said, the Peppermint Frosty has been met with mixed reviews. Per Elite Daily, the Frosty has a "hint of peppermint," but is more comparable to "an overly sweet candy cane." Worse, rather than having a light pink color, the Frosty seems to have more of a Pepto Bismol hue, which isn't exactly appetizing. However, Reddit had more positive reviews, calling it "incredible" and "way better than what the Shamrock Shake has become over the years."