Ice cream and dessert brands in Dubai buy cups by the tens of thousands, and the cup is the only piece of the brand a customer holds for ten minutes in a mall corridor. The cheapest branded dessert cup on maxprint.ae right now is the 4 oz double wall paper cup at AED 510 for 500 pieces — about AED 1.02 each — and the most popular clear option is the 12 oz frosted PET cup with lids at AED 980 for 1,000 pieces, roughly 98 fils each with printing and lids included. This guide covers which cup fits which dessert, the real price ladders, how spoons and lids are handled, and the artwork rules that stop a print going wrong on a curved cup.
Which cup for which dessert
There is no single "ice cream cup". The right choice depends on whether the customer sees the product through the wall, whether the dessert is scooped or soft-serve, and whether it travels by delivery rider.
Paper cups — scoops, gelato tastings and hot desserts
A double wall paper cup is opaque, rigid and prints beautifully because the outer wall is smooth. The 4 oz size is the classic tasting and single-scoop cup, the size handed out at gelato counters and sampling events; 8 oz takes two scoops with toppings. Paper is also the only sensible choice for anything warm — kunafa, umm ali, warm brownie with a scoop, sahlab.
Double wall matters here for a reason people forget: the air gap between the two cardboard layers slows melting slightly and, more importantly, stops the customer's hand warming the dessert while they walk. It also keeps condensation off their fingers.
Frosted PET cups — the premium dessert look
Frosted PET has a soft translucent finish that makes colours pop and hides the messy edge of a half-eaten sundae. It is the cup you see in specialty dessert shops across Dubai Mall and City Walk. Lids are included in the listed price, which matters for delivery.
U-shape PET cups — layered desserts, shakes and bubble tea
The U-shape cup is clear and tapered, so layers show — granola, fruit, sauce, cream. It is the format for açaí bowls, layered parfaits, milkshakes, bubble tea and frozen yoghurt. Strawless sip lids come included, which suits both the UAE single-use plastics direction and the fact that a thick dessert does not drink well through a straw anyway.
Real prices: ice cream and dessert cups
Every price below is a live product price on maxprint.ae, VAT included, with 1-colour printing and lids included on the plastic lines.
| Cup | Quantity | Price (VAT incl.) | Approx. per cup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Double wall paper 4 oz — tasting / single scoop | 500 | AED 510 | AED 1.02 |
| Double wall paper 4 oz | 1,000 | AED 740 | AED 0.74 |
| Double wall paper 4 oz | 5,000 | AED 2,050 | AED 0.41 |
| Double wall paper 8 oz — two scoops + toppings | 1,000 | AED 760 | AED 0.76 |
| Double wall paper 8 oz | 5,000 | AED 2,170 | AED 0.43 |
| Frosted PET 12 oz with lids, 1 colour ⭐ | 1,000 | AED 980 | AED 0.98 |
| Frosted PET 12 oz with lids, 1 colour | 5,000 | AED 2,588 | AED 0.52 |
| Frosted PET 12 oz with lids, 1 colour | 10,000 | AED 5,175 | AED 0.52 |
| Frosted PET 16 oz with lids, 1 colour | 1,000 | AED 1,120 | AED 1.12 |
| U-shape PET 10 oz with strawless lids, 1 colour | 1,000 | AED 1,050 | AED 1.05 |
| U-shape PET 12 oz with strawless lids, 1 colour | 1,000 | AED 980 | AED 0.98 |
| U-shape PET 14 oz with strawless lids, 1 colour | 1,000 | AED 980 | AED 0.98 |
| U-shape PET 16 oz with strawless lids, 1 colour | 1,000 | AED 1,050 | AED 1.05 |
Extra print colours are priced per colour on the plastic lines: each additional colour adds AED 300 per 1,000 cups. A 12 oz frosted cup in two colours is AED 1,280 per 1,000, three colours AED 1,580, and so on up to six. On paper cups, printing is full colour across the outer wall as standard, and lids are the add-on instead — on a 500-cup 4 oz order, standard lids add AED 55 and premium lids AED 120.
Where the price actually falls
The 12 oz frosted line shows the volume curve clearly: AED 0.98 per cup at 1,000, AED 0.84 at 2,000 (AED 1,680), AED 0.52 at 5,000 and AED 0.50 at 20,000 (AED 9,900). The steep part of that curve is between 1,000 and 5,000 — you halve your unit cost. Past 10,000 the curve flattens, so ordering 20,000 instead of 10,000 buys you very little per cup and ties up cash and storage. For most single-outlet dessert shops in Dubai, 5,000 is the sweet spot.
Paper behaves the same way. The 4 oz cup falls from AED 1.02 each at 500 to AED 0.41 each at 5,000 — a 60% drop for a quantity most gelato counters get through in a season.
Spoons, lids and the rest of the kit
Lids. On the frosted and U-shape plastic cups, lids are already in the listed price — nothing to add. On double wall paper cups, lids are an option chosen on the product page: standard or premium, or none if the dessert is eaten at the counter. For a delivery-heavy dessert brand, always take the lid; melt and spill claims cost more than the lid does.
