Made to your size- 100 boxes
- Custom sizes & styles
- Free dieline support
- Quality print options
- Proof before production
- 8–12 business day production
Ice cream cups are the round paper cups and small tubs that scooped ice cream is served or sold in - from a single scoop at a parlour counter to a lidded takeaway tub. They are made from lined cupstock that copes with cold, wet, fatty desserts and the condensation that forms as they melt. Printed all round, with a matching lid, they turn a scoop into a branded product.
The scoop's own cup
Custom Ice Cream Cups
✓Clear proofing before productionSee our process
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Tell us what you are packing and we’ll reply with practical options.
Product features
Built around the jobMatching paper or clear lids
Wide mouth for scooping
Printed all round
Sized by scoop count
Tick-box flavour list lid
Linings for warm desserts
Room left for toppings
Specifications made for your product.
Technical snapshotEvery final specification is confirmed against product weight, packing method, print coverage, route, and order volume.
View artwork preparation guide- SKU
- bm-1101
- Dimensions
- Custom-made around the product and packing workflow
- Materials
- PE-lined cupstock, PLA-lined cupstock, Aqueous-coated cupstock
- Printing
- CMYK, Pantone, white ink, or unprinted
- Finishes
- Matte, gloss, soft-touch, foil, embossing, spot UV
- Quantities
- Starting at 100 on selected configurations
- Proofing
- Dieline and digital proof
Turn every scoop into your brand.
Artwork and materialsArtwork wraps all round the cup, and the lid gives you a second print area. One design usually covers every flavour, with flavour marked on the lid or a sticker. Our packaging guides cover sizing, materials, print, and cost in more depth.
All-round wrap and lid
We set your artwork around each cup size's template, keeping the logo clear of the side seam. A printed paper lid can carry your brand or a tick-box flavour list for marking at the counter.
Explore print and finishesLined cupstock and lid choices
Lined cupstock keeps print looking crisp through cold, wet desserts and condensation. A matching paper lid continues your design, while a clear lid shows off the ice cream and toppings inside.
Explore material decisionsChoose your box
Tell us your scoop sizes, takeaway tubs and whether you serve warm desserts as well.
Request a quote
We recommend the cup sizes, lining and lids that suit your desserts and your counter.
Finalize the order
Confirm sizes, lining, lid type, flavour marking and delivery details for the order.
Build the dieline
We prepare the template for each cup size, with room left above the scoop for toppings.
Approve the proof
Check the cup wrap and lid artwork on the digital proof for every size.
Roll on production
We print and form your cups and lids, check the rims and fit, and pack them for delivery.
Best for
Ice cream and gelato parloursFrozen yoghurt shopsDessert bars and eventsTakeaway scoopsWhat changes the price.
Cost factorsEvery project is quoted individually. These are the choices that move the price on almost every order.
- Cup size
- Small tasting cups, single-scoop cups and takeaway tubs use very different amounts of board.
- Lid
- Lids are a separate part; a printed paper lid usually costs more than a plain clear one.
- Lining
- PE lining tends to cost least; PLA and aqueous barriers usually add cost.
- Print colours
- Many cup presses set up per colour, so fewer colours keep the cost down.
Buyer guidance
Choosing this format
Ice cream cup or ice cream box?
Cups are for scooped ice cream served or sold by the portion; boxes are cartons filled at a factory and sold from a freezer.
An ice cream cup is formed round, like a drinks cup but wider and shallower, and is filled by hand with a scoop at the counter. An ice cream carton or brick is filled on a line and sealed, then stacked in a supermarket freezer.
If you serve over the counter, cups and lidded takeaway tubs are the usual choice. If you sell packed pints to shops, an ice cream box or factory-filled tub is more likely the right format.
- Cups: scooped and served
- Boxes: filled and frozen for retail
- Tubs sit in between
Choosing a cup size by the scoop
Cup sizes are usually given in fluid ounces, but the useful question is how many scoops fit with room for toppings.
A scoop sits higher than the rim, so a cup that looks the right volume can still be too narrow. A wider, shallower cup holds a round scoop better and makes it easier to eat with a small spoon.
Sauces and sprinkles need headroom, and a lid needs a little more if it is to close without crushing the top. Tell us your scoop size and toppings and we suggest the cup that holds them.
Lids for takeaway tubs
A lid turns a serving cup into a takeaway tub, so it has to fit tightly and survive a freezer.
Paper lids can be printed to match the cup and keep the pack plastic-light. Clear lids show the flavour and toppings, which helps on a self-serve freezer. Domed lids leave room for whipped cream or toppings.
Lids are sized to the rim, so choose cup and lid as a pair, matched to one rim size, with a fit that holds on a filled, frozen tub.
Melt, condensation and the lining
Ice cream starts melting the moment it is scooped, so the inside lining and outside print both have to cope with water.
Melted ice cream is wet, sugary and fatty, and condensation forms on the outside as the cup warms in a hand. The inner lining keeps the board dry, and an outer coating stops the print smudging. The lining is also the surface the dessert touches, so it is chosen for the food as much as for the board.
Related packaging formats
Compare your options
Ice Cream Boxes
Coated paperboard boxes and tubs that hold their shape through freezing, frosting and thawing.
Explore box style
Paper Cones
Printed paper cones and cone sleeves for ice cream, snow cones, crêpes, sugared nuts and cotton candy.
Explore box style
Dessert Boxes
Gift boxes with compartments for mixed desserts, from brownies to mini tarts.
Explore box styleQuestions about ice cream cups.
Box style FAQsWe’ll confirm the exact details that apply to your structure and volume.
Read all frequently asked questionsCan ice cream cups be used for warm desserts too?+
Yes, when we make them with a lining suited to heat. Cups lined for hot food also take warm desserts such as brownie sundaes, affogato or ice cream with hot sauce. If your menu mixes hot and cold, tell us your hottest serve and we choose a cup and lining that suit both.
Can one printed ice cream cup design cover every flavour?+
Yes. Most shops print one design for every flavour and mark each cup with a sticker or a coloured lid. We can also print a paper lid with a tick-box list of flavours to mark at the counter. Separate printed designs for each flavour suit factory-filled tubs better than scooped ones.
Can paper ice cream cups replace plastic tubs?+
Yes, for scooped servings and takeaway they do the same job and print far better. We line them for cold, wet food and can pair them with paper lids for an all-paper serve. For tubs filled ahead and kept in a freezer for longer, tell us and we recommend a tighter-fitting lid.
How should empty ice cream cups be stored before use?+
Keep them dry, in their sleeves or cartons, away from steam, sinks and wet counters, so the board keeps its shape and the lids fit well. Empty cups do not need to be frozen. Once filled and lidded, they can go straight into the freezer until they are served.
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