Spoons. Printed and colour-matched dessert spoons — flat wooden spoons, PS tasting spoons and long sundae spoons — are quoted per job rather than listed online, because the MOQ and the moulding depend on the shape you choose. Message the spoon type and quantity on WhatsApp and we will confirm the price before anything is produced. We do not publish an estimate for them, and you should be sceptical of any supplier who quotes a spoon price before asking which spoon.
The cheap branding shortcut. If you are launching and not ready to commit to a printed cup run, buy plain cups and brand them with a die-cut sticker. A 1,000-piece run of rounded PVC transparent stickers at 6 cm is AED 690, and 1,000 economy glossy-laminated stickers are AED 350. A sticker on a plain frosted cup reads as deliberate, reprints in days when you change the design, and lets you test two logo treatments in the same week. Many Dubai dessert brands run stickers for the first three months and switch to printed cups once the artwork settles.
Takeaway boxes. If you also sell cakes, cookie sandwiches or ice cream sandwiches, the custom box range starts at AED 510 per 1,000 for a printed food-board tray.
Artwork rules for dessert cups
A cup is a tapered cone that has been flattened, not a rectangle. Design on the die-line we send you, not on a mock-up, and four rules will save you a reprint:
- Keep 5 mm clear of the rim and base. The top rim is rolled and the bottom is seamed; artwork inside those zones distorts or gets cut.
- Do not run a logo across the vertical seam. The two edges of the flat sheet meet in a join. A wordmark straddling it will never line up perfectly.
- On clear and frosted PET, remember what is behind the ink. The dessert shows through. White ink is what makes a colour read as itself on a clear cup — without it, your brand blue sits over pink strawberry and turns purple. Ask for a white underbase when the design must hold its colour.
- CMYK, 300 dpi, 3 mm bleed, outlined fonts. Send a print-ready PDF. If you do not have one, design is free with every order.
One more thing specific to dessert: cold cups sweat. Condensation runs down the outside, so avoid designs that depend on a photographic image staying crisp under a film of water, and prefer bold shapes and clean type.
How to order
- Pick the format. Scooped or hot dessert: double wall paper. Layered, shakes or bubble tea: U-shape PET. Premium sundae look: frosted PET.
- Pick the quantity. Aim for 5,000 if your volume supports it — that is where the unit price drops hardest.
- Choose colours. One colour is included on the plastic lines; each extra colour adds AED 300 per 1,000.
- Send artwork or ask for a designer. Print-ready PDF, CMYK, 300 dpi, 3 mm bleed — or send the logo and we design it free.
- Approve, produce, deliver. Production runs 3–5 working days after final artwork approval for paper cups; allow around 7 working days on the printed plastic lines. Delivery is free on orders over AED 800 to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Al Ain, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain, or collect from 32 Sheikh Zayed Road, Office 706, Dubai, open daily 09:00 to 21:00, closed Sunday.
Frequently asked questions
How much do printed ice cream cups cost in Dubai?
The cheapest branded option is the 4 oz double wall paper cup at AED 510 for 500 pieces, about AED 1.02 each, falling to AED 2,050 for 5,000 (AED 0.41 each). Frosted PET dessert cups with lids and 1-colour printing are AED 980 per 1,000 in 12 oz and AED 1,120 per 1,000 in 16 oz.
What is the minimum order for ice cream cups?
500 pieces on double wall paper cups and 1,000 pieces on the printed frosted and U-shape PET lines.
Do the cups come with lids?
Frosted and U-shape PET cups include lids in the listed price. On double wall paper cups, lids are an option: on a 500-piece 4 oz order, standard lids add AED 55 and premium lids AED 120.
Can you print ice cream spoons too?
Yes, but spoons are quoted per job rather than listed online, because the price depends on the spoon type and quantity. Send the spoon style and volume on WhatsApp +971 52 210 0909 and we will confirm a price before production.
Which cup size is best for ice cream?
4 oz for tastings and a single scoop, 8 oz for two scoops with toppings, 12 oz frosted for sundaes and layered desserts, and 14–16 oz for shakes and açaí bowls.
How many print colours are included?
One colour is included on the printed plastic cups, with each additional colour adding AED 300 per 1,000 pieces — so 12 oz frosted in two colours is AED 1,280 per 1,000. Paper cups are printed full colour across the outer wall as standard.
How long does delivery take across the UAE?
Production runs 3–5 working days for paper cups and around 7 working days for printed plastic cups after final artwork approval, then delivery across all seven emirates — free on orders over AED 800.
Order your dessert cups
Tell us the dessert, the size and the monthly volume on WhatsApp +971 52 210 0909 or call 0522100909, and we will recommend the format and confirm the price with a free design proof. Browse the full ranges: plastic and frosted cups, printed paper cups, and read the deeper guides on plastic cup printing and paper cup printing in Dubai.
